The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-06-11
AS To UNION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AS TO UNION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
THERE is desire on the part of some
of the people of our city to unite all the
school districts into single joint dis
trict. While THE PILOT will rot op'
pose any plan which has for its purpose
the betterment of the schools, yet 1t
must question the wisdom of the pro
posed change. THE PILOT will discuss
from time to time various phases of the
question involved in union of the dis
tricts, such as Uniformity of gradua-
tion-of text books-of the course OF
study and the operating expenses.
In this article we briefly give our
reasons for believing that the CONSOLE
datlon of districts will not be good
move. AT present the voters of the
separate districts at the annual meeting
in July elect officers and transact such
business as may be necessary for the
school interests of the districts. Each
set of local officers is in contact with
the patrons of their respective districts
and therefore, can best determine what
the people of the local districts most
need and desire. School visitations by
the school boards is likely to be most eff
fective where the local conditions are
understood. Under the single joint dis
trict plan, three or Gf desired) seven
members in various sections of our
city are to be chosen irrespective of
residence Would it not be reasonable
to expect that the boards Of the several
districts are better able to meet the de-
mands Of their individual districts than
board 80 constituted that not a single
member Thereof may know the varying
conditions of each and every district
Another question-Is 1t at all proba-
BILE that three or seven men, chosen
from the entire city will devote as much
time and take as much interest in each
and every one Of our schools rs indiyi-
dual school boards now exercise
The school boards, as now constitu-
ted, have always been epresentatative
men,-men who We're chosen because Of
their particular fitness to administer to
the needs of the several schools-men
who, before they were chosen, were
known to have the best interests Of the
school at heart and because of this ex
traordinary carefulness with which the
voters have chos en- only the best men,
MGnitowoc school boards have been sig
nally free from the faint of bribery,
text book scandals, politics, etc. Here
the Office seeks the man, and not the
man the Office.
The total number Of persons who are
thoroughly interested in school affairs
attending the annual district meetings is |
materially lessened by the single district
plan, SO much 30, that enough influence
can easily be brought to bear upon dis.
interested persons within short radius
of the place of meeting to carry any I'M
desirable measure or elect an Office |
seeker az a member Of the board Are |
not Office seekers in school affairs persons
who usually have some pernicious mo-
tive for seeking such position 2 II 80,
during the short period Of two years the
complexion Of the board may 30 change
that the schools would be sacrificed 10
further the personal interests Of the in
efficient majority Of the board The
farther the meeting place is removed
from the vicinity Of the people the
greater the danger Of electing incompe-
tent ,disinterested, selfish men 10 the school
board. Another thing TO be considered
is the unwieldiness Of a single meeting
OF the attending voters in city of the
size Of Manitowoc Granted that the
number will be materially less than
those now attending the four meetings,
even then, will it not be too large for the
proper transaction Of such business as
comes before our annual school meet
ings I The interests of our schools are
many and varied, each Of which needs
careful consideration and thorough dis
cussion. Will that be possible in the
LIMITED time Of an evening meeting
IL the time be extended TO a late hour,
how many Of the best citizens will re-
main
What danger are we thus exposed TOT
The few who choose to remain could
carry any measure inimical to the in.
terest of our schools There IL danger
In removing school interests too far
from the close contact with the poop