Madison Journal - 1914 Madison Parish School Board Meeting Date: November 11, 2013 Submitted by: Richard P. Sevier USGenWeb NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities, when written permission is obtained from the contributor, so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. ************************************************************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************************************ SCHOOL BOARD PROCEEDINGS Tallulah, La., May 15th, 1914 The Madison Parish Board of School Directors met in regular session on this the 15th day of May 1914. The following members were present: T. F. Ward, president, Chas. C. Aiken, H. P. Purnell, C. E. Wixson, John Riley and W. A. Holloway. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The following report was then read; Tallulah, La., May 15, 1914. To the Board of School Directors, Madison Parish. Gentlemen: I beg to offer the following report of school affairs in this Parish: I am pleased in the first place to call your attention to the improvement of the Board's financial condition. We had on hand July 1, 1913, the beginning of this fiscal year, $866.74. We have received since that time $14,228.15. Our expenses during the same length of time have been $11,071.86. This leaves us on hand today $4,023.03. It is estimated that we will need $1,500 to meet our expenses from now until July 1st, 1914 which will leave us about $2,500 on hand with which to open our schools next session. I believe that we ought to arrange and adopt our budgets for the ensuing years to have at least that amount of money on hand at the end of each fiscal year with which to open our schools the following fall. Our revenues for the next fiscal year should be from $3,000 to $4,000 more than they were this year. This is accounted for by the following facts: Last year we anticipated the Police Jury appropriation to the amount of $2,000, the Iron Mt. R. R. comes in for taxation which they have not had to pay previously, we now have the old school building in Tallulah rented, and the school furniture debt has been paid. There was an enrollment and attendance in the white schools of the Parish last month as follows: Name of School Enroll. Av. Attend. Tallulah 92 83.70 Afton 14 12.70 Mound 8 6.85 Islington 7 7.00 The Delta 5 4.85 Ashley 6 5.75 Omega 8 8.00 Waverly 10 5.10 Andrews 16 4.30 Little Fork 7 4.30 Waverly No. 2 8 7.90 Crescent 3 2.75 Texas 5 3.45 Thomastown 1 1.00 Total 190 158.65 The attendance has been reduced a little by some children being needed to help with the work at this season of the year. The enrollment is 20 more now than it was when this similar report was made a year ago, while the attendance is 5.11 larger. The colored teachers report an enrollment of 1202 children. I have been in practically every white school in the Parish one or more times during the session and in almost every instance have found satisfactory work being done. While the work is being done by inexperienced teachers, I have found in them a willingness to receive suggestions and an eagerness to improve. Three school improvement' leagues now exist in as many schools of the Parish and in these schools a great deal is being accomplished, due, in the first place, to the interest and co-operation on the part of the patrons and also to the wise expenditure of funds raised by these leagues. The white teachers have met together on seven days for institute meetings. We have been ably assisted in this work by the following distinguished visitors: Mr. C. A. Ives, the State Institute conductor; Mr. C. J. Brown, the Rural School Supervisor; Miss Elizabeth B. Kelley, Director of the Home Economics Departments; and Miss Margaret Graham, a primary reading expert. A majority of the teachers have taken much interest in these meetings and, I think, a great amount of benefit has been de-rived from them. I recommend to the Board, in order that the efficiency of our schools may be further increased, that we provide sanitary closets in all our schools of the Parish, and that we increase the salaries of teachers wherever possible, especially do I recommend that we pay enough money to secure the services of more efficient teachers in the rural districts where such teachers are not now employed. I would also recommend that we increase the salary of colored teachers. Respectfully submitted, JAS. R. LINTON, Supt. It was then moved by Mr. Purnell and seconded by Mr. Wixson that we provide sanitary closets at each white school in the parish. Carried. It was then moved by Mr. Aiken and seconded by Mr. Purnell that all the white schools of the parish close June 5th, 1914, providing that the Omega School be allowed to continue a month or two longer if the patrons of said school especially desire. Carried. It was then moved by Mr. Purnell and seconded by Mr. Wixson that the white schools open next session on the first Monday in September 1914. Carried. It was moved by Mr. Aiken and seconded by Mr. Holloway that with the help of the School Improvement League and the aid of the State Department of Education we establish a Domestic Science Department in this school. Carried. A letter from Mr. R. K. Boney was then read in which he stated that he had been appointed a member of the State Board of Education and that he regretted that this necessitated his resignation from the parish board. On motion of Mr. Aiken and seconded by Mr. Wixson the following was unanimously adopted. Whereas our esteemed member, Mr. R. K. Boney, has been honored by the Governor of our State by being appointed a member of the State Board of Education, and Whereas his pleasing and agreeable manner, his wise counsel, sound and progressive ideas, and his untiring and earnest endeavors for the cause of education in our parish will be greatly missed, therefore Be it resolved that we offer him our congratulations upon his appointment to greater and higher service and at the same time express our regrets that we will be deprived of his services upon this board. At the request of Mr. R. K. Boney the following resolution was offered by Mr. Riley, seconded by Mr. Aiken and unanimously adopted. Whereas Agriculture is the principle industry and the fundamental source of the wealth of the State. And Whereas. The College of Agriculture of the L S. U. is engaged in training of students to greater efficiency in farming and through its extension work is aiding the farmer in the field, and Whereas, the College is in need of money to provide it with buildings and equipment to enable it to perfect its work within the College precincts and to extend its work throughout the State, therefore Be it resolved, that it is the unanimous sense of the School Board of Madison Parish that the State Legislature at its present session shall, by some means provide ample funds to bring the Agriculture College of L. S. U. to a condition of efficiency and place it on a parallel with institutions of like character in our Sister States, and Be it further resolved, that the Country Parish School Boards of this State be and are hereby invited to join this Board in memorializing the State Legislature in behalf of the purpose of these resolutions, and Be it further resolved, that copies of these resolutions be sent to such School Boards, the Governor of the State, the State Superintendent of Education and the President of L. S. U. It was moved by Mr. Purnell and seconded by Mr. Riley that the president and secretary be empowered to make the necessary repairs to the Tallulah High School Building and also erect a fire escape from third story of same. Carried. It was moved by Mr. Aiken and seconded by Mr. Wixson that James R. Linton be re-elected as superintendent for the three following years at a salary of $1600.00 per year. Carried. Upon nomination of the superintendent, motion of Mr. Riley and second of Mr. Wixson the following teachers were elected for next session at the salaries mentioned. Madison Parish High School: J. W. Noblett, salary $85.00 per month; English-History teacher open; Miss Virginia Robertson, salary $70.00 per month; Miss Maggie Allen, salary $65.00 per month; Miss Eva Haralson, salary $65.00 per month; Miss Lelia Williamson, salary $75.00 per month. Afton School: Miss Erexine Brooks, salary $60.00 per month; Miss Genevieve Smitha, salary $55.00 per month. The Delta School: Miss Lillie May Long, salary $50.00 per month. It was then moved by Mr. Aiken and seconded by Mr. Purnell that the negro teachers holding third grade certificates be paid $20.00 per month and those holding second grade certificates be paid $25.00 per month. Carried. It was moved by Mr. Aiken and seconded by Mr. Riley that the rural schools receive $50.00 per month and the Mound School receive $60.00 per month providing they make an average attendance of 12. Carried. There being no further business the meeting closed. T. F. WARD, President JAS. R. LINTON, Secretary.