The Van Buren press., 1903-10-17
IOONANYSNAuSCHOOLS
State Superintendent Hine m a n
Makes Strong Plea For
Consolidation.
SMLllATTEHDAACE MEANS POOR TEACHERS
What Some of the Other Southern
States Have Accomplished BY Wise
legisIation-Questions That Should
Be Wisely Considered,

OIL uNtlOl 10 dohlhS lnt pCOpiC W
cease the multiplication of school dis
triCts and is urging the consolidation
Of the small districts which are now
sapping the life blood out of the
school system. 1t is much better for
a child to go two or three miles to
a good school than to have a poor one
only few yards away. The attempt
to put school at every mans door
has resulted in a large number Of
poor, weak schools many Of them
taught by young persons who are not
fitted by age, experience, scholastic
attainments or otherwise for the deli
cate and difficult work Of training the
young. The reports for the last schol-
astic year show that there are over
five hundred districts in the state,
with an attendance of less than fifteen
children. and quite number OF them
have less than five pupils in daily at
leuudHCt. NHtu We tOioluVi tha' 'hS
expenditure for teachers salaries in
the public schools Of Arkansas was
less than $3.50 per pupil for the en-.
tire scholastic year ending June 30,
we can readily see the condition in
these small weak districts. Many OF
the states have passed wholesome
and remedial legislation on this sub
ject within the last two years. Sew
eral states, including Florida and
North Carolina, have passed laws per
mitting the employing OF teams to
transport the children who live too
far away, thereby enabling the people
to organize and equip good, strong
schools with full graded course and
to employ several teachers of first.
class ability. Governor Mcmillan OF
Tennessee, in his last message to the
legislature Of that state, expressed
himself on this subject as follows;
Il am persuaded that one Of the Ills
affecting our public schools Is divid.
ing the counties into too many small
school districts Dividing the dis
tricts and thereby diminishing the
fund to each school may quadruple In.
efficiency. BY wisdom and sacrifice
we may bring education to every
youth in the state; but we cannot car
ry on a successful school within a
stones throw Of every house. An ef'
fort to do so will decrease efficiency
and increase ignorance. We should
resist the unnecessary division Of
school districts as we would the pes
thence. Large schools can be better
graded and maintained and a greater
number Of days taught annually than
in small districts. II were better for
the student to go little further to
good school than attend one at his
front door that is worthless and in.
different. You should not hesitate to
correct, by appropriate legislation the
destructive choppinS up OF school dis
tricts,"
state Superintendent Walton sets
forth some OF the advantages Of larg.
or and better schools in the following
language;
1.-TWO essential things must be kept
in vew-eiIicienc and economy. To
secure these there must be comfort.
able convenient school houses. neces.
sary appliances, intelligent teaching,
skilled supervision and no more
schools than are needed for the mum
ber OF pupils
"In some districts two or more
schools may be united, according to
convenience OF location. In others
most OF the outlying schools can be
accommodated at the ceuter by the
transportation OF pupils,
zone Of the results that follow from
consolidation IL n better grading, a
better classification OF pupils, by plac'
Ing them where they can work to the
best advantage,
Consolidation gives an opportunity
for special instruction In high school
branches, and brings oil the schools
under closer oversight OF competent
principal,
at insures better school buildings,
appliances and teaching force,
"The money saved In n small dis
trIct by reducing tho number OF
teachers Is often large enough to fur
nlsh better school accommodations to
the children better wages to better
tcachors. such transportation ns con
soldatIon requires and longer Bchool
Ing"
Florida haR recently passed law
authorizing school boards TO consoll'
date their schools and provide for
transportation OF pupils who live too
far away for them to walk to school,
in Georgia much has been done to-
ward consolidation, superintendent
Smith OF Greene county says
wagon frames and horses were pur'
chased BY the county and n con-
,rnc, was made for the Transports
tIon Of the children to school at Ave
cents per head per day, Previous to
consolidation the cost OF maintain
ine the schools was II i's ccnu per
pupl per day, the cost now, includ'
lng that Of carrying the children, Ia
"a i.9 cents per day
superintendent Rogers OF washing
Ln county abolished two little schools