Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-03-11
THE HOLLY BEACH
PUBLIC SCHOOL AND ITS
. PRESENT CONDITION

When you breach the subject of pub
lie schools you touch upon a question
of vital importance to the parent, as 1t
is here the foundation of the child's
future is laid. 1t even reaches beyond
the parent. Our present school system
has reached such a stage that it Is en-
gaging the attention of the tax payer as
well.
AS President of the School Board of
Holly Beach and one who has been In
the Board for the past fifteen years I
feel it my duty to present to the public
facts and conditions of our school.
You all realize our school has grown
very rapidly of late years and as we are
a seaside resort / have always felt we
should be as progressive as our neigh
boring towns.
l have in the past been a firm adyo-
cate for a high school and all that goes
with it, but during the past year the
state requirements have been made SO
strict and the demands so great, neces-
stating a large outlay of money, 1t
seems to me good judgment to call a
halt.
1 do not want to be misunderstood in
this remark, / want our children in
Holly Beach to have an opportunity to
reach the highest grade in study pos
sible to procure in any district in the
state but in a more economical manner
for all concerned-by having them
transported to some approved high
school: Wild wood, Court House, Mill
vile, Observation-Disclosures is deemed
best, as is done in other parts of the
county or state similarly situated.
Before starting the high school here
three years ago public school was
satisfactory. We employed a principal
who taught, as well as having the
general supervision of the building and
assistant teachers. Since that time we
have attempted to establish a high
school. After three years experienced
regret to say the high school project
has not proven a success, as it has not
been approved by the state. .
We have drifted into an expensive
proposition from the fact that we hafs
deviated from our former method of
employing a teaching principal at
$3.50 or $780, O per month with his as
sistants, to our present system of en-
ploying a supervisor at 81, 200 per an
mum who does absolutely no teaching.
This came about through the offer of
the state to allow 5000 for a supervising
principal and $500 was raised by Holly
Beach taxpayers, making his salary
81, 100. After a short time the state
retracted this and said no district hav-
ing but one school building could draw
money for a supervising principal and
thus cut the state appropriation down
5000, thus the salary of the supervisor
would be but 5000 under the same dis
trict conditions. A member of the
board suggested that as long as the
state had cut the appropriation $500,
the board or district raise their part
of the salary 800, thus making a total
of 81 900, $500 from the state and 5000
from the taxpayers. Another member
said mo, we will raise him 500 and
also make up the 5000 deducted by the
State, y thus making the supervisors
salary 81, 200; $500 from the state and
$500 from the taxpayers as against $500
from the taxpayers the previous year.
At the time this action was taken /
wondered how it would suit the general
public and was tempted to start a pro-
test but as the high school was in an
experimental stage | deemed 1t best to
wait for future results.
l will give you facts that you may
Judge how the experiment has been a
success.
We are now in our third year of high
school and have so far reached an en-
rollment of ten scholars. We pay two
teachers an average of $40 per month
each and a supervisor 81, 200 per annum
WIN AAC PAOPOoitioh VI 6ANAh6 I'LL
81 400 for next year and employing a
third teacher to meet the state require
ment for four years. high school work,
making q total of at least $3,350 for
salaries to say nothing of the erection
of a new building or renting of rooms
which will be absolutely necessary
with four years. high school work.
Does not the subject of transportation
offer US an economical solution to our
problem? l have included the salary
of supervisor in my expenses for a high
school, as with no high school we can
dispense with a supervisor, having
simply a principal who teaches and
has a general supervision as in previous
years.
From my personal observation l will
saw the supervisor is not q success in