Thomas Beallie. Robert Hunter. Tunis Van Arsdale. David Crist. John Dunlap. James Fitzgerald. Caleb Dill. Samuel P. Gale. Andrew Embler. William Faulkner, Jr. Jason Wilkin. James Sutton. William Faulkner. John Barber. D. G. Rogers. Jonathan Miller. James Preston. David Comfort. Cornelius Schoonmaker. Matthew M. Rowe. William Miller." The petition was dated January 3, 1791, and the act of incorporation was passed the 23rd of April following. The school prospered and greater accommodations became necessary. In 1823 the main part of the present brick building was erected at a cost of about $5,400. Nearly two-thirds of the cost was paid by State moneys; the remaining third was raised by subscription through the activity and persistence of Johannes Miller. The academy continued to prosper until the free school system was adopted, when it began to decline. In 1881 it was transferred by the trustees to the Board of Education of the Montgomery Union Free School, of which it is now (1908) the academical department. The following is a list of principals of the academy since it was incorporated: Rev. Alexander Miller, Nathaniel Howell, Nathan H. White, Reuben Neely, James King, Prof. Stansbury, William H. Weller, Rev. John McJimsay, Prof. Wilson, Jacob C. Tooker, twenty years, Silas S. Harmon, seven years, Rev Samuel B. Bell, D. D., Joseph M. Wilkins, three years, Robert Simpson, Daniel K. Bull, Prof. Lasher, Prof. Graham, Prof. Gunnison, Theron Little, Prof. Stevens, Prof. Beardsley, Prof. Cone, Benjamin C. Nevins, Prof. Demarest, Prof. Rouse. This famous academy reached the zenith of its prosperity under Professors Tooker and Harmon. The town is divided into thirteen school districts and parts of districts; of these, twelve have school-houses in the town. These district schools will compare favorably with those of any other town. It appears from trustees' reports for 1907 that the whole number of children of school age (between five and eighteen), residing in the town that year was 1,337; of these 1,299 attended school. The average daily attendance of these children was 850. The number of teachers employed at the same time was thirty-four. The total cost of sustaining these schools was $25,330; of this sum $17,892 was raised by district tax. The value of school-houses and sites was $42,450. Two of the districts (Montgomery and Walden), are union free school districts. The former was established in 1881 and now (1908), employs six teachers. The first principal was Reuben Fraser. The present board of education is: Dr. E. Ross Elliott, William Eager, William H. Senior, John A. Crabtree and William S. Hanlon. The latter was organized in 1859 and now employs eighteen teachers. The Board of Education in 1908 is: Sanford Abrams, Henry E. Williams. Frank Benedict, Benjamin S. French, Harry Hollingsworth, Dewitt C. Dominick. There is one parochial school in the town.