St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-02-09
Our Public Schools
A School Commissioner Replies to State
ments by "a Taxpayer Interested
in SchOOls.D

interested IN the communication IN your |
last weeks issue signed "a Taxpayer In |
terested in Schools" Persons may at |
times properly disagree and were not
the communication entirely misleading, |
it would require reply. This Inter |
ested Taxpayer" who so lucidly sets
forth the pressing needs of our schools is
apparently much more interested than
informed.
Adequate fire escapes are urged for
''the outside of the school buildings" 1t
is to be assumed that upon reflection the
Interested Taxpayer" will not serious
" urge the adoption of fire escapes on
those school buildings in which only the
ground floor is occupied. Nor can any
of the suggestions refer to the Academy,
that being a private institution and be-
vond the control of the town. OF the
eighteen school buildings in town only
four are occupied above the ground
floor. The present Board of School
Directors and previous boards, have
fully considered the question OF fire es-
capes with full knowledge that every
reasonable taxpayer would approve the
expenditure of any necessary sum to
properly safeguard the lives of the school
children. The Fairbanks Village school
building was so constructed that, while
danger seemed extremely remote, it was
that building and that was done year
and half ago. Any reasonable inquiry
must, therefore, be limited to the two
buildings, closely connected, on Summer
street and known as the Union school,
| and the school building in Summerville.
In each of these buildings there are front
and back stairs accessible at all times
during school hours. The buildings are
| lighted by electricity. The furnaces are
&oI H17S-
| tible waste material is allowed to ac-
cumulate. Every outside door opens
| outward. For a portion of the children
| there is one flight of stairs to descend.
| All the rest are on the ground floor.
| Competent janitors are in constant at
| tendance Fire drills are maintained
| and I have personally observed all the
| children at the Union school orderly
emerge and vacate the buildings in forty
five seconds from the stroke of the bell.
/ Under such circums Instances, that any fire
could in school hours start and, without
being discovered, gain such Roadway
| that a descent of one of the flights OF
stairs could not be made is, to my mind,
! unthinkable. Indeed in case of fire it is
| highly probable that under the cOndl-
tons mentioned fire escapes would be
| more of a menace and means of injury
| than means of protection. City school
houses where many floors are occupied
are not comparable in any degree to the
| buildings mentioned.
The Interested Taxpayer" urges the
protection of the health of the children
| by efficient medical examination in ac
| cordance with law" Medical exam
nation" for over 900 pupils in accord
ance with what law? Medical exam
| nation" implies services of a physician.
| However desirable it may be to employ
| physicians to conduct frequent physical
| examinations of all our school children,
there is no requirement or authority for
so doing under the Vermont law. Pro-
i vision is made by our statutes for the
testing of sight and hearing of pupils.
The state superintendent furnishes suit
able test cards, blanks, record books,
and other needed apparatus, together
| with instructions for their use, and the
! tests are conducted by the superinten-
! dent, principal, or teachers, and records
and report made of same. There is no
law requiring medical examinations"
and the only examinations that are re-
quired have always been regularly con-
Quoted. How our statutes are to be re-
vised by swelling the vote for town
officers at our town meeting is some
thing which will be pleasing to learn.
OF "vita1 Importance" is it, according
spread of contagious diseases be pre-.
vented by various methods. Liquid
soap is one of the necessities OF vital
Importance and its use is strongly
urged. Had the Interested Taxpayer
been sufficiently interested to gain in
formation as preliminary to the dis
QUESTION on school needs it could readily
have been ascertained that for many
months liquid soap has been in constant
I 1-,1
, after a complete trial, it is debatabl
with some if from a sanitary standpoint
liquid soap with all it implies is an i'm
progement over the formerly used bar
of soap.
Individual drinking cups and indivi
dual towels are also strongly recon
mended. No child is denied the privileg
I of being thus supplied provided hi
: parents are sufficiently interested to fur
: nish them, but tits questionable how
| far the school authorities should impos
such requirements upon them.
The curriculum of our public schools
+ also placed under fire. The state super
intendent, under authority of a legisla
tive act, prepares and issues the cours
of study for use in the elenentar
= schools. It is needless to say that til
S law relating to such course will not b
Y changed by a town vote.
a The interested taxpayer 1urtner al
peals in behalf of the teachers, maxim
s mention of the fact that the statemen
e has been printed that their average wage
k in Vermont is Sc cents per day. Men
i bers of the ST. Johnsbury School Boar
have been unable to engage competen
teachers for any such wage. There
-e not teacher in st. Johnsbury who doe
O not get at least $3.50 day for ever
! day she teaches, and teachers who b
= service and experience have proved the
IS efficiency have had their salaries grad,
II ally and literally increased. But thel
# is a limit to which school board shout
! go in this regard. 1t would seem entir
" improper to pay even competer
E. teachers, who have been in St. John
o bury's service for a long period, greats