The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-11-13

CTS N1akG New ITanE31OFTat1On Ar
 rangecents-Kerosen Instead of
 Gasoline For Engine.
 Bedding, Nov. 13-OccasionalIy a
 murrnur of complaint is heard be-
 cause the annual cost of. the schools
 has increased from about $3, 900 to
 $6,0OO. Some ask why this should be
 so and if 1t is necessary Although many do not realize the fact one ,ex4
 p1anation of the increase is found in the action taken by the State when it determined that the opportunity for a High School course should be afforded the children of the country towns which meant that the towns should either provide these schools or help pay the tuition and transportation costs for attendance in other towns. It also meant that in order to qualify children for admission to High Schools the standard of instruction should be raised from the elementary grade to one considerably beyond that thus necessitattng more competent teach CTS and larger salaries It was sev- era1 years before Bedding provided these conditions which in fact only came about when the change to town management of the schools was effect ed. Previously it was only in excep- tfona1 instances. that the instruction which was provided enrolled the pupil to attain High School entrance qualification. As conditions now are each of the four schools furnish in the regular course such preparatory instruction and in addition the aca- denny section of the Center school pro- vides one years training in the High School course. or the present corps of five teachers one is a college gradu- ate, one normal school graduate and three are High School graduates Their salaries represent an increase of from 50 to 75 per cent. above those formerly paid. With the better facilf- ties there has been a steady increase in the number of High School pupils sent out of town, last years roll mum bering eighteen. The State pays the larger share of the cost, but the net cost to the town last year was about $700. The decrease in the number of schools maintained does not material ly change the educational expense ac- count as the $1,OO0 paid for local virtually offsets the former cost of running the. dfscon- tinued schools. An additional item of town expenditure, however, is that represented by the outlay for building repairs. Formerly this expense was met by the individual districts, through a district tax when any con-
  vate subscription for lesser outlays.
 The present status of our schools is set forth with admira ble cIearness and completeness in the school section of the annual town report. It shows hat the number of children of school age has increased from 290 in 1910I Q 33S last year. The enumeration he latter figures. Of the total 86 re- dde in the Georgetown district which 8 part of the union independent dis rtct having school with a staff of our teachers located in Wilton Last rear 72 children of school age did not -ttend the public schools, but the aver Lge attendance showed a marked in 'rease- The investigation made by the l eachers regarding the health of the 1 Snpils showed that 126 were "affIict- l d" under the following classified ions: Adenoids, 5; enlarged tonsi1s, 1 B; catarrh, s. decayed teeth, AS; eye rouble, 4; discharging ears and 'szeme, one each. During the year he supervisor made no visits to the l chols for the purpose of inspecting md directing the work of teachers | md pupils. In the High School de- 1 'artment of the Center school the in- l reduction of agriculture and civics | s studies has proved of real value.
 Last May a State wide examination l f pupils was made and the answer l 'apers were sent to Hartford to be marked. The results indicate that sedding ranks in the first group of l II the towns in the State. The ex- 1bit of school work sent by this town Q the CapitoEin January last also re- eived high commendation, facts which demonstrate that our schools re progressing finely and that the dditiona1 cost is not wasted expendi-
 l schools has certainly Justified itself y the results.
 Had the selectrnen got busy inn 1ediate1y after the election much night have been accomplished to- vards putting the roads in shape to the ravages of winter. Prac- cally nothing was done, however, arm work they find 1t now imossib1e } get help and it will soon be too late , do anything. Hence the prospects re that the highways will before bring be in as bad condition as they ere last year despite the big appro- riation voted last month. On the onetown State road the final layer { trap rock screenings are now being laced The surface for the construc. on of the additional 400 feet will be rolren this week and the contractors xpect to have the entire job finished about two weeks.
 Almost as strenuous and adventur- US as the football game which the anford School played with the Ridge e1ds last Saturday in the rain and lud was the trip the former team lade to the scene of combat in an uto truck obtained from Danburv. here were thirty in the party. The heels of the machine had no chains nd the ride was a succession of skid ing gyrations and thrills, although no i, srious Inishap resulted. The home ard ride was so nerve racking that aving reached Bethel in safety, the oys were glad of a transfer to horse rawn vehicles for the rest of the ,urney. The game itself was a hard ,ug11t and exciting contest, the Sam ,rds winning by a score of IT to 16 he Ridgefe1ds won the first game of le season by the margin of one point
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