The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1907-07-04

- re ~---~as ss'ls - s7-T--4~-
school teachers from lao to isil. The
number OF graded schools has Increased
from 1881 10 2.2is aud the high schools
from ITO to 40d
Cost Per Pupfi *1.fa Ia 1850
Ia 1850 the cost per pupil enrolled IN
the ungrnded school was STA Ia lisot
II nad grown to s9.52. and the quality
OF tie teaching had Ia the meansiiae
seriously deteriorated Id the graded
and high school the cost peF pupil ad'
vaneed from sIi.2u to si8si. but one
third more than the cost Of the mere
elementary training received In tbs I'M
graded school
The wages paid for the male ln tbs
uugradesl schools IN 1890 averaged 81
per year and s25g in 1904. For the
female the average wage In 1890 was
si76 ami $40 IN 1904. Ia the sauie
period the average for the graded school
female teacher was Sis7 IN 1890 nnd
$500 IN 1904 For the male Il Was SOL
In 1880 and $3.50 In ioot Ia 1870 WON
en- teachers ia ungraded schools worked
FOE IS little wages as 81 per nonth. In
1904 the lowest wage paid was So
so you see.~ said Dean Davenport.
the country school Is ia serious pro
IIcament. Unless something u done
-hortly. many OF them nns 50 10 the
wall. Indeed. 10 9 number of districts
there has teen no school for years be-
,arse OF lack OF attendance. SupeFiu-
.endent BayIIss' last report shows that
I 100 schools had less than nstesn pa
49,. that 52S schools had lesm than ten
5uplia. and 20 less than dve. Taking
SO racnth as the cost o. a teacher.
500 per year as cost Of fuel and ether
expenses. and you have for nn eight
months school $3.50. which means In
school Of Owe thar each pupil IL costing
the district SIC per year u i iupes-
sgble for anybody 10 successfully traeh
FIRE pupils. especially II they arr yoaas
and unambitious. as Is usually the
case
Conditions aa other states
The conditions In Illinois nFe no
worse than they were In Michigan. In.
diana. Ohio. aud iowa fcw years ago.
before these States adopted cunsolida.
fion. In Michigan in 1909. fifty-0ne
schools OF the g.452 districts had two
pupils or sewer and held 40 schools.
and esghty-three had tive pupils OF few
er. The cost per pupil IN these eighty
three schools was ssg.5O per pupil per
year. In the graded schools the cost per
year OF ten months for each pupil was
only 1910. The same conditions *
listed In Missouri and Town. bot IN tie
latter state conditions have since been
materially improved.
~By consolidation Of schools says
Dean Davenport. lis meant the uniting
OF two. three. OF more small and wcak
schools into one that shall be strong
enough In point of numbers to BE- In.
teresting and strong enough In The way
of money to afford a comfortable build. |
ing, two or more good teachers. and rca-
sonabie facilities for work II also
c,eans that outlying districts with but
few pupils shall b. combined with a
near By school that II strong. rather
than be organized into an independent
but weak district. In its fullest sense
II means the uniting OF nil the schools
OF a township into one or two 30 10. |
Gated as 10 be most accessible.
consolidation either ia full or in |
part means the transportation Of .por.
tion of the pupils. and this IA one Of
the problems. II ~ generally accom-. |
piished IN covered wagons. arfiAcially |
warmed. holding is or 20 children and |
driven by reliable men under contract |
and bonds as to regularity and good be-
havior. At first thought shis would |
seem expensive, but experience has
shqwn that IT Is cheaper TO transport |
few children than 20 build school |
for them. This In because wagon IL
cheaper than n schoolhouse, borses |
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 |
effected 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 makeshlft seems OF
ten best at flrst, until the plan IN in
full operation, when a permanent build
ing seems sure to follow 10 good time. |
Consolidation was first adopted In
Massachusetts In 1909. Now more than
e5 per cent of the townships of the |
stats have adopted tho system, with a