The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-07-16
S4O.3O6.64

The report OF the committee contains an
endorsement of what both Principal Smith
and Miss Wellman have said relating TO
an increase in the salaries OF grade teach
ers. During the past few years these
salaries have been raised somewhat but
NOT adequately. Brattleboro demands
highly trained and well educated teachers
for the positions, but, in order to get
them inducements must be offered to cor
respond with the requirements, The sal
aries for the coming year nave. al oeeh ar az
ranged for and accepted. Therefore, no
appeal is made for the present time. but
another year the matter will be brought
forward and with more urgency
The article in the school warrant, hav-
ing to do with the purchase of the Wilder
estate, is discussed. This article was IN
serted at the request of some OF the lead
ing business men IN the district, ana mas
the hearty endorsement OF the committee
The problem of how to acquire land tor
school purposes in the heart OF the village
is becoming more difficult as time passes
on. But such land is even now lmpera-
lively needed. The estate in question dl-
rectly adioins the high school premises
and can be made available for another
building when the proper time comes TOR
it's erection. Meanwhile, if the district IS
able to acquire possession of the estate,
the house already on it, after certain alter,
ations. would prove useful, and the held
living behind it would be a welcome addl-
ton to the play grounds set apart tor the
children.
The $4,000 due on account of the high
school heating apparatus bonds has beeh
paid. This leaves as the total debt OF the
district the $40, 900 Canal -, street scnool
bends, due July |, 1912 The committee
states that at least six per cent OF the
total placed on the grand list for school
expenses the coming year IS due to the
necessary (but new demands OF the com
mercial and manual training departments;
also that another five or SIX per cent IS
required for the liquidation of portion OF
the bonded debt and for the payment OF
interest. The committee says these per
cents deducted from the total per cent
asked for would show that the ordinary
expenses of the schools require less than
sixty per cent of the grand list.
Principal E. B. Smith, in his annual
report on the condition of the high school,
states that the school opened in Septem-
Der with the largest enrolment in its his
tory-I73; the entering class numbering
81. In the spring term these numbers had
dropped to l55, the freshmen class to %.
The larger numbers were due in some
measure, no doubt, to the broadening of
the high school course by the addition of
a commercial course.
The commercial department has been an
UNQUALIFIED success. Nine seniors and III
juniors have taken all the subjects possible
in that course, and about twenty others
have taken one or more studies with the
commercial teacher Mr.. Smith is con-
fident that the work of this course will
give to a fair proportion Of the high school
students a much more useful training than
ever before and that this training will
be of immediate use to those young people
who take it, 1t is gratifying to know that
it has already seemed feasible to the pru.
dental committee to enlarge the scope OF
the work in the commercial department;
With the addition of another teacher and
another room the studies bearing directly
ON the commercial course can be begun in
the second year OF the high school course
instead of the third year. The tendency
of many boys and girls is to leave school
as soon as they have reached the legal
age; but with the addition of vocational
subjects to the high school curriculum,
these young people can be kept in school
for a longer period, and in the end this
will react favorably on the community.
The scholarship Of the school for the
past year has been above the average
Mr.. Smith explains there are many IN
every school of any size who work inter
mitently and without the application that
il necessary. These bring down the aver
age of scholarship. The work OF the
school as a whole has been approved by
no less an authority than the New Eng
land college entrance certificate board
The certificate privilege has been renewed
for another three years beginning with
January l, 1910. To keep faith with the
colleges our school has insisted on higher
percentage for those who expect to avail
themselves Of the privilege Of sertifcat'
az entrance to college than for those VIII,
expect 70 graduate The passing mark il
tbe school is IS per cent; for those WI