The Monticellonian., 1903-10-15


 twenty pupils and paid the teacher salary of $30 month; today it has 100 pupils with one teacher at $90 a month, second at S70 and a third at $30, the school being carefully graded. Twenty-six of these pupils are transported at cost of B per term for each pupil. By the use of wagons children were reached who lived near the swamps and rivers, and who would not otherwise have been able to attend school
 In North Carolina active steps have been taken toward consolidation, as shown by the following from a spe- cial bulletin issued by State Superin- tendent Joyner:
 Where the number of districts has been reduced from 65 to 49, still more than nine-tenths of the children are within less than two miles of the schccl, and less than 100 or them are as far as three miles from the school, while many improved school houses have been built in the county"
 One of the school districts of Knox county, Tenn. is now attracting much attention as the seat of an attempt to establish a model rural industrial school in which instruction will be given in both indoor and outdoor | manual training. The people of this district are intelligent citizens, and are dissatisfied with the schools now in operation in their district, of which there are nine for white pupils and two for colored. The average com pensation for teachers has been $32 a month. The people of the district have determined to unite the nine white schools in one efficient central school, and for this purpose have raised S5.000. The general education board will cooperate with the citi- zens in building up this school, in which will be taught elementary forms of manual training, knife work, carpentering, scientific cooking. sew ing elementary agriculture, horticul- ture, bee culture and the like. Ten acres of land will be secured as school site
 Rev. Dr. J. R. Harvey, longtime superintendent of the State School for the blind. and a great friend of pop ular education, not long ago made the following statement on this sub. ject:
 T am deeply gratiffed at the many indications of increased interest ia the upblic schools of the state. and am pleased to note so much proposed legislation which will give us stronger and better system of schools. The district school should fit for ad- mission to good high schools, and the high school should prepare boys and university
 My travels and observations for a period of forty years in the state of | Arkansas have convinced me that our free school system will never accom- plish that great object designed in it's creation until our school districts are very much enlarged, better school houses equipped, more efficient teach CTS supplied and until there is har- mony and union among the people. I think the school house should be the central object of the neighbor hood, that the roads should lead from all directions to it, and that the farms should converge in and around the school house, so that the families i living there may have the advantage both of country life and of commu- nity life, and that their children may have larger privileges and better social and educational advantages. The legislature or the State Super intendent of Public Instruction who can bring this state of affairs to pass in our country will have conserved the interest of our public school sys- tenn and the rising generations will do work that will be of lasting and ever increasing benefit.
 In some counties in Arkansas schools have been consolidated with marked success. Two rural districts in the southern part of Lonoke coun- ty have organized in union school. The people themselves as a commu- ully IGISeu 9l,oUU. ut ulSlIICl ulll- ized s1,000 of the school fund that they had left over and responsible cit | izens of the community gave their personal note for the balance of the money and put up building. They have done this without interfering with ten months school each year.
 Three school districts have consol- dated at Floyd, White county, Ark, known as District No. 27. There are enumerated in the district 127 child ren. A four months school was taught this winter with an enroll ment of 101 and an average attend ance of 68. The monthly enrolment was go 1-4 per cent of the total enroll ment
 Considerable interest was worked up by the teacher in charge and there is strong prospect of another district uniting with No ST The only trouble now is the lack of suit able school building. A good build ing is needed and the people are working to that end Strong hopes are entertained of it's being ready for the next summer session.
 In another paper I shall point out other advantages of consolidation Teachers and friends of education cb JicoIcc opd avpIaip +baca