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School Districts

The town, as has been shown by votes passed at different times, made changes in the location of the school for some portion of the year, or provided that more than one school should be kept at the same time, in order that the privileges of the inhabitants in the different parts of the town might be equalized as far as practicable. But these were only temporary arrangements, liable to be changed from year to year. For this reason, perhaps, it was not judged prudent to expend much money in building school-houses. Hence, probably, we may account for the passing of the following vote, November 30, 1801: "That the North District shall have Jonathan Sanborn's Barn for a Schoolhouse."

Indeed, there was no law authorizing the division of towns into school districts till 1805. Nearly two years after the passage of this law, at the annual meeting in 1807, a committee of nine was chosen to district the town, according to law. The committee made four districts, and pointed out the extent of each on the different roads,s thus indicating the district to which each house belonged. This division remained without material alterations till 1845, when Robert Smith, Aaron Coffin, John D. Neal, Obed S. Hobbs and William Brown were chosen a committee, to consider how to redistrict the town.

A minority report was adopted, where by five districts were established by metes and bounds. One of them was subsequently divided, making six districts,numbered from one to six, and designated by their respective numbers; and this arrangement continued till school districts were abolished by law, in 1885.

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