The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-12-19
Proceedings Of the School Board
REGULAR MEETING.

The newly elected school board of Ascension
parish met this day at II o'clock M, with the
following members present: E. P Melancon, E.
N Pugh, Prosper Rodriguez, w. B. Stuart. Al
bert Muller and j. E. Walker. Absent-George
Bergeron and Fl. G. Braud.
The oath of Office having been taken. E. N.
Pugh was placed in nomination and unanimously
reelected president. Mr.. Pugh thanked the
members of the board for the honor thus con-
f,rred and assured them of his earnest desire to
work with them in the future as he had with the
former board in the past for the continued i'm
proyement of the schools Of the parish.
The following committees were appointed:
Finance comnittee-By. C. Braud, chairman;
E p Melancon and Prosper Rodriguez.
Committee on buildings and supervision of
buiIdings-AIbert Muller chairman; j, e.
Walker and George Bergeron.
Committee on examination Supt c. j. Brown
and W. B. Stuart.
The minutes Of the previous meeting of Oct. ii,
1905 were read and approved.
The following report of the superintendent was
read, accepted, and the superintendent author
lied to carry out its provisions by engaging an
additional teacher for the Calbasse and the
Sacramento schools:
Donaldsonville, La, Dec. II, 1908.
Hon. President and Members of the School
Board:
Dear sirs:-It is with much pleasure that I
submit to you this report on the progress OF the
schools since your last meeting.
beg to report that all requirements Of the
State Board have been complied with and the
Donaldsonville High School has been placed on
the list of authorized schools.
The institute held from November to was
quite a success. The attendance was almost per-
feet and the faculty placed high estimate on its
value.
At that time the teachers decided to lay es-
pecial stress upon the following points during
the present session: ID a high per cent OF at
tendance; t2) strengthening OF sentiment for
consolidation of schools; ~ the matTIcuIatlon
and retention of as many of the older children OF
their communities as might be possible; IA the
introduction OF agriculture and other manual act
iYities, largely through school gardens. Ihey
cordially invite your cooperation along these
lines.
have visited every school in the parish at least
once and several of them two times. travelling
by buggy in that time 343 miles ind the
attendance truly remarkable in its increase over
this time last session, and the work OF the teach
ers Jealous and generally speaking, efficient.
The schools of Calbasse, Sacramento, Corner
view, Fairbanks, Carencro, and GalYeZ are TOO
badly crowded for good work. would recon-
mend an additional teacher for each of the two
first named schools, if funds viii permit, and
that the work of the CornerView and Cafencro
schools be limited to four instead of SIX grades,
with the recommendation that patrons of the
Galyez and Fairbanks schools who have pupils
in fifth and sixth grades also send such pupils to
graded schools. IheSe SchOOiS are near enough TO
Dutchtown, st. Amant. Gonzales and Calbasse,
respectively, to allow the larger pupils to attend
these graded schools without great nconVeni-
ence. would recommend that pupils be allowed
to make their transfer any time between now
and January 4.
Teachers reports of last session for the month
ending E &c. 10 show a total enrolment to that
date of 1876 children in all the schools of the
ish. Reports now on file for this session show
an enrollmentt to date of 212o pupils an increase
of IS per cent.
Good weather good roads short cotton crops.
are all partially responsible for this remarkable
increase but the greater interest in schools gen.
orally has greatly assisted. The increase in
graded schools is greater than in one-room
schools, because people are gradually learning
that they give better returns. In the course of
time the one-room school will pass the way OF
the open-kettle sugar mill, because we are learn
ing that there is a much better school by con-
e'''- G. j. BROWN.
The action of the superintendent in ordering
halfdozen book cases was approved.
On motion, duly seconded and unanimously
carried the superintendent was authorized to
confer with Prof. W. R. Dodson of [. S. U. and
formulate definite plans for the establishment
of an agricultural demonstration station of
several acres in the New River section in con-
neetion with the school work, and present such
plans to the board at its next meeting.
The following resolution was unanimously
adopted:
Resolved, That a committee of three be ap-
pointed to take charge of the sixteenth section
of timber in the seventh ward, and report its
actions from time to time to the board
The president appointed on this committee
Messrs. j. E. Walker. NJ. G. saverio and G. w.
Rice
Bills to the amount Of 1872 were approved
and ordered paid
The appointment of trustees for the various
schools was deferred to a future meeting.
The following resolution was adopted:
Resolved That the bond of the Bank Of DON
aldsonvIlle as depository of the school funds be
and is hereby fixed at ten thousand dollars, and
that copy OF this resolution be sent said bank
by the secretary.
The schools of the parish were granted from |
December a to JAN 8. inclusive. as holidays.
Business having been concluded. the board |
E. N. PUGH.
c. J. Brown, President.
Superintendent and Secretary