The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-07-10
Report of Prudential Com
mittee and Heads of
Departments
69-CENT TAX RATE
is RECOMMENDED
Liabilities Increased Past Year Because
of Temporary Loan Made for Several
Reasons Senior and Junior High
Schools Discussed.

Schools Discussed.
The annual report of the incorporated
school district, including the reports of
the prudential committee, PRINCIPAL. su-
perlntendent, treasurer and other school
officials, is being printed by the Yer
mont Printing Co. AS usual. il contains
much interesting material and is worthy
of full and careful reading. The re-
ports can be given in these columns
only in brief form.
The report of the prudential commit
| tee, E. Q. S. Osgood, A /. Miller and
w. b. Smith, shows that the total in
debtedness of the district is $40. 800. as
against $4,000 year ago. This COR
sists 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, the two Hines notes of
$1,000 and sl5,500 respectively and a
temporary note of 81 900, which was is
sued TO meet current expenses.
| The temporary note of s4.4OO was
necessary for four reasons: % The
amount received from the state was
nearly $4,000 less than usual, (2) the
bills for repairs exceeded materially the
lestimates, (3) the cost of fuel. labor and
school supplies Of all kinds has risen
Irapidly during the year, and "a. low
ing TO an error of Judgment the com
mittee asked for too small an appropria-
tion at the annual school meeting.
In order that the district NAV pro-
vide for all expenses, including inter
est on bonds and notes. the last 50 600
of the principal of the Canal street
school bonds, 81 900 of the So, 800 due
on the Hines property, and the tempo
, rary loan of $4,400, the committee
recommends tax of 50 cents on the
igrand list. The tax rate voted a wear
ago was ga cents.
The committee makes reference to
the elimination of the ninth grade. so
{ that hereafter there will be y grades
instead of l3, and then SAYS:
Following naturally the change
above indicated is still another, which
deserves mention in this place Since
We have now the II grades, as a work
able basis, we have an opportunity to
carry into effect the so-ealled .six-six ;
! proposition, which has been referred TO
in previous reports. This implies the
. grouping of the upper six grades in the
:, high school system, leaving the lower
six grades where they at present be
4 long. Under such an arrangement the
seventh and eighth grades will have a
? lcertain number of electives to choose
\ from, taking the place, in part. of the
? former schedule. with special stress laid
: upon vocational subjects such as do
> mestic science and manual training.
Thus, tentatively, a junior high school
NAV be formed, such as is found in
9 some of the towns of Vermont but, in
h larger numbers, in other states. But a
4 school of this kind cannot be estab-
lished in its entirety until the seventh
v grade is brought over from the Canal
: street building to the Main street build
a ing which will be impossible until an
n other year has passed. Moreover, due
regard must be paid, in the establish
ment Of such school, to the require
ments of the state board of education
if the district is to receive the gener
a ous sum allowed by the state towards
- the expenses of maintaining the school
from year to year. We shall certainly
IN wish to advance delberatively enough
h. to avail ourselves of the experience
e, gained by other junior high schools
ne and, especially, of those now in activ,
ng fort is being made to put such school,
ck on the proper foundation for practiea
h and efficient service.
Principal f. b. Smith discusses the ac
OF tivities of the past year and SAYS h'
rs hopes to arrange a schedule for mex
be year that will provide one session 70
he the three upper classes and probabi,
mt for the freshmen as well, though tn
DE size of the incoming class may make i
necessary TO arrange schedule wit
some work for all of them in the after
noon. He discusses at some lengtl
senior and junior high schools. Tw
sis sections of his report which are o
more than passing interest are as fol
lows:
is " Beginning with next year, mue
he wider choice of electives will be above
IN the freshmen. Latin will not be re
Dm quired, French may also be elected.
lie expect to be able to offer some con
W. mercial subjects to the freshmen. Thi
Pc probably can. be managed if new type
IN writers can be supplied, so that large
zen divisions can be taught at one perioC
ON All freshmen will be required to tax
I'VE English, algebra and history. For year
ancient history has been taught in tn
first year of high school; we have pushe
ter this subject along TO second year and
out the first year expect 10 offer a cours
on in contemporary history, paving col