1861: In its official report, the Henniker School Committee proceeds to excoriate parents & dispense vocational advice:

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A couple of notes are in order:

• As cited in this report, the young town’s school budget for 1769 seems to have been DOUBLE all other expenses of community government.  Are we meant to infer a certain importance placed on education by the town’s founders?
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• “NOW the town is LIBERAL“: We have interpreted this word “liberal” in the sense of “liberty” — that is to say, “NOW the town (as a local government) doesn’t make any demands on the schools.”  In light of the preceding discussion of the lack of proper maintenance funds for the schools, this makes more sense than a modern interpretation of “liberal” to mean “freely spending”.
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• “No person ought ever attempt the task of teaching UNLESS…”: Oh boy, just wait ’til you see the scathing 1861 performance reviews for each district teacher!
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6 March 1769