Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-02-18
TO MAKE THE HIGH
SCHOOL FREE TO ALL

Sumter Legislators ShOuI(
Support This Measure.
Supt. Miller, the members of tn
Board of Education, and, in fact, ev
cry one interested at all in the ed
ucational affairs of Americus, anc
of Sumter county, are looking for
| ward with some anxiety to the com
ing session of the legislature and tn,
fate of the high school bill that will
then come before that body again
with practically the unanimous en-
dorsement of the educators of the en-
tire state.
Under the system now prevailing
in Georgia no state funds go to tht
high schools. The state provides fol
| the lower grades and for the uniyer.
sity and other higher departments oI
education, but the high schools, the
connecting link, are singularly over
looked, ignored and refused the bene-
| fits of state assistance. 1t is to rem
edy this that legislation is sought
which will put the high schools on
level with the lower grades and en-
title them to share pro rata in the
school funds of the state.
Benefit to Country Children.
"It will be a great thing for the
high schools and for the educational
system in general if this constitu
tional change is. made said Supt
Miller yestera sss9Our high school
here. for instafs DO I'D be benefit
ted by the additionas "a - at would
receive from the states. ,8sAwould
make the high school alle sssss9utely
free institution. AS it is NV it is
free only to children living inside the
city limits. Children attending whose
homes are outside the city, in the
county, are required to pay tuition
fees of So a month. If the state in
cludes the high school in its educa-
tional system this fee on the out-of-
the-city pupils will be done away
with, of course. That will tend to
induce parents outside of the city tt,
give their children a higher edu&}
ton. Personally, I anRNery has.,ss,35s /
that the legislators and theee,f f5s 10
large will realize the .Fs such
legislation of
I'm counties We ssaSas4are is no high
school the funds obtained would per-
NIT of the establishment of higher
branches. In counties where there
is already high school the scope Of
its usefulness would be broadened
and it would in reality become a
county high school,"
Must Go to the People.
1t is anticipated that the bill.
which has already received the sane
ton of two successive legislatures and
is now upon it's third reading, will b.
adopted for the third time this sum-
mer, thus complying with the provi-
sions of the law and will be sub
mtted to a vote of the people for
ratification.
The constitution of 1877, which is
still in force, provides for the es-
tablishment of elementary branches
and for higher education, but makes
no provision for high schools, which
are the connecting link between these
two. A system of public education
had at that time just been inaugu-
rated in the state, and the people
were willing to accept anything that
was offered them There were al
ready some high schools in existence
and the law has not affected the
maintenance of these, although it is
contended by good constitutional law
yers, it is said that the support of
them out of the state funds is uncon-
stitutional.
The people, it is maintained, have
now become educated to the necessity
for higher education among the chill
dren of the state, which can not be
accomplished without the general
maintenance of high schools, which
as already stated, represents the in
creasing connection between the
grammar schools and the colleges. It
was therefore proposed that the leg
islature be memorialized to make a
provision for the maintenance of the
high schools in the counties where
such schools are desired. The pres
ent law does not provide for second.
ary education. The demands for the
installation of high schools are being
made in all sections of the state, in
many counties in as many as eigh.
or ten places.
I Whoever the senator and repre-
sentatives are from Sumter county
! this year, it is believed they will
| be enthusiastic supporters of the pro.
| posed legislation. With the fine equip
ment and increased accommodations
! of the new high school building
Americus will then be in a position
to handle a much larger attendance
with Highly satisfactory results.