The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-17
STATE WITHOLDS
NEWTOWN'S CUT
IN SCHOOL FUND
Conditions In System Not
According to Law, Inspec-
tor Light Finds.
Especial to The Farmer)

|
| Newtown, March 17-Newtown's
school board has run afoul some way
| with the state board of education,
| with the result that Secretary c. D.
Hine of Hartford refuses to certify
| to State Comptroller Morris C. Web
| ster that the town schools have been
kept according to law this year.
This resulted in the Withholding of
NeWtown's share in the disbursements
| of the state school fund, some $1,000,
to which the town was entitled I'M
der it's enumeration of pupils made In
| September, 1915.
All the formalities preliminary to
the requisition were made by the
proper school board officials under
| the law, and it was not known that
| the state board contemplated any
such drastic action. The school board
! processes to be unaware of any de-
! l1nquencies on its part which could
| require such discipline and all the
| members feel wrathful, and all MAIN
! tain that they had no intimation that
such a course was determined on by.
| Secretary EIine, until the! receipt, yes
terday, by Town Treasurer Frank
| Wright of news that Newtown's
money was held back.
Notwithstanding that the school
board members knew naught of the
hold-up the runor has prevailed that
such action was contemplated ever
since the, visit of an agent of the
state board, J. Nestor Light in Jan
uary. Two days after his visit it was
on every tongue, but as a rumor it
died out only to be aroused again. by
the auth oritatiVe statement from the
state comptroller.
1t is known that the state agent
met the members of the board of
school visitors in conference and made
his report, which was not a flattering
one. At that time he agreed to send
copies of his report to members of
Newtown board of school visitors. the
they might intelligently act upon the !
same For reasons best known to
himself, the reports have not been
received in NeWtown. To cut off the |
towns school appropriation withouN |
first giving the local board an oppor-l
tunity to act on the recommendation, |
is not a policy which the local board
believes will be commended. The :
conditions of the public school build
ings throughout the town have been
greatly improved in the last few years
and the local board had plans in mind
that would bring districts. which
have been somewhat careless in the,
care of their school properties, up to
a proper standard.
A. P: Smith. an active member Nof
the school board says:
1.-THE members of board of school
visitors, (Mr. Inspector Light to the
contrary have been honest in work
ing for the betterment of local school
conditions. To make a report on
school conditions in a town, and then
fail to place in the hansd of the
responsible school authorities for a
knows when it will arrive), is evil
dence that the handsome and affab1e
Mr.. Light may have been lost in someI
snowbank.
"In making this statement am
doing it on my own responsibility,
a m T6ai :
board cannot be held responsible. I
firmly believe that everyone of them
have given careful and conscientious
attention to their duties, and has la
bored always for the betterment and
of our public school syE-
tenn. The chairman of our board, =
Rev. Mr.. George, has given many
years of efficient and faithful SER
vice in the public school work in Sal {
Isbury and >Newtown, and our secre- t
Lary, Rev. Father Sinnott has Iabored 6
and earnestly to improve
local school conditions here. The perl
sonnet of the school teachers of the
town is stronger than in recent years.
Several of our teachers have had up
wards of 25 years of experience, a
number are Normal graduates and
graduates of our High school are in
GUIDED in the list. It is true that in a
few instances in the smaller schoolsi
new and inexperienced teachers are $
=
great educationalists, (including the !
Hon. Nestor Light had to make a be-
ginning.
so far as the local board of school $
visitors is concerned I speak by book
when we say there is no desire on ;
is part to antagonize the state board {
IF education. Far from it; we desire !
% cooperate with them in bringing !
he schools in .Newtown to the highest !
state of efficiency. But there are
ocaI problems in every town, and a
proper spirit of cooperation between
he powers-to-be at Hartford and the
ocaI officials must obtain if highest Z
'esu1ts are to be obtained. For a de-
JADE we have known Secretary IIine
Us a most agreeable and delightful
gentleman, and we feel confident that
he matter at issue can be reasonably
tdjusted after a conference between
he parties at interest
This Withholding of state money
will work a hardship to the town, as
he school money coming along in
March is always welcomed to stay the
over until June when the
new taxes are collectibIe. If the state
persists in its course, the town will
)e put to- the extremity of borrowing
money for current expenses and pay
ng interest thereon, a course, always
to the Selectmen, and
frequently disastrous to their further
political ascendency.
Knowing this, First Selectman E. | r
D. Briscoe has been placed on a com
nittee of school board members APP
pointed yesterday at a special meet !;
ng, consisting of Rev. James H L
Seorge and Rev. George T. Sinnott,
who are to wait on Secretary Hines
and discuss and settle them after at