The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-03
Paper read by e. o. Peale. Super
intendent OF Augusta county, at the


recent Educational Conference.
The benefits arising from the CONSOLE
dalton OF schools are SO evident that no
argument is necessary to show that
small single schools should be combined
into one graded school wherever It Is
at all possible to do 30. I will, there
fore. simply tell what we are doing along
that line in Augusta Our first CONSOLE
dalton was about six years ago. At that
time a, four-room house was built and
three schools were combined. Last year
we started a wagon to hau! another
school to this place. Now we have three
wagons hauling about sixty children 10
this school. the total enrolment OF when
is 16O. There are four competent teach
ers in charge. and it Is one of our high
schools, and is in a Furnishing condi-
ton. The first consolidated school at
which We tried transportation is located
IN long. marrow valley in the western
part Of Augusta. known as the Deerfe.i
Valley. The lower part OF this sval,ev
mas two branches formed BY mountain
Intervening mt At the northern end OF
this mountain we had single school,
in one OF the branches we had one small
single school. in the other branch we had
two small single schools.
These small schools could scarce1v
live, and gave US a great deal OF trou-
BILE on account of the low average at
tendance. We built three-rooin
house at the end Of the mountain,
| where the single school was. and start
ed two wagons, one in each OF the two
valleys. One wagon goes distance
OF FIVE miles and hauls twenty-five
pupils; the other four miles and hauls
twenty pupils. There we have three
competent teachers, with an enrolment
Of one hundred pupils. It Is another
| NJ ~Spr 1Nt IL III 4
its third successful term.
A. another point we built a large
house. containing four good school
rooms and a large assembly room. at
I this place we combined three single
! schools and one room Of a nearby
double school. At this school there
| is nc transportation on the part Of tho
district. but pupils from four or five
miles around ride or drive to 1t. It is
in charge OF four competent public
school-teachers and one music teacher.
The enrolment Is 1875, and it Is another
CT our high schools.
At another place we have combined
several single schools into one large
central school. which has three wagons
conveying pupils to 1t. This school has
an enrolment of 200 pupils. and is III
is another Of our high schools.
! ~ Wo have consolidated at other points
some with transportation, some with
out 1t. We find the attendance is yer,
4 much better at the consolidated school!
than 1t was at the single schools, es
pecially where we haul them I have
In mind one school In which there wa.
an enrolment of sixteen or seventeen
i, with an average attendance OF twelve
4 or thirteen. Now wagon hauls from
that section twenty-five pupils, ane
they come regularly. Our wagons ar,
large, roomy and comfortable, we'll
] curtained and supplied with warm lap.
robes We have careful responsible,
drivers. whom we require to see afte
the comfort and conduct of the pupils
Tho parents are we'll pleased wifi
transportation, for. as one man put II
81 know where my boy Ia every min
nte from tho time he leaves homo til
he gets back"
We have consolidated at several
other places, and have several other
eleven wagons hauling children to
"a school. The average load Ia from.
fifteen to eighteen. Consolidation by
Transportation makes the per capitl
Il expense greater. but we think the
extra cost Is overcome by the better
school, which comes not only from thu
grading but from the fact that a
class OF teachers than weak one
will take the first school at which
we commenced transportation to com,
| srare the cost. The monthly salary
CT the four single schools was $3.50
The salary of tho ureo teachers II
the ono school is $12O, The running o.
the two wagons costs $46 per month
{ The present school, therefore, cost.
,S45 per month more than the foul