The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-05-07
Proceedings of the School Board
SPECIAL MEETING.

special session TINS Gay, with PfeS. II. N. rug
in the chair and the following members present
Henry C. Braud. W. B Stuart, Albert Muller j
E. Walker and Prosper Rodriguez. Absent
Messrs. E. P, Meancon and George Bergeron.
The minutes of last meeting were given il
substance and ordered approved.
Donaldsonville La May g. 1910
To the Honorable President and Members O
the School Board OF the Parish of Ascension
Gentlemen:-l beg to submit the following re
port:
Since our last meeting have visited twice thu
following schools: Oak Grove, Smoke Bend
Gonzales, Geismar, Calbasse, Belle Helene, Don
: adsonville, Elise, Barton, DOnaldsOnyilIt
tcolored).
The following schools were visited once: Dutch
town. Cornerview, Sacramento. Martin, st
Amant Singletary, Black Bayou, Conway
Brittany, Carencro. Burnside, Smoke BenC
I found all of these schools running smoothly
but with one or two exceptions the average at
tendance very poor when compared with the
enrolment. This must be due principally to
one or all of three causes lack of interest on the
part of patrons, sickness, Or failure on the part
Of principals and teachers to put enough life
into the school work to make it sufficiently at
tractive to the children.
Two teachers institutes have been held in
| the parish-one at Oak Grove and the other at
| DOnaldsOnville. Both were attended by all
teachers required to do So except in several in
stances due to sickness. These meetings were
successful and were well attended by patrons OF
d
was rendered the teachers by the residents OF the
community. In Donaldsonville dinner was
served at the schoolhouse. all of the parish teach
| erS except two or three being present.
! At Oak Grove Prof. Y. L. Roy was present and
addressed the public in the evening In Ion
aldsonvliie State Supt. Harris spent the day with
| the teachers in observing the work and adj
| dressed the teachers and public in the evening
| In my recent rounds OF the parish have seen
! evidence of the good results of this meeting
| In order to carry ont the plans of the meeting
/ mentioned tn o1o +1,1
/ schools of the parish on that Friday and [ ask
| that the board approve my action. | felt justi-
| which anticipated would follow.
| | wish to call your attention to the $50 prize
| offered by the State Improvement League and
won by the Sacramento school. CaIbasse was
a close second, receiving but one vote L IS than
Sacramento. The parish has every reason 10
feel proud of this victory, and in this connection
recommend that the board set aside SIS to be
used by the State League another year in MAX
ing up the premium list.
/ wish to report that we have sixty registered
entries in the Parish Corn Club. I have dis
tr1buted to each member of the club one-haIf
gallon of best selected seed corn at no cost to.
the boy. The contestants have been instructed
on two occasions by Dr.. Kidder OF the State
University and Prof. V. L. Roy of the Depart
ment of Agriculture at Baton Rouge These
boys have been told how to prepare their land
plant ana harvest then crop and how to select
thelf eXhlDltS. 1t is my intention to hold fair
IN the fall and award premiums to successful
contestants. L expect to secure S25 from the
state. Mr.. AchllIe Picard. OF Gonzales, has
offered a premium of So and expect to solicit |
other premiums in due time. ] recommend very
strongly that you set aside S. to be used in nav
ing Tor the seed which | have distributed and
S25 to be used in premiums.
This move is educational in every sense and
l know OF nothing that viii be of more vital con |
Germ and profit to the parish than the successful
carrying out OF this move. | know Of no better |
way that the board can expend S25 of the neo |
pies money than by returning it to their sons I
as an incentive to labor and as reward for
IN n Il n ,.aN
mental and even moral effort.
wish to report that the colored schools are
all oyercroWded, the attendance ranging from
eighty to one hundred and fifteen punis q,ha
of industrial work in these schools is
earnest and conscientious in his efforts to have
TINS work succeed and his reports to the board
nave been satisfactory.
have personally inspected two of these
schools and found the work going on as well no
could be expected. found the pupils at Smoke
Bend. under charge of e. d. Wright doino- tI,a |
best work in the regular grade studies
While circumstances are such as to demand a
more economical administration of the schools
strongly recommend that nothing be done that
will deprive the boys and girls of the r,arisb ii
the eight and nine months of schooling that
they now enjoy.
While 1 am tempted to urge an additional two
mill tax throughout the parish to make nv, tha
yearly deficiency i'll the present cost of aintain
ing the schools. it seems to me unwise and mn
charitable at this time in the face of nresant
crops and financial conditions to advocate same
therefore urge that the schools be run during
he coming year as economically as is consistent
With earnest and efficient work on the nart nf
eachers and within the revenues
| recommend that the board accent the COP
yices of the French Mission in New Orleans i, :
'1erlng to assist the high school in providing a !
eacher of the French language This WORK is
low being done by Mrs. Tusson, In addition IN !
Ter primary work.
l recommend that committee be apnointed
o investigate the requirements of ianitors in |
arious high schools of the state and to draw mn
INST OF duties and publish same, and that bids r
We called for tor this position fer another year
recommend that one of these regulations pro-
lde for the employment of none but grown Der
ons as assistants and that the janitor be honnd t
" as strict regulations as are teachers in -
chool - ''''s u
l recommend that the Carencro school he 20 C
Consolidated with the Gonzales school in order
secure to the boys and girls of that section | .
ne pest possible environment and ADVANTAGES
further recommend that in order to- reTnora p
primer causes OF complaint that a contract h. fl
raWn up oy committee appointed by the
resident OF the board, stipulating among other
llngs, the number of children and the exaot 10 e.
alton of children to be transported and provid t,
lg 1or the transfer leaving the Carencro school
ouSe at 8 ~ O clock in the morning fhus oh =
latlng the necessity of those children who ride u
avIng their homes too early; that this contra # ],
lTther stiPqlate the boundary line from which
Il other children will be required to walk. that
ut one trip day each way be allowed. thai u
us contract be published and bids called for d,
inning same.
| recommend that unless some school he con. So
'lidated with St Anant school and Tins insfiFv al
third teacher there. that this school be piace5
the same running basis of all other eiebt
ade schools in the parish having similar en-. al
lment and similar average re
On account of the crowded condition in +ba 10
wn high school, / recommend that The hoard =
ISIS a resolution prohibiting school children IN
low the sixth grade from other districts where DC
school is established. from ATTENDING, here 4,
en- though these pupils might be located a =
tie nearer the high school
recommend tha the board take some action pr
iatiVe to providing suitable school building | We
+ the Smoke Bend school, the present building :
ing too small, Improperly lighted and heated or
d not tit place for effective school work. Bi
recommend that a barrel Of sanitary floor or
be secured for the high school and other y
hools in this section. that half barrel he
cured for schools in the New River section, m
d another half barrel for schools in the other