The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-05

heon given. In~today's paper l notice
that Branchville has voted for a bond
issue for school purposes and has urs-
aninously added an additional lew
Of seven mills for school purposes.
The people every where are realizing.
Us never before, that the schools must
X. provided for and that adequate
81 !a,-ies must be paid if the, organl-
zation Of The schools is to be main
;2inet. The Board confidently ex-
poets the people Of Sumter to back
them row as they have always done
In the primary and elementary
:chools a.e a1.ous sovcnty-five pu
ni,s froal the country. These are
scattered throughout twerty-four
c!ass-roossls IL average OF about
three 30 tic room. The tuition
charge has beer $3.50 for each pu
D;l. allowing anyone who has prop
erty in the city to deduct The amount
Of his educational tax from his tuition
fees This is in accordance with tl,e
law
There are over 1850 pupils in the
white schools, $50 being in the high
schools. Scattered as these pupils are
from the country. they do not mater
;allv affect the number Of teachers OF
the number Of class-rooms.
| Tn the hish schools there are aboIt
.,inety pupils from the country, oa-=
vided among fifteen teachers. an av-
craze Of six pupils to the teacher. The
legislature realizir g the advantages Of
a central high school has provided a
| state fund to take care of conditions
! Of this sort and we shall receive from
the State this year about s3,ooe TO
! assist in the maintenance OF our hiSh
schools. Nothing has done more TO
! bring into closer relationship the
country and the city than the fact that.
we have had so many boys and sISis
IRON, the country. Anything that
helps to induce people TO come into
! Sumter for any purpose helps .ever2s
interest within the city.
AS the superintendent CT your
schools il is NY duty. and, I esteenR
:. q privilege. to give all the lnfornna-
! ton relative to these schools that
NAV be desired and I feel conhden-
that the people will continue TO g give
20 the schools their mest-cordlat sup
port. 5
Moreover / know that thes ludg-
cert o. the City Board of Education
may be safely relied upon. Whe:,
3evcrai years ago the Board OF Edn- d,
; cation asked for a bond issue, thefe
were Only two votes cast against Y.
II the vii: of these two negative votes
had prevailed. Sumter would have
4 been denied the inestimable benefit OF
, guiding at the most favorable tirile
| that we shall see in this country fos
$ many years, and our schools wolld
! have received an irreparab,e back
set. Trust the judgment Of the Board
Of Education.
: In addition to the salary increases
there are some additional teacf1ers
sshos nl,lst be provided and some very
| essential Improvements, that shoaH.t
DO made in our school buildings. We
: arc crowded out of doors and the
Board of Education IS trying to GO
I :ts bes. to avoid the necessity OF q
bond issue in fact the Board has s
: given to the whole question its mos
earnest and pais1stahiag attention ai1,s ,s
II it, conclusions have been reaoiMd1 AZ
Ter tie most mature dciioefation.
There is not o member Of the Board
: that would. ask a single taxpayer TO
! hear an unnecessary burden. The
. members believe that the education=
al interests Of the community de-
serve the most active operation OF
: all citizens, that the schools should
&c maintained at a high degree OF
efficiency, and that the only way to
do that IS to attract and hold the
best teachers.
! Respectfully and cordially subniit-
: led. S. II. EDMUNDS,
superintendent.