St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-01-31
A Vermont school Problem.

A Vermont School Problem.
There are two classes of towns
and cities in Vermont, a few that
are increasing in population and
over two-thirds of them that have
been losing population for the past
80 years. In the first class are
found good schools largely attend
ed, a town and state pride, and
live spirit of development and pro-
gress. In the second class the re-
verse in conditions is the rule Sew
eral years ago the people of the
state became convinced that the
smaller and decadent towns were
unable to maintain suitable educa-
tional facilities for themselves and
a law was passed levying a state
school tax and it's division arranged
so the small towns should receive
much more money from the state
treasury than they paid into it. Bet
ter schools have resulted but in the
majority of towns it has failed to
bring about the establishment of
larger schools, to enthuse the
schools, to develop a town pride or
arouse a helpful and progressive
spirit. The schools continue small,
in charge of poorly paid teachers,
without competition between the
few scholars in attendance and in
stead of progressive and enlivening
institutions they resemble the gen.
eral spirit of decadence and hope
lessness that prevails throughout
the whole town.
These towns continue pensioners
of the state and continue to lose
population and lose spirit and hope.
The state aid has not accomplished
all that is necessary to develop a
spirit of progress.
A later law on the statute books
provides for the establishment of
large central schools and the trans
portation of pupils to them. 1t pro-
vides state aid for towns taking adj
vantage of it and places the re-
sponsibility on the towns them
selves. This is a great improvement
because it encourages the establish
emnt of larger schools in the more
progressive sections of a township.
1t brings the children out from the
poorer and unprogressive sections
of the town and places them in per-
sonal competition with the children
of the most progressive sections and
so arouses new activity and pride in
school work. 1t transforms the
schools of the town from isolated
and discouraging institutions into
a real force for progress. When it's
value is seen pride is felt in it and
town loyalty follows because the
town has an institution it is proud
of. Town loyalty develops a spirit
of responsibility to the towns and
awakens new effort for its develop
ment. It must lead to a better APP
probation of the town itself and
promises to lead to the retention of
a greater proportion of it's young
people than past methods have.
Every town that has consolidated
it's schools sufficiently to make
large progressive institutions is
pleased with the results and adheres
to that policy. Towns working out
progressive methods within and for
themselves give better promise of
real success than those depending
on a state bounty. 1t makes pos
sible the employment of more COM
petent and better paid teachers. Ex-
perience proves it less expensive
than at first appears because it re-
Quires fewer teachers, less expense
for heating and maintaining school
buildings and gives better returns
for the money expended.
The real problem before the state
is how to induce a larger proportion
of the small towns to establish cen
trail schools and maintain them.
If we wait for the towns to take
the initiative as we have in the past
the change will be too slow. If
the state should pass a law allowing
state aid for schools of 10 or more
pupils it would hasten the transfer
nation of Vermont schools from
small decadent institutions into
live and progressive educational in
situations 1t would distribute the