The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-08-19

he clasSed as modern, sups'ali'iai
buildings. They are the Elise Mem
orial. Sacramento. Calbasse, Galvez,
and St. Amant schools. Our other
buildings are not, and never were m
tended to be school buildings. A
striking neglect which we are gallty
If i in the matter of outhouses tor
ali the schools in the parish, the
Donaldsonville High School Included.
We have not an clubhouse which Is
not menace to the health OF our
bows and girls and to the community
as a whole. This should receive the
immediate and careful attention OF
the board.
I come now to the teaching force
in our rural schools. | am ealing the
attention IT the board to eondltions
which I know they are famliiar with,
hut which probably have not re@lvea
= fnll share of their close atteNtlon.
The time has arrived either Tor the
state or the parish school ooard 70
realize that our country poys ana
Girls education needs the same at
tention as those who are fortunate
enough to have access to our state
anproved high schools. Unframed
teachers are barred from approved
high schools and are sent TO expert
n,ent in our one and tWo-room
schools. where, on the contrary, our
hest trained teachers should be sent.
have never been able to find rea-
sonable and logical excuse tor zen
discrimination. If we are SO fortu-
nate as to induce the police jury 20
grant us the II mill we need SO mucn'
shall ask the board to use as much
Of the funds as may be possible To-
ward the employment of specially
trained rural school teachers: l 90
not wish that the above shall be con
strued to mean that our present force
has not been doing its duty, for they
are loyal and faithful teachers, work
ing hard and giving our children the
full benefit Of their scholarship ana
experience.
High Schools.
Our high schools are among the
hast in the state, and We have rea-
son to be proud Of them. we en-
ploy in these schools trained teach-
ers who are giving excellent service
| The courses of study offered are
shifted to the communities IN when
the schools are located, and the re-
| suits we are obtaining are very en-
couraging.
| Finances.
! The disbursements from July l
1915, to July l,1916, for all purposes
were $34, 525.07, out OF which the
sum Of 26,362.73 was for teachers
salaries, This amount Of S34 ,525.O4
may appear at first very large, but
| comparison with the total expandi
lures of our neighboring parishes
using the number Of teachers employ
ed as a basis Of comparison, will snow
that we are not comparing favorably
with them.
/ The following statistics are obtain
4 ed from the annual reports for tn
| session 1915-16:
Parish Grand Total No. !
LIST. james. .s54 ,769. 00.--.-..-----,.7
Assumption rs 44,129.O0.---.-----4 A
lberville 49,. 81, l90.0O------.-.--- 81
/ St. John ........-. Sc. 447.0O..-.-.-..-.-. 81
st. Taiumany 70, ! GO. 90 ------------S
Ascension Sd, $3.50 ...---..-----6
Il The grand total, of course, is TO
all purposes: repairs, buildings, teach
ers' salaries, etc. This is mainly t
show that our parish is not over
!; burdened with school taxes.
Visitation Of Schools.
| visited all the schools of the pan
ish once as required by law, with tn
exception of McElroy and Marti
schools, these two being almost lse
lated. | paid no less than three vls
it's to each school, and some schools
which needed more of my attention
II visited once and sometimes tWic
5 a month. On these visits / directe
: my observations to the programs Q
. recitations, preparation of teacher
: for their daily lessons, noted the cor
/, dition Of the grounds, discipline, an
4 the result in general way the teach
/ ers were obtaining. came in cor
] tact with as many patrons as my tim
= permitted and discussed with thei
a the improvements of their respectiv
h schools.
: Libraries.
: The Donaldsonyille High Scho'
y library is reputed to be the best {
among the best in the state. This
a beautiful tribute paid to those |:
: dies who have worked SO assiduousl
: to attain such position among til
u school libraries of the state. Thos
), Of our three other high school
!, while they comply with the statd r,
auirements, need additional books {
reference and fiction. No standa1
Of requirements being set for o,
l. rural schools, we find in those schoo
= very few more than dozen book
i, and in some schools none at all.
: is very unfortunate that our finance
/, will not permit us to comply with tt
t, law which compels the school boar
: to appropriate a sum equal to Il
l. sum raised by any school for the pu
T. pose of purchasing library book
5. This would be a great incentive
l. induce the teachers and patrons
&c take an interest in better lhbrari
It for our rural schools. D
5. summ9y of Recommendations.
5 | shall summarize briefly our mo
:, urgent needs:
Il | have tried in my preceding r