The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-09-18

Board and is therefore supposed to |
keep in close touch with every move |
ment of the Board. AS stated in the |
beginning of this article the Board is I
empowered by our common school law |
to establish two Agricultural High |
Schools in the county Zone for whites |
exclusively and one for negroes exclu |
sively) when in their judgment one
or both should be established. The |
course of study in said school when !
established is partly defined by the
law which authorizes the establish
ment of the school and partly left to
the Judgment of the Board of Trus-
tees subject to the approval of the
State Board of Education. The law
specifically provides that instruction
shall be given in High School Branch
es, theoretical and practical agricul-
ture, domestic science and in such
other branches as the Board may here
after provide for, it may make part
of the curriculum, subject to review
and correction by the State Board Of
Education" According to information
obtained from the State Supt. of Edu-
cation the State Board has approved
the course of study beginning with the
eth grade of our Public School Curric-
ulum. The law does not say that
the lower grades shall not be taught,
hut
course of study must embrace the
High School branches in connection
with other branches mentioned. Our
County School Board in harmony with
the County superintendent wishes
delayed the establishment of this
school for a year or two. Urgent re-
quests came from all parts of the
county insisting that the school be
established. We suggested that we
delay awhile longer as the Normal is
soon to open its doors and will carry
an up-to-date Agricultural Department
to meet the demands of the teachers
who are to be trained there for their
work. But this desire for an indie
pendent school under the immediate
control of our own people for our own
boys and girls taught by competent
teachers selected by our own Board of
Trustees grew more and more intense
until the last meeting of the County
School Board when the Board said by
unanimous action after hearing many
valid reasons why the request should
be granted we believe there is an i'm
portant place for the school to fill we
therefore decide in favor of the estab-
lishment of said school. 1t is the de-
sire and purpose of the County School
Board to try to mako this school a
model school leading to that system of
consolidation which is so much needed
throughout the rural districts. 1t
matters not where the school is locat-
ed there will be several small schools
especially If they have free transpor-
tation. This leads us to enquire
where will the school be located? 1t
is not the purpose Of the Board to
auction it off to the highest bidder,
but to consider carefully the interest
of the people who are to be served by
it-not today but for years to come.
Many of the people living in the rural
districts have made the request that
the school be located at that place
where it will be most accessible to the
largest number of people who are its
supporters and beneficiaries of it. The
question has arisen, "What will be
the benefits of the school to the city
Of Hattiesburg and Forrest county?'
The answer to this question must be
referred to future generations. The
school contemplated by the County
School Board is too far-reaching in its
scope of work and influence for any
man to forecast it now. A few of the
advantages may be mentioned. The
Board will not accept less than one
hundred and sixty acres of land
perhaps more will be secured. This
land will be divided up and used fol
different purposes-some for farming
demonstrating what can be done with
our average land when built up to the
highest degree of fertility growing al
kinds of crops grown in this section
Other parts will be devoted to thu
raising of the best grades of live
stock, etc. There will also be an up
to-date domestic science department
manual training and a thorough
academic course. Each department
will be under the direction of thor
. oughly competent teacher-one VIII
is a specialist in that particular line