The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-08
SCHOLAR TR4NSPORTA-
TTON NOT SATISFACTORY
It Costs 100000 to Garry Pupils to and
from School and There Are
Many Drawbacks.

The transportation problems have be-
come serious questions in the educational
system of the state, according to recon-
mendations which the state board of ed
ucatlon win make TO the coming legisla-
ture in their report. II is costing the
state more than 100000 annually TO
transport children to the schools, while
the total cost is over $3.50 900, about one
half being paid by the state, and the
other half by the towns. 1t Is under
stood that the Legislature viii be asked
to change the law governing the trans
porting Of children.
This problem is threefold: First, the
farmers and parents are not satisfied
with the present transportation law. Two
cases are enough to illustrate this dis
satisfaction In the town of Barnard a
farmer paid well for a farm because it
was near school, only ito find this year
that he must carry his children to school,
the one that was conducted near his
home having been closed. Another case
is in Tinmouth, where a similar condi-
tion has developed and the man having
fine farm can not sell it, because it is
TOO far from school, This transportation
plan takes the children away from home
much of the time, and as in Tnmouth,
they have to be carried away Monday
and brought back Friday night.
The second problem has to do with the
towns attitude. Transportation is cost
ing almost 90 per cent as much as the
salaries of elementary teachers and the
directors are finding it extremely diff.
Ii froy too at
that is within the means Of the towns.
The school directors are between two
fires, on the ona side trying to keep down
expenses relative to transportation, end
on the other the insistent demands of
those who regard transportation as q
means for securing town money,
The third reason for the change is from
the state point of view The elimination
Of the rural school has destroyed an in.
stitution which of old played an impor-
tant part in the early history of Yer
mont The removing of the schools has
changed the neighborhood conditions and
the direct influence of the schools in
rural communities is no longer felt, 1t
is fact that many of the high aspira.
| tions of those who are of influence in
| our HlhLC tdn DC LIdCeu 10 IDeil training
in the rural school, and many of the best
motives of our own lives trace back to
these school days.
The state board will recommend, first,
that the transportation law be changed
by modifying it, leaving it so that the
directors may transport, subject to prop
er appeal Of occasion arises; secondly,
that the educational law be modified to-
ward the restoration Of the rural school.
The following figures are interesting
along this line. Proceeding 1916, before
the present law became effective, there
was general transportation under the
town system of transportation which did
not acrry compulsion. In that year 1923
children were carried to school. When
the new law went into effect there was
an increase to 1924 children in 1916 and
there was like increase in expenses
from Sl28,000 to $l67 900. There was a
reduction in 1917 and in the last year,
1900 children were carried and the ex.
pense increased owing TO the fact that
the people find that transporting children
to school costs more than it used to.
The restoration OF the rural school will