Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-03-06
EDUCATIONAL
Why Not District 100 and District IS
Consolidate. =.
CONDUCTED BY sUPT. c. R. ALDR1cH
By d. &. RATY.

and village communities While the
cities have been perfecting the
organization of their graded school
system, the village and rural districts
have been unable to make very much
progress along this line. The course
of study adopted by the State Board
of Education which our County
Superintendent has had printed,
making such changes as he deemed
best for the schools of Barton county,
copy of which has been sent to
each of the schools, has doubtless
been a great help to the teachers in.
classifying their schools. But one
teacher cannot carry on a we'll graded
school on account of the large number
of classes which. thorough. graduation
makes necessary. 1t is almost a
physical impossibility for one teacher
to conduct the large number of classes
made necessary by dividing the school
into eight separate grades.
Under our present educational
system it has become necessary for
the farmer to leave the farm, the man
in the village to leave his occupation
and move to the city to secure for his
children the advantage of a graded
school system. The patrons of
district 100 and district % are
largely engaged in agriculture, and
they do not find it convenient to
leave the farm and move to the city
to secure the benefits of school which
they should have in the rural and
village districts.
If the two districts were to con-
soiidate, a school house located at
Olmitz would be almost centerally
located, for OlmitZ is near the north
east corner of district 100. District
100 has a valuation of S57, 1913, of
which S15,904 is railroad property.
District % has valuation of S43, ,264,
of which SIS, 1884 is railroad property.
The two districts combined have a
valuation of S132, 400, of which nearly
one third is railroad property. District
! 100 has an enrolment of 45; district
25. an enrolment of %; and there
are several more that are yet of school
age who would attend if they had the
advantage of a graded school.
While the financial condition and
the enrolment are sufficient to run a
graded school; why not consolidate?
Consolidation is by no means a new
idea but has proven a success in
many of the states; notably Ohio,
Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Kan
sas. For an example of consolidation
in Kansas I will refer you to the
Lorraine consolidated school, Els
worth county.
Under the old school system pupils
finish their public school work Cor
rather stop without fnishing) at from
twelve to fifteen years of age. /
know in many cases the parents do
not feel able to defray the necessary
expenses to send the boy or girl to
any higher institutions of learning,
and so if ever these students have
any advantage of higher education
they must wait until they can earn
the money to take them away from
their homes to some institution of
learning.
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our school population is in the rural
schools. The problem becomes one
of vital importance. 1t is evident
that with consolidation will come a
larger, social life for the people of the
rural communities. A higher standard
of intelligence and culture will also
be developed. The graded school
will bring to the community Libraries,
lecture courses, and entertainments
of high character The neighbor-
hood feuds will be broken down, and
a feeling of goodwill and usefulness
will be created instead.
| have an abiding faith in any force
which tends to elevate our rural
schools and communities. 1t follows
naturally that the creation of a
universal citizenship by means of a
universal education must be by. the
more equalization of the educational
advantages between the cities and the
rural districts Whatever force there
fore contributes to widen the limits
which timid fear or selfish disposi-
.tion has thus far ignored, deserves. to
be augmented by the very force
which tends to fix around the 'teeming
brain and restless activities of man.
The organization has become the
principal thing in the elevation of all
mankind. 1t must. be observed and
consulted, although at presentsit may
be despised and neglected. But in
the elevation of our schools towards
their coveted goal it must be con-
! suited. A child NAV be left a pauper