The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-07-01
SCHOOL MEETING
LASTED ALL THE
AFTERNOON
Long discussion Of School Work
and Methods
SCHOOLS STRONGLY UPHELD
Meeting Passed Resolution Of Conf
denee in School Supt., Teachers
and Board

The graded school district meeting
Tuesday afternoon partial account
OF which appeared in yesterdays
Banne-. did not finally adjourn until
nearly 3 o'clock There was no con
test over the articles OF the warning,
but practically all the afternoon was
devoted TO a discussion Of the village
schools.
After three hours talk a resolution
offered by +. j. Hall and ID. a. Guilt
nan exp 'essing confidence In the
schools. including the superintendent,
teachers and board Of trustees was
unanimously adopted AS there we're
not less than $50 voters in the hall at
the time this was rather remark
able tribute to the Bennington
schools.
The discussion was opened by
Harry J. Cole who talked for an hour
in criticism OF some of the methods
used In the schools and particularly
Of the work of Superintendent Var
ney whom he charged with forcing
promotions that we're not justified by
the work of the pupils and Of not
maintaining as high a standard as is
| desirable.
Mr.. Cole stated at the outset that
was friend of the Bennington
schools and was merely seeking to
have them made just as good as pos
sible.
Mr.. Varney spoke for three quart
ers of an hour in reply, answering
the criticisms offered and explaining
the work of the school. He showed
from the records that pupils who
have gone from our school to college
have stood as high and had no more
difficulty than those from other
schools. He maintained that our
standards are as high and our schools
as good as others of the same class
Three of the teachers, Miss Fran
ces O'Donnell, Miss Cora Whitney and
Miss Mary Hyde. were called on and
stated that pupils had come into theiI
rooms from Massachusetts,, New
York, New Jersey, Rhode Island anc
from other towns in this state and
we're no further advanced and no bet
ter trained than the pupils here.
These teachers had also visited
schools in other states and Miss O.
Donnell had visited schools in Lon
don and all of them had found these
other schools no more efficient thar
those of Bennington.
The teachers who spoke sustained
Supt. Varney and declared that III
worked hard and constantly for thu
good of the schools. They state'
that they we're chiefly responsible 70
the examinations and promotion
rather than the superintendent. TIT
result of the discussion was the vot'
of confidence in the schools, abov
referred to.
The meeting then authorized tn
trustees to borrow $4,000 to complet
the new high school building includ
ing the architects fees and the eN
tras found necessary. Another $500
was authorized to furnish the neN
building.
The tax voted is 80 cents on tn
dollar which is an increase of l
2 cents over last year. The officer
elected for the coming year are:
Moderator, w. b. Sheldon.
Clerk, Nj. b. Morgan.
. Treasurer, Charles II. Dewey.
Collector of taxes, J. George Hue
i gins.
Auditors, r. e. Healy, II. Harr
< Sharpe. w. S. Boynton.
: Trustees for three years. ward
| Charles T. Burt; ward 3. Frank y
+ Crawford; ward 6. Homer H. Wei
. | stpr