The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-09-23

wefc f7ss 56l p ard arc nrN larger
thsn that A. Nc pointed out IL ysa-
tsnday's RefeTner The Increased *
pcnse 81 educating teachers ard ia the
overhead expenses ~ school manage
#mcnt have bocn enormous There Is
desire Throughout the state 70 have
. more money expended in the schools
ani less Tor officials Brauleboro Re-
former
n tfis and other editorial articles
the Reforner a. been far astray as TO
facts and figures, and worse still. il
has been unfair in their presentation,
Undertaking to convey impressions not
warranted. The figures given above,
FOR example, as the total expenses Of
the department Of education. taken
apparently from the biennial report of
ttbe aaditor u accounts. contain items
vilt shilh this department has moth
! ing whatever To do-standing and
pceial appropriations aggregating
macy thousands u dollars like S5s.
500 70 the University q Vermont and
'-.te Agricultural College, $4,000 10
Norwich University. $4,000 TO Mid
dclbury College, $if.625.03 for sup
p5rt Of defective children, S2s,sl4.55
for The state school FOR feeble minded,
these being the figures FOR 1918, ag
rreating Sl59.O89.5S, while in 1909 the
corresponding items amounted to only
s87. 2S0.2s. Not a dollar Of these
funds passes through the hands Of
the state department Of education or
can be contrilled by il in any way.
Included also in 1915 is the distribu-
Ition Of the school fund. amounting TO
/ $500. 85l 2s, which fulfls one Of the
chief purposes Of the act Of 1915, to
equalize school opportunities, being
texperded by the towns and rebated by
the state for such items as state pay
FOR rural teachers, transportation Of
pupils, aid in current expenses and for
school building repairs, all heavy
items that go directly for school pur-
poses and not in any sense chargeable
to overhead"
The Reformers chief cause Of com
plant Is that so much goes to officials
as compared with what goes into the
schools themselves. II has referred in
deprecatory way several times to
the heavy overhead" including there
lin the expense Of fifty or sixty district
suporintendents. This is not fair in
clurion. These men and women are
actively employed in school work on
twelve month basis. They correspond
TO the foremen in a factory, guiding
and directing the teachers and adding
to their efficiency. 1t is not common
to refer to forcmen as Officials" or
include their salaries in the over
head" Barring these, the administra-
ton Of the educational department
can hardly be considered top-heavy or
excessively costly, considering the ex-
tent and importance of the work and
the large amount OF correspondence
book keeping and clerical work involv-
ed together with many other neces-
sary OUTLAWS.
Returning a moment TO the cost OF
supervision, which in 1918 was $lls,
l34.9 this means a total of less than
$50 per year per school throughout the
state. The teachers drew an average
salary Of S425 in 1918, so that super
vision cost about 10 per cent OF the
total outlay, compared with so per cent
for the actual teaching force-not dis
proportionate, it would seem. The
next report will make more favor
able showing, as teachers salaries
have advanced since 1918 much more
than superintendents
The actual overhead" in 1918 was
less than S25 900, including all salaries
and expenses properly chargeable to
the educational department in that
line. Does il seem exorbitant in view
Of the magnitude of the work Her
aid & News.