The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-10-20
THE MANCHESTER
SCHOOL
A SEVERE BLOW FROM The
TOWN COUNCIL.

The following petition was laid be-
fore them last Tuesday evening for
their consideration, upon which they
failed to act:
The petition.
To the Honorable Town Council of
the Town of Manchester, Md, and
Trustees of the Manchester Acad-
emy:
We, the undersigned trustees Of the
schools of the corporation Of Man
chester, do place before you worthy
proposition. Realizing that the school
facilities of this community are not
large enough and that our class rooms
are oVer-croWded with children, and
that it will not be possible for some
time to expect from the County School
commissioners increased building ia
cilities, and being desirous of afford
ing to our community the best school
facilities possible, we hereby lay be-
fore you a proposal, viz: that you as
trustees of the Manchester Academy
assign that building and land to the
County School Commissioners at once
in order that more facilities may be
granted for the use of our school and
for the purpose of educating our
young people. II you will grant this
request we believe it is within our
means to secure an additional teacher
to instruct our children to relieve the
+ congestion in certain rooms and to
enlarge the general facilities of our
High School work in this community.
We beg to say in this connection
! that the Legislature appropriated 5000
per year to the County School Com
missioners of this county for the bene-
fit of the Manchester schools. AS cir
cumstanceS now are the. full benefit of
this fund is not realized since it is
impossible, in view of our cramped
conditions, to secure the full bene-
fits.
! We have been given to understand
that it is the wish and desire of those
in authority to develop an Agricultural
High School in this community and
the right to use the Manchester Acad-
emy property would lend great strength
to this movement.
We also question, in view of the
fact that the donors of the Manchester
Academy reserved in its charter the
restriction upon it's Trustees for ever
afterWard, that said property was to
be used exclusively for school pur-
poses, the right of the Trustees leg
ally to assign the building for any
other purpose or use whatsoever than
that of instructing the young within
its walls.
(Signed) HENRY MUSSELMAN,
CURVEN AMENT,
Trustees.
The result of the action of the Coun-
Gil, who are the trustees of the old
Academy, has placed the Superintend-
ent of Schools and the Board of Edu-
cation in an awkward position, so far
as the welfare of the Manchester
Schools are concerned, for through the
vote of the representative for Man
chester in the last Legislature the ap-
preparation which the County received
for the special benefit of the Manches-
ter schools was repealed and in lieu
of which the children have had the
advantage of a three years high
school course. Now under the new
educational law no money can be al
lowed for high schools until the school
receives the approval of the State
Superintendent of Education. Under
the law he cannot grant this until
there are 35 students in the High
School Department. 1t is impossible
for Manchester to secure this number
unless it can offer improved facilities
so as to attract children, as we'll as
accommodate them, from the surround
ing districts.
The County Board stands ready to
do what it can to bring about the or
ganiZatiOn of an approved high school
in this community but it cannot do
this without a reason. If the gen.
tlemen who accidently represented the
Academy had acted in the brOadmind
ed way that the County educational au-
thOritieS are conducting matters for
the interest of Manchester, they would
have generously granted the desires
of the petitioners and made it posi-
BILE at once to begin enlargements and
increase facilities with the end in view
OF bringing about such consolidation
of our school system in the community
as to warrant the Department of Edu-
cation granting their approval and
provide the funds from the State treas
ury as it is permitted and compelled
to do under the new law, from which
the town of Manchester would have
received the most lasting benefits. The
consequences must now, however,
quickly follow, that the children in the
classes taking the high school subjects
will be compelled to go to Westmin-
ster or ReisterstoWn to continue their
studies, for the high school subjects
will have to be abolished from the
present school course in order that
increased facilities may be offered to
accommodate the elementary grades
which are growing very large on ac-
count of the effect of the new attend
ance law.
Facts Concerning The Manchester
Academy.
incorporated by Act of Legislature
in 1929. Stone building erected in
1881, cost $500. Contractor Peter
Sauble. Money raised by voluntary
contributions-lot of ground donated
by John Weaver The property was
donated to the community of Man
chester for school purposes forever
and may be used for no other pur-
pose whatsoever
First Board of Trustees-Hon. J. M.
Shower, Rev. J. Geiger,' Rev. ]. AL
bert, George Everhart, George Motter,
John Weaver, Peter Sauble
First teacher-JosephM nj. Parke.
1t was the second Academy built in
Baltimore county. 1t received State
of $500 per annum,
which was withdrawn when Public
Schools were established. Later re-
;eiVed a small approDriation again. !