Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-04
COUNTY NIGHT SCHOOLS
ARE FORCED TO CLOSE UP
Complaint by Magistrate Smith
Cause Their Discontinuance BE.
ginning To-Day.
MANY PUPILS WE'RE ADULTS
Smith Charged School Board Were
Exceeding Authority in Educating
Persons More Than Twenty Years
old-FaluabIc Work Is Halted.


Citizens or IIenrico County arc great
~ aGitatcd over the recent devotion
mcnt In the school affairs of the county.
orders having been issued yesterday
ai'erhoon 10 teachers OF the several
n!eht schools Of the county directing
th"m forthwith to close their schools
Inquiry at the Office of Supcrntcn-
dent Arthur -. Wright brought out
me TACT that this action was taken
following complaint to members OF tho
Iuckahoc District School Board by
MhE!straic X. y. Smith. a citizen OF
that district Magistrate Smith claimed
mat the board was acting without
au'horltE IN spending public funds for
the maintenance OF these night schools
When the trustees referred tho mat
ter to Superintendent Wright for his
opinion az TO the legality of their ac-
ZION. nc reported that tho board was
without authority 10 maintain these
schools. since they were chiefly FOR nor
sons over twenty years OF age tho
specific objection To tho night schools
having been that they were educating
people who have passed the legal
school age
When ii was learned that the Tuck
ahoe board had been acting without
due authority. the Brookland. Fairfield
and Narina boards were at once called
TO consider the situation in their dis
ricts. and as result tho orders havc
gone forth To close all OF the night
schools in the county
MaSisirate u. y. Sinith is a candidate
IN the next election for tho office of
Eherin OF HcnTico County IT was on
the petition OF Mr. Smith and others
several months ago that an Injunction
was granted by tho Circuit Court OF
it"nrico County temporarily restrain
ing Superintendent Wright and Nom
bcrs of the county school board from
drawing on the county treasury for
iuhds with which to pay for the up-
hccp OF an automobile purchased by
me school board for Superintendent
w right. and TO pay rent on rooms I'm
the Chamber OF Commerce Building. Sc
cured Tor use OF the superintendent
and the school board. This matter Is
sun pending in the Circuit Court for
final decision.
The night school movement is
recent development Of educational work
IN ltcnrlco County, having been started
IN response TO petitions from patrons
OF various communities for school ia
c!l!t!cs for persons who were forced
by necessity TO work during the duv
Inc petitions i'll every instance had
Dc"n favorahly acted upon, tho board
believing they had due authority for
opening these schools. since similar
schools had been run for several years
In lHchmond and other cities H,It a,
II has developed. tho law -oycrninr
city school boards is different from
me ia" governing district and county
CLOSING OF SCHOOLS
WILL BI: KEENLY FELT
The discontinuance of The nirbt
Schoo!S VIII be most kccnly felt n,
fflEhland Springs. where tho only nirbt
Hcnooi Tor white people was main
tanned. Here were enrolled sixtv-n,nc
pupils ranging in age from fourteen
20 hi'y-ciSht years. four teachers being
engaged in teaching the school. Orr of
teachers h
man OF the Fairfield School Board. who
saNN ms services free of charge
Inc most interesting feature of the
WORK was Il class of seventeen people
IRON nineteen to fifty eight years OF
ngc, all OF whom were born in foreipn
countries, chiefly Bohemia and Hun.
gary. Many of these pupils were tax
payers and voters and people OF more
or less education, but were attending
school to perfect themselves In sneak
ing. reading and writing tho English
language. Another one of tho classes
at Highland Springs was devoted IN
stchosraphy and bookkeeping. This en-
tire school was maintained at a totai
cost of less than $50 per month.
Ihe other night schools In the COUNTY
were Tor colored pupils. and were To-
Gated at Quioccasin and Springfield, i'm
Tuckahoc District; Gravel Hill. in Va
rina District, and Mountain Road. i'm
Brookland District. There four schools
enrolled 102 pupils and required tho
services of four teachers, at cost OF
$40 per month for each school The
work was entirely confined to element
airy school subjects. and at some Of the
schools, notably Mountain Road. includ-
cd cooking and sewing. More than half
Of the enrolment of the schools was
over twcnty-onc years of age, quite a
number being more than fifty years of
age. yet the majority wcrc able TO do
only the work of the second or third
grade OF school.
IN reply to question as to the posi-
biHty OF reopening any Of these schools.
superintendent Wright stated that cf
forts would be made to secure funds
from private sources TO carry on the
work. Virginia Randolph, the teacher
of the Mountain Road night school, has
already volunteered to carry on tho
work at that school entirely free or /
cost to the School Board.
Members of the Brookland and Tuck
ahoc boards expressed especial regret
Mt being forced to close tho nigh:
schools in their districts, since they cx-
poet to end the session with n comfort
able balance OF funds on hand
1t is thought likely that the district
school boards of Hcnrico County Will
request the State Board OF Education
TO prepare an amendment to the present
law which viii permit of the enrolment
OF adults in the schools, when condi.
tons warrant II. Unless such change Ia
made 1t Will be exceedingly difI1cult for
tho State Board of Education to carry
out Its plans for tho abolition OF ndulr