The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-04-14

/ trustees shows to some extent what
they have done in this direction.
+ On November s, 1897 they voted /;
that the chairman of the ST. Johns
bury town school board be and he
/ hereby is invited to sit with Us in an
advisory capacity on this board and
thereafter for some time the chan
man of the town school board attend
ed meetings of the board of trustees.
On May 9, 1901, the board OF t1us-
tees voted that it was 1.-The sense
of the meeting that at least twice 4
year Joint sessions of the town board
| md the board OF trustees would be
desirable, and other joint meetings
as occasion might require"
For the past four years the Board
Of Trustees has elected to its mem
bership the senior member in service
OF the town school board with all tho
rights of any member OF the board Of
trustees.
This spirit of cooperation was still
further shown when, on February 10,
1918 the board of trustees voted,
that the principal OF the academy
in conjunction with the instruction
committee be and hereby is directed,
after conference with the town school
directors, to make such changes in
the course of study to be pursued by
town pupils in the St. JohnsbulE
! Academy as may be found necessary
and proper to adjust its work to the
courses of study that viii be pursued
in the town public schools, and 9th
erwise to provide opportunity for the
pursuit OF continuation courses in the
academy for such town pupils as may
desire, upon completing their courses
in the town public schools, to enter
tie academy
The success of the cooperation Sc
cured under the last mentioned vote
appears in the annual report of the
town superintendent OF schools, for
the year ending January Goth from
which we quote as follows:
Somewhat over year ago, Prln-
cipal Davis of the academy and your
Superintendent were appointed COM
mittee to coordinate the work of the
public schools with that of the acaf-
envy in order that there might be TO
duplication of effort and that the
progress through the grades and th2
academy might be continuous. Th'S
coordination has been happily
brought about. Pupils who have com
pleted in satisfactory manner the
two years course in French, elective
in the Junior High School, may enter
the second year French at the
academy. The same holds true OF
cooking. Those who have completed
in a satisfactory manner The elemen-
tary. algebra and concrete geometry
required in the second yea OF the
Junior High school are put in dlvl-
sions by themselves in the freshman
year, and it is possible for them to go
faster than those who have had no
algebra or geometry on entering the
academy. In order to secure bette"
coordination in English a course IN
/ Formal Grammar has been required
/ in the second year of the Junior High
/ School that the boys and girls may
have sufficient knowledge of grammar
{ TO carry on successfully the work H.
English and foreign languages at
, the academy"
Considering the foregoing facts We
believe that all fair minded citizens
will agree that the trustees OF tn
! academy have shown desire and
willingness to cooperate, as far as
possible, with the representatives OF
t. own school system, and we are
glad TO state that in general, the
school officials of the town have
shown a similar spirit of cooperation.
There is one other matter 10
which we desire to call attention and
that relates to the future policy of the
academy with reference to the school
system Of the town.
At the opening Of the school year
last September, the academy faced a
serious situation. Its enrolment eX-
ceeded $50 pupils, the largest in liz
history: its accommodations were tax
ed to the limit; it needed additional
equipment and simple justice required
a substantial increase IN the salaries
of its teaching force. It had during
the preceding year expended from =
own funds, over $4,000 more than II
had received from buttons. Ii interest
upon the plant and equipment had
been added 1t would nearly nave
doubled this amount. For the past
three years receipts from all sources
had not been sufficient to meet eX-
pcnscs, and last year the deficit was
over $1,000. These deficits were met
by drawing from and reducing IS
working funds, a practice which o.
course could not be continued.
The Situation clearly demanded
careful study and wise consideration.
Would the board of trustees be jua-
tiled in attempting to raise a SUD
,tantial amount of money, either By
loan OF by donation, with which to
enlarge its buildings and increase it.
equipment The question was SC
rious one, involving both the academy
and the town in the relationship
which had existed to the mutual ben
eft of both for nearly two generations
In order to give it the consideration