Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-11-04
NEW SCHOOL LAWS FOR IOWA.
Commission R e m m s
Sweeping Changes in Government Of
School System.

The commission provided for at the
last general assembly to recommend a
revision of the Iowa school laws has
placed its report in the hands of the
state superintendent.
The legislature empowered the COM
mission to rearrange, revise and codify
existing school laws, and to recon.
mend new needed legislation After
very carefully considering the matter,
it was believed that the existing laws
were so inconsistent in many respects
that it would be impossible to merely
revise sections here and there and
thus get a systematic and consistent
code. Consequently it was felt desir.
able to consider first the most neces.
sary new legislation and to draft ap-
propriate bills for the same. After
this was done, in order to secure a
consistent arrangement, it was found
necessary to rewrite a great many of
the present sections of the law.
Throughout the work an attempt has
been made to conserve all Of the feat
ures of the present law which have
proved satisfactory.
Among the measures recommended,
the following are the most important {:
A county Init of school organization
to take the place of the township and
subdistrict system BOW in vogue. 1t is
proposed to establish county school
district co-extensive wish the present
county lines except in cases where
streams or hills make such boundaries
undesirable.
1t is provided that the county school
district should be managed by board
of from three to six members, accord
ing to the size of the county, elected
at the time Of the annual school elec-
tion. 1t is believed that board Sc.
lected at this time instead of at the
time of the political election would
remove the matter from politics and
result in securing persons who are al
most interested in education. The
method of choice would be exactly
similar to the method Of choosing city
boards of education at the present
time. This county school board would
have the power of districting the
county into appropriate school dis.
tricts. and levying of taxes. the selec.
tiOn of text books, and the selection
of the county superintendent. 1t is
provided that there should be uni
formity of text books throughout the
county In all districts. except inde-
pendent districts, and independent
districts may adopt the same text
books as those selected by the county
board of education if they desire.
1t is recommended that schools hav-
ing less than ten pupils should be
abolished and the districts consoli.
dated, all pupils living more than two
miles away from school be transport.
ed at the expense of the district.
The county board of education would
have the right to select the county
superintendent from any place where
they choose. He might be selected
from any other county or even from
any other state. A state certificate
would be required as a qualification
for holding the position. The county
board of education would have power
to fix the salary of the county super
intendept, provided that it should not
be less than 81. $50 annually, as at
present. 1t is believed that this meth
cd of selecting the county superin-
tendent would take the matter out OF
politics and enable the people of the
county to secure the very best talent
available.