The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-01-04
CONSOLIDATING RURAL SCHOOLS.
Address of Prof. Simpson, School Exam
liner of Carroll County, Before the
School Commissioners of Mary
land, in Baltimore, De-
cernber 1901.

little timidity that open the discussion on the /
Consolidation of Rural Schools, yet appreciate
the distinguished privilege accorded to me by |
your committee, and am glad to take an hum
BILE part in meeting the great question which |
confronts all educators today, that of giving to
the boys on the farm educational advantages, in
a measure, equal to the advantages enjoyed by
the boys in the city. Life is full of inequalities,
and whether among nations among commu-
mites, the greater the ignorance the greater the
inequalities.
No profession today has more to do with null
tiplying the comforts and increasing the advan-
tages of the humble poor than does the profess
sion of teaching; and to the educators of our
land is entrusted the solution of the practical
question. the greatest good to the greatest
number.
In an attempt to accomplish this object, the
teachers of Ohio in 1894 secured from the Legis-
lature an enabling act under which the school
directors of six eight or ten country schools
have the children of Che distributed schools con-
veyed tbither at public expense. and thus edu-
cationally move the city out into the country.
am glad to note that this plan upon the whole
has been gaining in popular appreciation, and
the leading journals have not felt safe in refer
ring to it as the popular craze" or the late ed
As the problem presents itself to me, some
preliminary questions would need to be settled
before we could have an ineligible basis on
which to proceed. Admitting that union schools
are successful in some states and have been sat
1S1acDOr1lY eSIaDllSneQ. would follow that they
equally desirable in all states, and that in all
states they could be encouraged on the same
basis? Is it not prob BILE that we should first
compare the conditions, needs and opposition
encountered in western states. to the condi-
tione, needs and opposition in this State before
we could proceed in any very effective way to
of the points touched in such comparison would
be school fund. irregularity of country, condi-
Through engagements and shortness u of time i;
have been able partially to obtain and examine
the results on only two actual experiments in
the consolidation OF rural schools, one at Kings
vile and the other in Trumbul county, Ohio.
The union school in Trumbull county was estab-
lished nearly three years ago. In this county
there were nine purely country schools scatter
ed around in township just five miles square,
thus covering a section twenty five square miles,
In the centre of this rather large community
a suitable school house was erected with four
commodious rooms and four teachers, a princi-
pal and three assistants were provided.
All the children of the nine distributed school
districts, every morning are brought to the CEN
trail school in nine specially constructed wagons
and in the afternoon they are conveyed to their
homes again. The cost of transportation per
wagon is about $26 per month of twenty days.
Thus the children of the whole township are
transported to and from school at cost of 1924
per month or 81 LOG per year of nine months.
In this township we observe that the nine
scattered schools had nine teachers, whereas the
central school has four teachers. This is econom-
ically dispensing with five teachers, who, at a
salary of $4OO would save almost enough to cover
transportation. In addition there would be
some money saved in the way of fuel and furni-
ture.
In endeavorng to find out how it is that nine
schools with nine teachers could be converted
into one school with four teachers. / discovered
that in the separate schools the number of pupils
per school was not so large as it is generally in
Maryland. Representative schools in Ohio
would have on the average ten, fifteen, twenty
or twenty five pupils each; whereas in Maryland
we would have generally under similar condi-
lions twenty. thirty, forty or fifty pupils to the
school, In Maine find that there are over 1000
schools with fewer than IL pupils to the school.
IF m cOrr in fhic xua in
land could not on the same basis convert nine
schools into one centralized school with four
teachers; yet in every case we would save some
teachers by consolidation. Not only would we
need to make the comparison in number of pu-
pills. but also we would be helped by careful
mparison in irregularity of country condition
of roads, school fund, cost of transportation, &c.
have thus briefly set forth the above facts as
a logical basis for few suggestions as to how
aging union schools. | am well aware that it is
very much easier to talk about subject, to talk
around the subject, than it is to talk the subject
| itself; in word it is much easier to point out
some advantage of consolidation than it is to lay
| down the most efficient and approved way of en-
| couraging union schools
| AS practical step in introducing consolidated
| schools in this State, our School Commissioners
| might through this association, unite in petit
| ton to the General Assembly to appoint three
| practical, capable men as a committee to visit
several centralized schools in actual operation.
