Milford chronicle., 1906-03-30
CONSOLIDATION OF
COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

Meetings for the purpose Of consider
ing the question Of consolidating SIM
of the rural SCHOOLS have been held il
Roxana and in Millvllle in Baltimor
hundred, during the past week Ad
Joining and including ROxana, are fOul
districts, each maintaining little one
roomed school; Camp Ground, No. 81
has IS pupils enrolled; 800 yards distant
is Roxana School, No. I73, with "a pu
pills; a halfmile away is the TTappt
School, No. 119, with l3 pupils; half.
mile in another directiOu is the Lynch
Schools, No. 12O, with 25 pupils. These
schools are maintained at an expense
to the State of 5000 annually and of S4OO
TO the local taxpayers, yet five pupils
wishing advanced instruction to PIE
pare for the county examination, are
compelled to drive daily five miles to
attend the Seibyville Sch, oil at an ad
ditional expense to the State Of SlO5 to
pay for their tuition there. The four
districts named above could be COM
bined and a graded school of two or
three rooms formed and no pupil be
over mile and half distant.
Moved by these considerations, Supt.
Brooks called a meeting Of the tax
PAYERS of the four districts for last
Thursday evening. Accompanied by
County School Commissioners, Moore
and hickman, he met large body Of
the taxpayers in the Roxana School.
house. Addresses explainin aud en-
dorsing the plan were made by Messrs.
Moore, Brooks, Hickman and Aaron
Lynch, of Koxana. No formal vote
was taken, three of the districts praci
tically agreed to consolidate, but the
fourth district I20 refused, but is to vOteN
on it later. 1t is to be hoped in the
interest Of educational progress and 4
efficiercy that all may consolidate, az
there is not a single valid reason thai
can be urged against it. "
The second meeting was held in Mill
vile on Tuesday last The districts
now numbered 125 and 1872 were ori-
ginally one small district. When l23
grew too large, 1873 was split off and
another school house built within a
half mile OF the original school build
ng. Now 1913 is a very dilapidated
I'D building in the middle Of Millville,
With seats or dry goods boxes for only
IS pupils, while there are 81 pupils on
he roll. Two weeks ago this building
% burned down, and it seemed a very
,ppOrtune time TO combine the Districts /
gain, and build nice double building a
where a graded school which wOuld1 I
i've opportunities for advanced instruc
ion, could be maintained. The meet \ c
1g was attended by about 40 taxables Y
( District 123. They were addressed
n the advantage Of consolidating, by Z
upt. Brooks and Commissioner Hick. h
lsn, but by a vote of 85 to 8, they il
sfused to consolidate. Il
There was no reason for this action &
zcept local prejadice and the fear that
might involve a little extra expense. A.,
here is 5000 insurance money in the !,
ands Of the district and with this it is -
Ipected to rear q building to educate :"
le rising generation. This action in. y
Dives a distinct loss to the State in u
ore ways than one. Millville will ie
obably now have to build a double
Hiding to accommodate their large 10
hOol and three teachers will do in fu
ese separate buildings, what two could Ce
adily have done in q combined build to
3. This will mean that $225 addi Co
nal will be taken yearly from the at
ate funds unnecessarily and to the is
tual detriment of the schools, to pay -,
g additional teacher. ~
As the State contributes more than c.
ice as much to the support Of each ~ ~.
cher than do the local districts, it
ms just that the State should have -
ne authority through its representa-
3 to protect its educational interests.
its school funds. Yet its represen. ,,T
ives had tOstand helplessly by, while
natter educational policy was settled
its funds practically appropriated Ioir
a crowd Of men to whom education. elei
matters and principles were closed felt
k, and longer proportion Of whom
e openly stated at the meeting to Y
Unable to read and write. :