St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-04-09
school Board Pr0ce edings.

0pelousas. La, April 9Th, 1910.
The School Board met pursuant to
call Present: DR.. 0. P. DAILY, Presi-
dent; i. b. Vidrine, w j. Boudreau,
Dr. Al. 9. Durio, r. Il. Hawkins, All
fred DeYiIle, Fl. L. Erich, DR.. ]. C.
Vidrine. Absent: j. w. Lyman.
On motion Of DR.. Durio the minutes
Of the last meeting were adopted as
read.
On motion of DR.. Durio the follow
ing report Of the Superintendent was
accepted and ordered published.
TO the President and Members of the
Parish Board of School Direct
ors.
Gentlemen: | will only speak to
you in this report Of the general
school conditions existing in the
public schools of this parish. We
begen this session under favorable
auspices so far as the school senti-
nent among the people is concerned.
There IS a constant increase Of en-
thusiasm among the patrons of the
schools All want schools, and in
almost every community of the par
ISL the individual patron is willing to
make some sacrifice either in the
contribution Of money or labor for
The betterment of the schools. The
schools have been better ~patronized
than ever before. the enrolment ID
larger. and the average attendance il
better than it has been in previous
years. This fact has neeessitated
the employment Of more and better
teachers than we have heretofore
had, and il, as a consequence, has
caused the system to become more
expensive. We can congratulate our
selves on having overcome, in a great
measure, the apathy which formerly
existed with reference to the neces-
sity Of sending the children to the
schools, but, at the same time, We
are confronted with the proposition
Of how we are to raise the means to
give 10 the people, to its fuIlness,
the service which they demand and
need. Ia other words, we have stimu-
lated the enthusiasm and cultivated
The school spirit among the masses,
and nov find ourselves unable to
comply with Che demands which We
have created. II has been customary
TO give the parish, as a unit, an eight
months term in all the schools. but the
EXPENSE Of maintaining them has
grown SO large that it is hardly posi-
Die to do so with the mean at our
disposal You will observe from
report Of your Finance Comm tee
that the expense of conducting our
schools for the present ession
amounts to quite $l0,000.0& per
month, and that our total prosaec-
tive revenues do not hardly read a
sufficient amount to give the seryIA Be
which w have heretofore given. IL.
addition to this fact, we are cor
fronted with The difficulty Of operat-
ing cur high schools for the length
of session which the Department Of
Education demands, and on compliance
Of which the very existence Of the
high school depends. W. are re-
CURED To operate them nine months
in order for them to be retained an
che accredited list of State high
schools, and it is essential that they
be conducted FOR that length of time
10 enable the pupils attending them
to complete the Course Of Study ar
ranged BY the Department Of Educa-
ton. This is q serious condition
which we are called on to provide
tor, and trust that each and every
one Of you will give to it the serious
thought and consideration which it
deserves. After having made the
splendid progress which we have
made ID the past it would be taking
q step backward and be humiliating
IN the extreme to have the State De-
partment cut US off from the high
appropriation and strike all of
our high schools from the proud posi-
tson which most of them have taken
and are taking among the high schools
Of the State. The high school Is an
asset Of all tie people of the parish.
lts doors are open to all the children
af the parish who are qualified to
enter them. and they have been so
disturbed that they are easily acces-
tn the children Of ali parts Of
We parish. They constitute the only
branch Of the system where a child
can get The educational equipment to
him for any of the ordinary avoca-
hons Of life, and they should, ait all
hazards, be maintained and literally
provided for. I think that this can
le done By a little fnanceering on
sle part os the card, and Ut the
same time provision can be made for
Tie continuation of the other schools
if the parish for i term ia eight