Such committee might carefully examine the
| conditions, surroundings and varied contingent
cies under which the union schools are operated,
|
| in Maryland The committee should make a full
report. going over the whole field, embracing
everything which would have any. bearing on
| the subject, and this report should have a wide
| publication in the city and county papers, Of
course the expense Of such committee should
be borne by the State.
Results still more practical and direct could
be realized if the School Commissioners of all the
| counties would petition the Legislature to pass
/ an enabling act under which the proper authori-
/ ties could select three representative typical
per1nenJ u " laKing six or eight scattered
schools and uniting them in one central academy.
In discussing the plans and wherefores of solid
money basis practical tinancer said: "Gentle-
men, the way to resume specie payment is to
resume.' think the best way to encourage the
consolidation of rural schools is to consolidate
some schools
In passing the enabling act the State might
oolgate itself to pay for five years the difference
between running the eight separate schools and
the one union school. In order that the expert
ment might be fairly made without any risk at
all to the county having charge of the expert
ment, the State should agree to pay the differ
ence between the cost of the central school
house ana the money for which the eight sepa-
In case the expense of the central building
should fall upon the county it would not be a
difficult problem to meet from financial view
point. The central school completed and heated
by steam would cost about $1,000. The six sepa-
rate houses could be sold for at least So OOO thus
leaving $4,000. on which the interest at per cent
would be Sl60 per year, an amount very little
more than the cost of keeping in good repair
from year to year the six separate houses
Such a centralized school would soon become
the social. literary and musical centre of the en-
tire community, and result in great inspiration
to teachers, pupils and patrons.
If for financial reasons more rigid business
| method should be required, the cost of the ex-
| pertinent might be closely estimated before es-
tablishing the central school.
For instance the committee might let out the
| contracts to the lowest responsible bidder for
conveying the children of the six school districts
to and from the union school. In this way they
| would escape the criticism of the man who at
tempted to build his house without first sitting
fnyr nm fnQ
| However. find that more recently in some of
the states the patrons provide transportation at
| their own expense. Indeed. it would seem that
! the proper methods OF providing and paving for
the transportation of children to and from the
central school is yet an open question. In one
| one mile from the school house and another cir
| Gle is drawn two miles away. The children liv-
| ing within the first circle provide their own
! transportation, or walk; the children living be-
tween the first and second circle receive 81 from
/ the public fund, and the children living without
U the second circle receive each three dollars per
s cOtfhse
. agitatioif'eionI would say that the consoida
sentiment is wofKated1sa lust as any other great
= strong demand for cSesfeatly encouraged by
De created by pointing out the n, the ubJect-
rases wnlcn would result from the eseAp2nlc
a henI Oh SUCH schools. Lounging by the W.
I IauS, IIuancy. hardness, indecent and ohsce3
language to and from school, would he in raa
measure avolded. Instead of sitting in ne erra
nened bu tba W T.; SnGated rooms, with feet dam
oren would De comfortably protected and edm
SaoSu IN buildings where sanitary condifions or
mQuern and complete. al
likewise with the telephone free rnral do,;,o
~ OF mails, and high school ADVANTAGES in r q =
OF every farmer, the farms Themselves wnnId ~
I4hna4 t IN value and the practical question
mow 10 keep the boys in the country. wonld he
~ is now safe to claim that consolidation -,
counSTy scnool districts is recent featnra ~
eaucatlonal advance, which has passed the Gro 9e
oI experiment. and has come to stay Ei0hteen
sstates now have law allowing the TRANSPORTS
o oion ol pupils at public expense and thirteen
are now availing themselves of this priviIega
unese represent about one-half of the ponnfs"
ton of the United States '"0 poPula-
~ having been thus shown that consolidation
rs Ieaslole, 1t follows that the union school he
gins a new era in educational history and now
Tue sturdy boys and girls of the rural districts
may snare the advantage of city culture witbonf
Delng exposed to the temptations which exist in
| great centres of population. '' III
Meeting of the School Board-Roland
Park Affair Settled.-The School Board held
special meeting at Towson, on Thursday.
the president, Mr.. Thomas B. Todd, in the
chair, and Prof. A. S. Cook, secretary. All
the members were present
Mr.. krout nominated for trustees of PoIo,d