Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-07-22
IMPORTANT SCHOOL LAW,
,trom the Randolph Herald

\ notable change in the school law
made at the recent Legislative session
has not as Yet received any great amour
of public attention. 1t relates to Stat
aid for advanced instruction, and vii
probably have a marked effect In stimu-
lating attendance in secondary schools.
also in adding to the demands upon tn
state treasury.
Tho change comes through tho enact
ment Of No. 20 of the Acts of 1918, which
provides that each town shall either main
tain "A high school or shall furnish high
er instruction for its advanced pupils at
any high school or kindred school within
or without the state that may be selectei
by the pupiFs parents or guardian, and
shall pay such pupils tuition 1T to S6
per year. or more If the town SO votes.
/ But towns are to he reimbursed In part
for these tuition expenditures by the
state according to n new system, which,
instead of being based as before on per
centage OF the grand list expended for
school purposes, is based on fixed sums
per pupil. according to the size of the
towns grand list.
The rebates are as fOllows:-ToWns hav-
ing a grand list OF 5000 or less receive
so per pupil per school year; those hav-
ing a grand list of more than $500 and
not more than s7,GH receive S15 per pupil;
towns having a grand list of more than
5000 and not more than $4,000 receive
S0 per pupil; towns having a grand list
of more thar $1,000 and not more than
$1,000 receive s. per pupil; but towns
having n grand list Of more than $l5,I1
receive not rebate.
Important features Of this new appor-
tionment of State aid are a. that il ny.
plies to towns that maintain high schools
of their own as well as those that pay
tuition to pupils going outside, and C)
that it applies to Incorporated districts
a well as town districts.
We now begin to see how far-reaching
are the effects of this act. Whereas un-
der the old law but lA of the towns OF
Vermont had any share of the s27. $50. 0i
distributed in aid of higher instruction
In 1918, and none If the Incorporated dis
tricts received anything. henceforth all
towns and Incorporated districts with les
than $4,000 grand list will receive from
50 to $50 per pupil for all high school,
pupils, whether they furnish advanced
instruction or whether they hire 1t.
There arc In Vermont only % towns OF
Incorporated districts with more than SIS,
20 grand list. These are Middlebnry In.
corporated. Manchester. Bennington In
PERFORATED, st. Johnsbury. Burlington
St, Adams city, Swanton, Morristown
Derby. Newport Incorporated, Pittsford
Rutland city, West Rutland, Proctor in
corporated, Barre city, Barre town, Mont
pelier, Waterbury,, Rockingham, Brattle
boro incorporated, Hartford, Springfield
and Woodstock, These towns and dis
tricts get nothing: all the rest draw re
= bates for every pupil educated In higl
+ schools of their own or Of other towns
according to the scale noted above.
3 In this locality towns and districts vii
I receive back per pupil as follows:-Brain
t tree, 500; Brookfeld, SIS; Chelsea, Sl5: Cor
I NTH, s90; Corinth Incorporated. 800; Ran
dolph town, IS: Randolph Incorporated, &
STAFFORD, 800; Thetford, sl5; runbridg,
n SIS; Vershire, s2o; Washington, 500: Yves
= Fairlee, $50; WillifN lstown. $40; Barnard
i so: Bethel town. so; Bethel incorporated
e $40, Pomfret, 800; Rochester town, s2
s Rochester Incorporated, $40; Royaltor
g $40; sharon, 800; Stockbridge. $50: Gran
G vile, $50; Hancock. 500; Sherburne. go.
- There Is no fixed appropriate 10 to cove
g the rebates provided for in ACT 70, 80 tha
t the amount is apparently limited only b
q the available funds IN the state treasury
It would appear that a very large SUI
II will he needed to make the relmhuraf
ment under this act.