Municipal School Board of the District of Argyle fonds

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Municipal School Board of the District of Argyle fonds

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    Date(s)

    • 1860-1982; predominant 1940-1982 (Creation)
      Creator
      Municipal School Board of the District of Argyle

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    Physical description

    7.92 m of textual records and other material

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    (1944-1982)

    Administrative history

    The Municipal School Board of the District of Argyle was formed in 1944. Municipal school boards were established in all of Nova Scotia's twenty-four rural municipalities during the mid-1940s, largely to improve the funding of rural schools. Under this new system, a uniform rate of assessment and taxation was established for each municipality and the municipal board assumed the cost of operations of the schools. Originally, three members of the board were appointed by the provincial government and four by the Municipality of the District of Argyle. From 1978 to 1981, one-third of the Board was elected, one- third appointed by the provincial government, and one-third was appointed by the Municipal Council. The mandate and responsibilities of all school boards in Nova Scotia were dictated by legislation adopted by the provincial government. The Municipal School Board of the District of Argyle, hereafter referred to as the Board, handled the administration and operation of schools throughout the District of Argyle. The Secretary of the Board carried out the majority of the Board's administrative functions. In the case of the District of Argyle, the Municipal Clerk also served as the Secretary of the Board. Originally, the only other paid employee at the administrative level was the Inspector of Schools, who represented the provincial Department of Education. Although the old district Boards of School Commissioners had disappeared with the advent of the municipal school boards, the individual school sections, with their locally-elected trustees, remained in place and retained responsibility for capital costs of school construction and maintenance. They were also responsible for calculating the annual school budgets, and administering the school funds provided by the District Board. The boundaries of school sections, now determined by the municipal school boards, changed as new schools were constructed or as existing school sections combined. Many community schools were closed as a result of consolidation in the 1950s and 1960s, diminishing the responsibilities of the trustees. By 1980, the trustees of the various school sections ceased to exist. School principals were left some of the responsibilities formerly held by the trustees, such as budget preparation. Employee hiring became the responsibility of the Board and its committees. The consolidation of schools and the soaring enrolment rates in public schools throughout the 1950s and 1960s also resulted in an increase in the number of employees (teachers and principals were considered to be employees of the Board). The positions of Superintendent of Schools, Curriculum Supervisor, and various other Board administrative positions were also created by these changes. In 1982, the Municipal School Board of the District of Argyle was dissolved and was replaced by an amalgamated Clare-Argyle District School Board.

    Custodial history

    The majority of the records were left in the Argyle Township Court House when the Municipality of Argyle and Municipal School Board moved their offices in 1976. Subsequent records have been transferred to the Argyle Township Court House Archives sporadically, most recently in 1990.

    Scope and content

    Fonds consists of correspondence, reports, enrollment and registration material, and financial records pertaining to the administration of schools and the educational systems at the municipal level within the Municipality. Records are arranged chronologically, either according to school years, which begins in August and ends in July, or according to fiscal year. In some instances, the records are also alphabetically arranged within the year according to the names of committees, teachers, schools or school sections.

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        Restrictions on access

        Some restrictions apply. Closed records are sealed for 80 years from their date of creation.

        Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

        Credit must be given to the Argyle Township Court House Archives when material from this fonds is used or reproduced.

        Finding aids

        An item list/inventory for School Board documents created between 1866 and 1944 is available (TMS 17)

        Associated materials

        Any surviving records pertaining to Wedgeport schools from 16 May 1910 to 30 December 1947 are found under TMS 34 in the ATCHA vault. Wedgeport was franchised as a town in 1910, and was therefore disengaged from the Municipality of the District of Argyle.

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        Accruals

        Physical description

        Includes 203 plans, 18 zinc half tone engravings, 13 photographs, 10 proof sheets and 4 zinc line engravings.

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