The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-12-12
AGRICULTURAL.
Centralized Rural Schools.

inside, protected in every way from
storm and wind, with blankets and
robes in abundance, and big stout
team taking the outfit schoolward
at good round pace, reminds me Of
the way the writer went to the same
school site thirty years ugo, with all OF
these modern improvements absent.
There have been several requests from
Tribune readers to give more in detail
the plan and outcome OF the central
lied school of Aurora, o., noticed at
some length several weeks ago in this
department.
The transportation plan has always
been the problem of all to solve, and up
to this present school year the parents
transported or "walked' their own
children, receiving compensation
based upon the distance travelled,
amounting on the dong hauls" to SO
per month to each pupil. This yeai
the trial of the wagonette is on. There
is one wagon that makes big route
and two smaller concerns. The big
wagonette contractor is paid lump
sum of $500 for the year. He supplies
his own wagon, team and storm and
cold protection, to the full satisfaction
of the Board. In other parts OF the
town "big scholar" supplies a salts
factory rig and brings the scholars
along his street, and, besides the "fare"
get his SO per month for going to
school. There are two of these neigh
borhood rigs. The balance of the chill.
dren are taken by their parents, who
are required to sign contract the
same as the other carriers to supply
good carriages and prompt arrival in
the morning, or that days per diem is
deducted from the "frieght bill" The
expense is proving no greater than by
the older plan, and there are some
things which seem to point to the wag-
onette as the coming plan.
AS the school advances defects are
being remedied and in some things a
perfect score mark seems attained.
Two things are especially gratifying.
The cosmopolitan character of the
school itself, the total extinction of the
clannishness OF the pupils of district
when thrown into the centralized sys-
tell, and a comradeship is apparent
that makes for the best interest of all
and the betterment of the school it.
self. The other is a common enthus-
iasm, an individual purpose to excel.
The walls of the schoolrooms are COW
cred with the evidences of the handi-
work of the pupils, in map drawings,
relief work and other things that train
the hand as we'll as the mind, and are
an indication of the practical, thing
never known in our past district
schools. Cornell has-although we are
out of New York--come to our aid in
its nature studies, and proud little folk
were they the other day when, in reply
to some orig nal work sent on to Cor
nell, the compliment came back that it
was so original and valuable it was to
be taken as model and introduced in
to New York's system of nature study.
One thing is greatly in favor of the
centralized plan-the paying of better
salaries and consequent holding of tried
and efficient teachers, and thus main
taipipo q noptinuinO noliov Of schOnl
management. The reduction of the
school official list from thirty directors
and a school board of ten men to a
township school board of three, elected
at the regular spring town meeting by
popular vote, one director to be elected
each year, so that two old members
are always on the board, is proving
to be satisfactory arrangement, and
wholly prevents the frequent upheav-
ais of the past. Being chosen at
township election, the directors more
nearly represent the people than the
self-9lected boards of the old time plan
of school government. The question
may be asked if this small board may
not become party machine. Yes, in
one sense, but it can never become
partisan, and 80 far as the plan has
been on trial here each party has pnt
up the man who seemed most interest
ed in educational matters, and party
votes seem to have cut little figure in
the result, as the political complexion
of the present board testi6es.
Ours is not the only township in Ohio
which has tried the plan, and by its
continuance and the erection of good,
substantial, centralized school houses