Evening star., 1902-08-29
Success Attending Central
lied Schools in Ohio.
SOLVING A PROBLEM
TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED FOR
ALL PUPILS WITHOUT CHARGE.
Plan by Which Advantages Of the
City Are Provided in Coun-
try Schools.

FOR many years the problem that has
confronted educa tors has related to the pro-
VISION or schools in the rural districts to
give 10 the children Of the country equal
Iaci1ties with those of the cities. In the
oe'elopment or strong manhood and wo-
manhood the country has always been re-
garded AS superior to large centers of popu-
lation but the child of the country has been
handicapped in the race for an education
Dy schools which have necessarily been in
ferior because Of an inability to grade the
scholars in numerous classes as is done
with great success in the cities. The long
distances that children have to walk to
reach a school house in the rural districts
mas made 1t desirable that schools should
have comparatively few scholars In order
tnat there might be many Of them SO locat-
ed as to curtail the distances to the homes
OF the pupils as far as possible
IhlS important problem appears to have
been solved for thickly settled rural dis
tricts by the establishment Of what are
term Termed centralized, schools, which have
suits In Ohio, Massachusetts, New Hamp-
shire and Indiana The centralized school,
Is school providing the various grades
that are maintained in a city school and
1t Is made practicable by furnishing trans
portation for children living at a long dis
tance from the school building. Mr. o. J.
Kern superintendent of the schools Of
Winnebaso county, Illinois, recently visited
the centralized schools of Ohio and has
written a report of them which will be en-
bodied In the next annual report of the
commissioner of education. The centralized
schools Of Ohio have been so successful
that they are no longer regarded as expert
mental They are accepted by educators as
being the logical solution Of the country
school problem. They have given better
schools with but slight, IL any, increase
in the cost to the township. The opposition
to the plan has died out. The children are
conveyed to the school from distances of
five or six miles. The transportation plan
has reduced tardness and the children ar
rive at the school even in inclement wealth
er in condition to study Mr.. Kern de-
scribes his visit to the centralized school at
Kingsville.
Transporting the Children.
''To this school," he said, ARE brought
all the children OF the township, with the
exception of two districts. Four wagons
are used, at a cost of $40, $50 s24 and s2S
per month, respectively, for a month of
twenty days. The school year is nine
months. Five teachers are employed in the
building. The testimony of the principal
of the school, the town clerk and Mr.. Kin
neer OF the board of education was that
there was an actual saving in the total
cost to the township under the new plan,
and while money was expended for trans
portation of pupils it was more than saved
In the fewer number of schools operated.
And as to the increased efficiency of the
new centralized school over the scattered
schools that was beyond a question of
doubt.
1T was here that the Ohio plan of GEN.
traHzation had its origin in 1892. The erec-
ton of new building in one of the dis
tricts of Kingsville township brought up
the question whether or not it would be
better to abandon the school in that district
and take the children to the village school
q Ip
Of consolidation in Ohio the schools were
centralized at the village school, a village
situated about a mile and a half from the
railroad. The results. educa tionally, in
the small districts were far from satisfac-
tory. In order to consolidate and trans
port children at public expense special
legislation was necessary. So the Ohio
Legislature passed the law of April II, 1894
which provided that any board of education
in any township which, by the census Of
1890 had population not less than no
or more than 1.715; Of any county which,
by the same census had not less than a.
$50 nor more than 1860 inhabitants, may
at their discretion. appropriate funds de-
rived from the school tax levy Of said
township for the conveyance of pupils in
subdistrcts from their homes to the high
school building of such township, provided
that such appropriation for any subdistrict
shall not exceed the amount necessary, In
the judgment of the board. for the mainte-
nance of a teacher in such subdistrict for
the same period of time
Plan Proved a Success.
'"The Kingsville plan proved such a sue
cess that on April 81 1896, the Ohio legis-
lature passed a bill for the relief of the
counties of Stark, Ashtabula and Portage.
which provided that the board of education
of any township of those counties may,
when in its opinion it will be for the best
interest Of the pupils in any subdistrict
suspend the school in a subdistrict and
provide for the conveyance of pupils to
another district or districts as may be con-
venient for them the cost of such convey
ance to be paid out OF the contingent fund
of said district
Since then a general law has been en-
acted permitting the people of any town
ship at the annual town election to vote
yes or mo- on the proposition to central
ize the schools of that township. e., to
abandon the small districts and transport
the children at public expense to the GEN.
trail school"
In Gustavus township. Ohio, the writer
found the schools especially well provided
with wagons for transportation The trus-
tees Of the schools exercise as much care
in the selection of drivers as they do in
teachers. The contracts for the several
routes are let to the lowest bidders. The
wagons call at every farm house where
there are children. The children in Gus
tavus township who are brought to one
school house are scattered over twenty
five square miles Of territory.
Extending the System.
Every year the system Of centralized
schools has extended. With large num-
Der of children under one roof many educa-
tional facilities can be provided that were
impossible when the pupils were scattered
in ten or a dozen small buildings. Libra
ries, musical instruments and objects for
demonstration in various studies be
purchased for one building, when they could
not be secured for a dozen separate build
ings. Bringing the scholars together in
large numbers has had an educating re-
suit In Itself, and the daily ride to and from
the school proves pleasure to them, adds
to their safety and guarantees that they
are constantly under conditions to keep
them out Of mischief. Educators believe
that the centralized school will be extended
through many states. now that 1T has been
demonstrated that they can be conducted,
with the added cost of transportation,
about as cheaply as are the smaller and
scattered schools. which give far less op-
portunities for getting an education.
Japanese Racing Stroke.
From the st. James Gazette.