The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-11
RECOMMENDATIONS
OFSTATE BOARD
EDUCATION
Transportation Costs the
State $500, 900 and Law
May Be Changed
THREE-FOLD PROBLEM
BEFORE THE BOARD
VIII Recommend the Open.
ing of the Rural
Schools

The transportation problems have
become serious questions in the edu-
cational system of the state according
to recommendations which the State
Board of Education will make to the
coming Legislature in their report. 1t
is costing the towns in the state more
than 100000 annually to transport
children to the schools while the to-
tai cost is over 100000, 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 transporting of children.
This problem is threefold: First,
the farmers and parents are not sat
isfied with the present transportation
law. Two cases are enough to illus
trate this dissatisfaction. In the town
Of Barnard farmer paid well for a
farm because it was near school,
only to 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 con-
dition has developed and the man
having a fine farm can not sell it be-
cause it is too far from school. This
transportation plan takes the children
away from home much of the time
and as in Tinmouth they have to be
carried away Monday and brought
back Friday night. The second prob
LEM. has toz4dq with the towns at
tItude. Transportation is closing al
most 20 per cent as much as the sal
aries of elementary teachers and the
directors are finding it extremely diff
feult to provide transportation at a
price that is within the means of the
towns. The school directors are be-
tween two fires, on the one side try
ing to keep down expense relative tC
transportation and on the other the
insistent demands of those who re-
gard transportation as a means for
securing town money. The third rea-
son for the change is from the State
point of view. The elimination of the
rural school has destroyed an institu-
ton which of old played an import
antant part in the early history OF
Vermont The removing of the
schools has changed the neighbor-
hood conditions and the direct infiu-
ence of the schools in rural communi-
ties is no longer felt. 1t is fact
that many of the high aspirations OF
those who are of influence in oul
State can be traced to their 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 SC
that the directors may transport sub.
ject to proper appeal if occasion aris
4. es; second, that the educational law
be modified toward the restoration O.
the rural school. The following fig
ures are interesting along this line
Proceeding 1916, before the presen
law became effective, there was gen
eral transportation under the tow
system of transportation which dix
not carry compulsion. In that yea
4,623 children We're carried to school
When the new law went into effec
there was an increase to 5,424 chill
dren in 1916 and there was a Ike in
crease in expenses from S128, 600 t,
$4,000. There was a reduction i
1917 and in the last year A. 800 child
ren We're carried and the expense in
creased owing to the fact that tn
people find that transporting childrel
to school ccsts more than it used te
The restoration of the rural schoo
will mean that vacant schoolhouse
will be used, others repaired an
some new ones built. 1t will prob
ably cost little more than transpo1
tation but the parents will be bette
satisfied likewise the farmer and tn
State having originally made th
change should help in this expense.
L. A. kelly