Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-03-02
CONSOLIDATING SCHOOLS.
A st. George Correspondent, Objects to
il IN The Counties.
ct. eEonen. Feb. l5.b, 1897.

vi tub Htt1hASb
ture to ask a portion OF your valuable
space, and shall take as basls
excerpts from the GovernoI'5 late mei-
sage to the Legislature on that tuolecl'
After referring to tho VITAL inlpof
tauos at education In determining the
influence and character OF the poopIo
OF this State, his excelloncy says; Wv
should be the aim to increase con-
stsnNy the efficiency OF the schools,
yet there should b. manifest Whoie'
some regard for the rlghta OF tne
citizen TO SEQ thst tho burden OF tsAa'
tion are not greater than he can oea'
ma to spend hie money with tuch
discrimination that the beht posS'uie
results may be attalned.'
Further OF, In relation 10 fhuica'
changes suggested by the state super
intendent OF public Instruction, ne
remarks. that the most important OF
these 10 hie Recommendation That thu
present school district organization OF
county schools be consolidated into n
sinRle uistrict in each county TO be
controlled by the county board OF
education. and says, II II stall be found
upon iDveatiga Ion that the change, II
made, would Increase the eli ciency
OF the district schools and at tue same
time diminish the aggregate expense,
1t ahuuli be adopted"
Not having the privilege OF perusing
the State paper OF the superintendent
OF public Instruction II Is impossible to
wisely question tho general grounds OF
his argument, but L viii preteni u lew
reasons Tor my believing "the most
important change" would not "lncresse
the efficiencyv or "decrsase the nggte-
gate expense OF the district schouls."
The present county school Orgsniza.
ton coneiets In 8 cjuuty superinieud.
snt with three trustees In eacn school
district. The former Is the choice OF
tho majority Of the county rs manifest
through the elective iranchtte; tue
latter too, but as the ma niieBt eh lice Of
the cit zens OF the school districts In
which they teverally act.
These servants Of the people gener-
ally huve been uncsasinsly interested
In the cauee Of sducstioD, providing,s e
beat they could, accommodations aud
convene Gees in ana around the school
rooms; have been at hand patiently 10
hear the complaints OF parents, teach.
ers and scholars whom requifei-
answering appeals and undertIsndinE.
ly adjusting differences that. have ex-
lated. The county superintendent AID
county court or board OF commission
srs also attending TO their duties In this
connection.
In years pasi, the county superinten-
dent received small compensation,
but later a fair salary is given for
services rendered. None OF tue school
trustees In these parts, save perhaps In
two or three districts, nave received n
monetary consideration for their Ia
bors In this Direction, and thoso
receiving have been allowed only o
nominal acknowledgment.
In The change proposed. 1t lie pre-.
eumed that the office work OF the
county superintendent will dsvolve Or
ths county board Of esucstion, COM
prising three or more persons. Il
will be impossibls by corrsspoD1encs
to fulfill their duties. Tney could no
travel 10 perform the service esseufisi 4.
the proper establishing ana co1aactlug
Of the public schools OF THE and IKE
counties at the same expense a. y
superintendent does. IL At one Tins
ono member OF the beard Of education
only shall travel 10 set the sch OILS Ia
hoW my AhaA WV
be than county superintendent
30 far us suggesting pllus for carry
ing out the purposes OF the common
sonool In the resi- eotive locations, any
three Of the Trustees with the county
superinteadent, and his receiving
from time 10 time wise suggtslioni
from the State board, mignl
more than equal the combine
county board In undeTsta ndiDl
the varied interests OF eact
district, for 1t seems II the chang
takes place that the said board wou c
and should bo residents OF one local
ity, Besides, in case OF simulta
calls being mace by two schools, SAY
fifty or Il hundred miles apart, one o
both of the schools must remain de
moralizsd, awaiting notion OF tn,
board when perhaps IL was only
trivial disarrangement that could b.
set right IN IA few minutes II tn
trustees, as now, were on the spot.
Agaip, jehlousies are lab Q 10, 40,
do, arise In counties because al
or the great majority of the officer
are OF one locality. In Consequence
of the existence nowadays, OF ring
and cliques, this feeling 10 sometime
Justly aroused In men FULLY ne coupe
tent and not less ambitious to be &C.
full in certain linse.
Further, II has besn the prevail n
custom, per force OF circumstance
which In very great measure eul
exist, that when 1t becsme necesssr
to build school houses or improve them
they were hunt, etc, by volunthr
subscription, or II an assossment wa
instituted, 1t wac collected not in Gas
altogether but in produce and lsbo
that would IA well subseIve their pui
pose without creating hardship to au
one. By this rIeaue every ann
village was able TO provide REASONABLE
suitable schoolhouBes. The sohot
board suggested would scarcely aux
init TO this procedure, and consequent
Iy buildings would liuger from yea
20 year unfinished, except some VIE,
isgal provision was made TO obviate Il
Seoarso iorsooth the necessary cas-
cannot 70 found in the district.
For these aud other rsasons, n
ground 10 taaon that the efficiency
the said schools would not be increase
or the aggr egste expenses decrease,
JOSEPH ORToN.