The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-03-20


schools of scattered country settle
ment into one strong, well equipped,
well conducted central graded school
by conveying the remote children to
and from their homes at the public
expense, and that too at a total cost
less than maintaining a number of
small schools. New York has stat
! ute authorizing the consolidation of
weak schools at the discretion of the
| trustees of district schools. Wiscon-
sin has about 20 such consolidated"
ute is pending in the Maryland Legis-
lature. For 80 years Massachusetts,
has had a statute which authorizes
local authorities to raise money to
provide ''for the conveyance of pupils
to and from the public schools" For
Is years." says the report of rural
district of Massachusetts,, 1--WE have
had the best attendance from the
transported children. We have saw
ed the town at least $500 year. All
the children attend well-equipped
school houses at the center. The
schools are graded. and everybody is
converted to the plan. There is no
way to bring the country schools up
but to consolidate them"
The Warwick district, in Massachu-
sets, according to an article on school
consolidation in the Forum for March,
is seven miles long by four miles wide
"a considerable area to be served by
one school. Yet Its 1O2 pupils from
all points now attend" says the For
um, "a graded school in a neat we'll
appointed house at the center, the
children being convened at public eI-
pense. In six years the town has
heightened its school year so per cent. {;
has increased the teachers salaries rs
per cent; has employed special teach
ers of drawing and music; has i'm
proved the quality of instruction, and
has reduced the cost of the whole"
One result of the system is to create
a flow of immigration into outlying
districts and increase the value of re-
mote farms. Abandoned farms are
again in demand and the taxable ba-
sis is improved.
In Iowa also the consolidation of
/ schools has been tried with success.
The experiment has been tried"
says Governor Shaw in recent mes
sage, ''of maintaining a central town
ship graded school, to and from which
the pupils are conveyed in carriages at
public expense. Wherever this plan
has been adopted the results have
been most satisfactory. The enroll
ment has been thereby invariably in
creased, and the attendance has been
more regular; better teachers have
| been employed, with the correspond
lngly improved scholarship; and in
addition the expenses have been very
considerably reduced. 1t is probable
| that no more single-room subdistrict
school houses should be permitted"
The distance to which children may
be advantageously conveyed varies
with the character of the roads, but
| the average is about miles and the
longest route should hardly exceed
six miles. In an Iowa county six con-
tracts were made for 1901, each COW
ering one Of six routes. when the
roads are muddy" says the Forum,
1.-THE drivers begin to collect children
as early as 7.15 to 8.15 A. NJ, return
ing them to their homes at .45 to {. As
p. M. The contractors are held to
careful restrictions. They must fur
nish suitable covered vehicles, safe
and strong, with comfortable seats;
strong, safe and quiet teams, with
proper harnesses; warm, comfortable
blankets or robes sufficient for the
best protection and comfort of each
and all of the pupils to and from the
public school building and their re-
spective homes-all to be subject to
the inspection and approval of the
school board. They must arrive at
the school house not earlier than 8. 40
A. M, or later than 8.45. They must
personally drive and manage their
own teams they may not drive faster
than a trot, or race with others; they
must conduct themselves properly,
refrain from improper language in
the presence of pupils, and from the
use of liquor and tobacco; and they
must keep order and report improper
conduct on the part of scholars. Each
contractor, except one who receives
$25, receives $50 per month, and half
a months pay is retained to insure
the fulfillment of the details of the
contract" The cost of schooling per
pupil in 1900 was but $231, against
5000 under the old system of scatter
ed schools. Attendance rose from 80
to 800 and first class teaching was
substituted for impoverished curri-