The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1905-08-17
Some Educational Facts
About Bates County.

| o''po. luls 10 dOOob pcE CcAa
above the average In the state. In
view OF she compulsory attendance
school law passed by the last legi.la.
ture, IL would seem that this rate oil
enrolment should be considerably
increased, perhaps reaching 80 or 80
per cent Of the enumeration.
T er s-e six distri, { 10 the county
enrolling less than Is pupils; 23 enrol
ling from 10 to IS; 81 enrolling from
% to 10; 3S enrolling from 40 to 60,
and Is enrolling more than go. This
includes all the cities and towns.
From this we see that there is great
educational waste In the county In
these small districts. 1t costs prac-
tically as much TO maintain a school
with an attendance OF 10 pupils as 1t
does to maintain one with an attend
sncs OF 80 or 40. The school work
can be no better 10 the small district,
because any competent teacher can
give all the attention necessary to q
school OF 80 or 40 pupils, and most
teachers would rather teach q school
OF this size. Then, any school OF only
10 or Is pupils must lack the healthy
inspiration of the old time large
school.
But OF course the attendance does
not equal the enrolment. There are
p school with an average daily At
tendance OF less than IL pupils; 46
with an attendance OF from II to 20;
40 with an attendance OF from 20 to
80; IL with an attendance ofirom 80
to 10; and IL with an attendance OF
more than 45. So It seems that con-
solidtions OF some OF these smaller
districts is advisable to increase the
attendance, and yet maintaining the
efficiency OF the schools at less ex-
pense.
The average length Of the school
term in the county is 1920 days.
The average length OF term In the
state In 14S days. There was but
one school In the county last year
that had less than 4 months school;
"a had from 4 to 6 months; 101 had
from 6 to 8 months; and 13 had
more than 8 months. This Is q good
record; and the length Of the school
term in the county Is constantly in,
creasing.
OF the 139 school districts In the
county, SS report having a library.
There are 5216 volumes in these
libraries, valued at S3,27075.
The total amount paid for teachers
wages last year was $56,43S. 40;
average salary OF male teachers per
month 1870; average salary Of
female teachers per month $50 40;
general average $3S 60. The female
teachers out number the male
teachers in the county more than 2
to l.
There are 8 school houses valued at
less than 5000; 70 valued at from
$500 to 5000; and So valued at
more than 5000. The estimated
value OF school property in the coun-
ty is SITS, $40. The average rate
OF levy for school purposes is 81, 40
cents on the 500 valuation.
Bates county is In the lead educa.
tionslly with the best counties in the
state, except with these that have
had county supervision for several
years, as St. Louis, jackson, Pettis,
and perhaps some Others counties.
There are some Localities In the coun.
ty. however, where the school facili
ties and the school sentiment are not
what they ought to be. A close study
Of the State Superintendent last
annual report shows that the effici.
ency Of a school is measured very large
ly by the teachers salary, apparatus
and equipment In the school room.
The school children OF this county
are entitled TO the best school cd van.
tages that can be obtained. 1t IL the
duty Of the people at the annual
school meeting to provide ample
means to maintain an 8 or 9 months
term OF school and to elect compe
tent school boards to direct the al
fairs of the districts. These boards
should exercise great care and iudg
men In selecting the most comps
tent and experienced teachers. Then
when school boards, patrons ant
teachers work together In harmony
for the general good. Bates count,