Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-14
ON SCHOOL MERGERS
Superintendent Returns From
Tour of Inspection In the
Rural Districts
URGES CONSOLIDATION PLAN
Says the Townships Which Have Tried
the Plan of Consolidating Weak
Schools Are Enthusiastic and Are
Doing Excellent Work-Advantages
of the System.
URGES CONSOLIDATION PLAN

1
a tour of inspection of the consolidated
rural schools in northern Iowa. He
spent several days at Ter1il, Lloyd
township Dickinson county; in Lake
township in Clay county, ard at Buff
falo Center. The former two are typ
icaI consolidated rural schools and IL
lustrate perfectly the enormous advan-
tages to the pupils Of the system and
it's superiority over the isolated sub
district plan.
The superintendent returns to his
that the idea OF consolidation is grow
ing and permanent, because it has real
| merit and genuine value. The condi-
ton of the schools he visited leads
him to believe in the system even more
| firmly than before
| Superintendent Riggs was asked yes
terday to give some of the facts as to
the schools which he visited. The Lloyd
township school which he visited is
located at the small village of Terril,
/ which Is In the center Of the township.
The attendance on the day he visited 1t
was 124. OF these SO reside in the town
| of Terril, and IS live in the country.
This makes the school essentially rural
in Its attendance and the city element
| does not dominate. which is the sit
uation at Buffalo Center, for instance,
at present.
The TerriI School.
| The proposition on school house tax
for the consolidated district was sub
mitted to the voters March II, 1901
Sixty-five men and eight women voted
for it, and thirty-seven men voted
against. The board at once began the
erection of $4,000 four room building
on a site Of two acres, lying Just out
side of the limits of the incorporated
village of Terril. The site was donat-
ed. The school opened October. 1901
| The township continues Under it's old
organization, eight sub-districts each,
chosen from the former sub districts.
Renters living in the township will not
move out of the township If they can
possibly avoid it.
The total levy for teachers funds is
4.3 mills and for contingent fund of
| ~ mills. The assessed valuation of
the township is $28O,O0O.
The principal receives $50 per month
and the three grade teachers $45 each
per month. The teachers are all
| trained and experienced and the teach
ing is of a high ORDER" said Super
intendent Riggs yesterday. THE work
in the highest room covers the ninth
and tenth years work usually done in
the city high school.
Seven covered buses are used to
transport pupils-the distances travel
ed ranging from 5E miles to 81 miles.
The monthly salary paid drivers rang
es from $50 to $40 per month, the av-
erage being $36.2s.
"a severe snow storm ragged all day
the 18th, the date of visit, but the IS
children were perfectly protected from
the weather, and all were delivered at
| their homes between ard $3.50 o'clock
in the evening.
"a visit to the Lloyd township con-
solidated school would convince the
most skeptical of the great superiority
of the consolidated owe. the separate
| district schools.
In Clay County.
1.-THE visit to the Lake township
school was made January 10. Accom-
panied by County Superintendent Fill
more, I left Spencer at 8 o'clock with
mercury 10 degrees below zero, and
drove thirteen miles to the Lake town
ship consolidated school. This school
is located at the geograr hical center Of
the township, and the naarest building
of any description is quarters Of
a mile distant. The school house, err
l 81 ~ 10 ho only
building in the township of a public
character, there being no church build
ing or hall, or shop OF store of any
description. This school is IN its sec
| ond year.
Formerly seven schools were MAIN
| tained, and the total attendance in the
seven schools with seven teachers was
from SO to "a for the year. Now three
teachers are employed. The enrolment
this year IL 119 and there We're SO in
attendance the day of our visit, and
mercury standing 10 degrees below
zero.
"No child has come to school this
winter crying with the cold. Three Of
the eight buses are provided with
stoves and the others have blankets
and robes. All are completely cover
ed. The average cost per team for
transporting pupils in Lake township is
$2s per month. Two young men at
tending school are among the driy-
ers.
"The township formerly paid the
teachers salaries ranging from s2S to
1872 per month. The principal of the
consolidated school receives $50 per
month, and the teachers Of the first
and second rooms $40 each per month.
| Better Roads.
"As one of the direct results of con-
solidation in Lake township may be
mentioned the fact that TITS winter
four miles of excellent gjlvel road
| have been made-the first attempt in
that part of Clay county Of this class
| of Improvement. The work was most
ly done by farmers, who donated their
work. They expect to continue the
work next winter, and It will be but ii
| few years until this township will have
excellent roads, and t,1e value of every
acre of land in the township WILL be en-
HANGED thereby. Last year the roads
were so bad that transportation was
next to impossible for a considerable
time, but the people of Lake township
have staying qualities, and they ara
| proving the practicability of consolida-
ton in the one township of all others
| in Clay county most unfavorable for
the undertaking.
"Church and Sunday school are held
Il Z 49,. loxy 4