Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-07-14
AFFAIRS Of SCHOOLS
Tax Of 81 Cents Recommended
by Prudential Committee
"Six-Six" Plan Is Favored, but Com
mittee Thinks Hurried Elimination of
Ninth Grade Not Justified.


Ninth Grade Not Justified.
Within day or two the annual re.
port of the prudential committee and
treasurer of the incorporated school
district will be issued, including also
the usual reports of the high school
principal superintendent and heads of
departments. The advance proofs con-
tain much interesting material.
The school board views with salts
faction the general condition Of the
schools and the results of the past
year. The various changes to take
place in the teaching force are men,
toned, which already have been pub
lished. The appointment of Miss Flor
ence NJ. Wellman as superintendent is
mentioned, and her exact status as
superintendent is specified. "It may
be well to remark in passing" the
committee says, "that the selection of
superintendent for our own district
for the coming year under the limita-
tons mentioned above, has the hearty
approval of the state board, being the
choice it would have itself made, had
the matter come under its jurisdic-
tom
The "sx-six' idea, mentioned in
the principal s report, the committee
says it approves of as whole and
wishes to have it put into execution
as soon as possible, as it doubtless will
be better in many ways to have -
grades than the present 10, counting
the four years in the high school each
as a grade, in view of the fact that
the children by state law are not al
lowed to enter school until they are
six years of age. The plan at present
is in an experimental stage in Yer
mont, and patience and clear apprc
citation of the difficulties involved in
eliminating the ninth grade are neces
sary The principal and superintend-
ent are acquainting themselves with
the steps that may be necessary to
bring about this important change,
and in the fall a representative of
the committee probably will 90 to Bur
lington to study the situation there.
The largest expense was incurred in
putting in two new boilers in the high
school basement at a cost of $1,000.
The plant is now sufficient to heat the
building without too great forcing.
Some wor must be done to prepare
rooms for the ungraded course and the
domestic science course, and some new
seats must be put in and painting
done.
SIN the year now before u.s. the
committee states, "the state will pay
$3.50 of the 81 800 salary of the SUI
perintendent; and 5000 each will be
granted towards the. salaries of the
teachers in the departments of nan
ual training and domestic science. This
will be of special value to us since the
bnu ba+ ;,,;, ~ oh
and will cause it to be unnecessary
for us to ask for larger tax than last
year,
In conclusion the committee says:
"The total indebtedness of the incor,
porated district is now $4,000, con-
sisting of $4,000 in Canal street
school bonds, $4,000 in Oak Grove
school bonds, 81 400 to be paid on the
Oak Grove note, and the two Hines
notes of $1,000 and $4,000 respective
ly. In order, therefore, that the dis
trict may provide for expenses of
every kind during the coming school
year, including payment of interest on
bonds and notes, $4,000 of the princi-
pal of the Canal street school bonds;
at least $3.50 on the Oak Grove note
ST. 600 of the 800 now due on the
purchase price of the Hines property
we recommend that a tax of 81 cents
be laid on the grand list
Principal Il. b. Smith says the Dial
and Athletic association had financial
ly prosperous years, and he approves
of school dramatics, but not of higl
school pupils taking part in dramatic;
under some organization other thar
the school, where the teachers have NJ
control. He expresses the hope that
Vermont will be a close second to New
York in making physical education
compulsory. The high school orches
ira was given up because of lack OF
interest. Mr.. Smith favors some
scheme for allowing credit for music
lessons outside of school hours an(
not directly under school auspices.
The success of the commercial de
partment has been proven, and the
wages paid for so weeks in a year i,
Office work as compared with the wa
ges for teaching "a weeks shows why
it is hard to establish teacher.train
ing course here. The principal say
no one in responsible position in thu
school system advocates giving M
any of the college preparatory sub
jects, but that as he understands thu
needs of Bratteboro and the surround
ing country the vocational courses
that ought to be offered to the yount
people are as follows:
81. Household Arts includn!
everything that goes to make an elf
cient homc-for all girls.
"2.. Commcrcial-for trained ollic,
assistants.
"3. Agricultural-with schoo
farm under the direction of a trained
agricultural expert for good man,
boys who need to know that even NOR,
than a good living on a farm is posi-
BILE right here i'll southern Vermont.
"a. Shop Work-with especial en-
phasis on Woodworking and Priating
the two principal industries Of the vii
lage.
"In the second we have already
made considerable progress. In TIN
first we expect to get a good star