The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1917-04-28

buildings need repairs, the board must
shoulder the incidental expenses OF
the schools, sanitary closets must be
constructed, etc.
We have not considered in the past,
consideration to the negro schools of
the parish. We have in the parish
hundreds of negro children who are
growing up in utter ignorance. This
is certainly not credit to the par
ish or to the intelligence of the white
citizens Of the parish. An insignifi-
cant sum Of 5000 is yearly budgeted
for the negro schools. When ne
gro school is opened with a poorly
qualified teacher for three months.
there is Immediately enrolled in that
school 125 to $50 pupils for that one
teacher to handle. The result is a
waste of money. Donaldsonville af-
fords splendid field for negro ag-
ricultural school, + A school of that
type, located outside of town, would
serve the negro children OF four
wards. I consider the above seri-.
Gus question for the board to consid-
er. I have discussed this matter with
Mr.. Favrot, representing the Jeanes
Fund, who writes as follows concern
ing the matter:
1.-THE type of school we are promot-
ing is known as the Parish Training
School for Negroes. To aid IN the
establishment of these schools the
establishment of these schools the
voted an appropriation Of $500 te
each for maintenance, subject to the
following conditions:
81. The school property shall be-
long to the state, county or district,
and the school shall be part of the
public school system.
"2. There shall be an appropria-
ton for maintenance of not less than
$3.50 from the public funds raised by
state, county or district taxation.
80. The teaching shall extend
through the eighth year with the in
tention of adding an additional year
or two as soon as it shall be posi-
BILE.
"a. The aim of the school shall be
to stress the teaching of household
arts, practical agriculture and shop
work, and to make all the work very
thorough.
"HRequirements two and four prac-
tically mean that there shall be en-
ployed teachers that are capable of
teaching the industrial branches and
that the term of the school shall ex-
tend through at least seven months.
We are impressed with the location
of Donaldsonville as point in south
ern Louisiana at which to organize
school of this type. We feel, how
ever, that as the school grows the
school board organizing the school
ought to be willing to meet the de-
mands laid upon them. The $500 the
Slater Fund gives thet rst year pays
the salary and expenses Of the girls
industrial work. 1t does not, however,
do much more than that. The school
ought to be willing to provide after
year or two for some shop work for
the boys. From the start it ought to
provide some practical agriculture for
the boys.
eve trust your board will see fit
to establish this school and to employ
high class man as principal man
who is strongly in sympathy with the
industrial movement and preferably
one who is capable himself of teach
ing industrial branches. should say
that with three regular teachers and
d girls industrial teacher the school
would be fully supplied with teachers
for the first session"
have taken the matter up also
with the board of trustees of the Le-
land Academy, located at barrow,
with the view of acquiring by trans
fer the school plant now in their pos
session. The sentiment is in favor Of
transferring the property to the board
under the conditions outlined in Mr..
Favrot's letter.
My purpose in bringing to the at
tention of the board the needs of the
white and colored schools of the par
ish is to call your attention to the
necessity of adopting saRe measures
to obtain the necessary funds for the
improvements mentioned. There is
undoubtedly an opportunity this year,
on account of the general re-assess-
ment of property in the parish, to
put our schools on sound financial
basis by presenting our needs to the
police jury when that body meets to
adopt a percentage basis on valuation
of properties as assessed by the state.
If this is done it will eliminate the I'M
pleasant duty of calling a special
election for a school tax.
In order to meet the expenses of
the board for the eighth and ninth
scholastic months it will be necessary
for the board to borrow the sum of
$4,000, and to pledge the revenues of
the board due from the police jury,
state current fund and special funds.
| respectfully, call the boards at
tention to the early employment of
teachers for the session 1918.
This policy would be advantageous
to both teachers and superintendent.
1t wouldA enable the teachers to plan
definitely their summer vacations,
and would enable the superintendent
to complete the assignments early in
the summer.
Respectfully submitted,
H. P. BROUSSARD, Supt.
H. e. Webb, duly commissioned
and qualified member of the school
board from the eighth ward, after the
reading of the superintendent re-
port, reported to the board and took
his seat. Accompanying Mr.. Webb |
were P. S. Berteau, holding COM