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After
a number of meetings on the subject
of the new building, it was voted to authorize Samuel Riggs to
install
a suitable chimney. It was also voted that a tax of seven
mills on the
dollar would be levied.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Voted that the expense of repairs be met by raising a sufficient sum by an assessment of all the taxable list of the district on the assessment list completed by the Town of Oxford," Sept, 24, 1866.
"Voted to collect a rate bill on the patrons of the school sufficient to defray the expenses of the past years schooling." October 2, 1867.
From
the above entries in the minutes of the First
District School Committee, it appears that routine costs of
education
were paid by the patrons of the school -- those persons who
sent their
children to study.
However, it is also apparent that the
district did
have the power to lay a special school tax on all property
owners in
the district, whether or not they had children using the
school -- as
they did to raise money for repairs to the new school house.
Other entries in the ledger indicate that
the
patrons of the school provided wood for the school, as well as
the
board of the teacher, and these were computed as part of each
family's
share of school expenses.
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EARLY DOCUMENTS RELATING TO OXFORD EDUCATION SHOW AN
INTEREST IN GOOD EDUCATION AND A STRIVING TOWARDS THAT
GOAL
One of the earlier reports of the school visitors was given at the annual town meeting in 1856. The information in that report is given, as it is the earliest detailed account of the district schools which the author has been able to find.
"To the Town of Oxford in Annual Town Meeting Assembled on this 6th Day of October A.D. 1856, the subscribers, the visiting committee of the schools of the several districts of said town make the following report of the keeping of schools, their attendance and conditions and the expense thereof for the year ended September 30th, 1855.
"In the town there are located 13 school houses. In all these, except the 12th located at Pleasant Vale, and the 13th, located at Riggs Street, there were duly organized schools kept the winter term - and in the summer term all were so kept in all but one -- the 13th (Riggs Street)
"In the winter season there was kept in the central part of town a school of higher order, by Mr. Solomen Parsons, a gentleman from the state of New Jersey, a student of Wesleyan University at Middletown in this State.
"In the district schools winter term there were employed 3 male teachers, 8 female teachers. The gentlemen employed to teach were Mr. Stephen L. Mallett in the 2nd (Quaker Farms), Mr. Milo D. Northrafe in the 3rd (Chestnut Tree Hill), Mr. James Wheeler of Newtown in the 8th (Hulls Hill).
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