Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-01-09

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there has been no school for years be-
cause Of lack Of attendance. Superin-
tendent Bayllss lust report shows that
1850 schools had less than fifteen pu-
pts. that 525 schools had less than ten
pupils, and 300 less than five. Taking
$40 month rs the cost of teacher,
SGD per year as cost of fuel and other
expenses, and you have for an eight
months school $3.50, which means In a
school of five that each pupil is costing
tile district SIC per year. 1t is impos-
sIble for anybody to successfully teach
five pupils, especially II they are young
and unambitious. Us Is usually the
case"
Conditions In Other States.
The conditions in Illinois are no
worse than they were In Michigan, In
diana, Ohio. and Iowa few years ago,
before these States adopted consolida.
ton. In Michigan In 1902. fifty-one
schools of the 6,452 districts had two
pupils or fewer and held no schools,
and eghty-thrce had five pupils or few
er. The cost per pupil in these eighty
three schools was $3.50 per pupil per
year. In the graded schools the cost per
year Of ten months for each pupil was
only 1910. The same conditions ex-
listed In Missouri and iowa, but In the
latter State conditions have since been
materially improved.
by consolidation of Schools" says
Dean Davenport, 'is meant the uniting
of two, three, or more small and weak
schools into one that shall be strong
enough in point Of numbers to he In
teresting and strong enough In the way
of money to afford a comfortable build
ing. two or more good teachers. and rea-
sonable facilities for work 1t also
means that outlying districts with but
few pupils shall be combined with a
near by school that is. strong. rather
than be organized into IN independent
but weak district. In Its fullest sense
it means the uniting OF all the schools
of township Into one or two 30 To-.
Gated as to be most accessible.
Consolidation either in fun sor In
part means the transportation ola por.
tion of the pupils, and this is one OF.
the problems. 1t Is generally. accom-.
plished in covered wagons, artifcially
warmed, holding Is or 20 children and
driven by reliable men under contract
and bonds MS to regularity and good be-
layiOr eat first fhouCht fhio would.
seem expensive, but experience has,
shown that 1t is cheaper to transport
q Few children than to build "A school.
FOR them. This Is because wagon 10,
cheaper than schoolhouse. horses
cheaper than fuel. and because drivers
cost less than teachers. ~
Where small districts already exist
consolidation means some changes in
buildings. These changes are sometimes
erected by moving together two or
more OF the little old buildings, or by
adding portion to one, making two
or three room house. In other In.
stances, new buildings are erected. All
ways are open. A makeshift seems Of
ten Dest at hrst, until the plan Is In
full operation, when a permanent build
Ing seems sure to follow In good time.
Consolidation was first adopted In
Massachusetts In 1869. Now more than
Go per cent of the townships Of the
State have adopted the system. with a
saving annually to each township Of
$500. Twenty States now have con-
solidatIon. and all of them report 1t In
successful operation at big reduction
in cost. Iowa reports that consolida-
tion has been adopted In sixty-three
districts of twenty-eight counties. In.
diana reports that 1S1 wagons trans
port 2.590 children in fifty-onc counties,
tho largest number being in Whitley
County, where seventy-three wagons
carry lila children. In La Grange
County, Indiana, thirty-eight schools
were closed and 42s pupils transported
ut saving Of $6,734 yearly.
From the reports of the twenty
States us!pg the system the average
cost per month for transporting child
to and from school daily is $3.50.
TRANSPORTATION q Stumbling Block.
| .a..ei TRANSFORMATION mas
oeeh the stuhDlihg DOCK IN the way
OF the general adoption OF the system.
FARMERS say tnat the cost is too much
and that the roads and weather fire
quentiy are IN unht condition for
,et}er declares that
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