The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-09-11
Forum of the People


intendent and the County School
Board could we'll afford to spend
much though and all their surplus
energies.
| Is the thing feasible?
Bulletin No. 232 of the U. s. Depart
ment of Agriculture says: 'Consoli-
dalton with its attendant function Of
public conveyance of pupils,
is now a part of the rural
school system of thirty-two
states. Eighteen hundred completely
and not less than two thousand par
italy, consolidated schools attest the
remarkable adaptability of the system
to the peculiar needs of agricultural
communities
Look at a map of Forrest county |
Leaving out Hattiesburg and its ad I
jacent territory, ten schools can be
located in the county so that no child |
will have to be transported over five
! or six miles.
What are some of the advantages
that would result from the consolida
tion of the schools of Forrest county?
l. Better teachers.
2. Better supervision. With only
ten schools to supervise, the county
superintendent devoting all his time
. to school work could spend day or a
. part of a day in each school every
other week.
3. curriculum enriched and
made to At the needs of every COM
> munity In bulletin No. issued by
, the State Dept. of Education Pres. W.
> H. Smith says: Every consolidated
. school can be and ought to be made
, an agricultural high school, as well as
, an agricultural elementary. In such
!. schools manual training room for
;. boys and domestic science room for
!, girls can be provided, etc" 2
4. Nice attractive school houses
}, and grounds, with modern and sani-
!, tary conveniences and ample school
room equipment.
II 5. 1.-THE transportation Of pupils to
n school warm and dry is much more
conductive to health than to have to
sit in the school room all day with
a wet feet and draggled clothing, as they
II often have to do when they tramp over
, al kinds of roads in all kinds of wealth
p er. In the transportation wagon the
O children are protected from the dang
" er Of those offences to decency and
" good morals so common on the road
h to and from school,"
e 6. Good roads. The experience all
n over the U. 8. is that good roads fol-
Ia low consolidated schools Just as sure
as day follows night.
70 7. Ten strong flourishing local com
lie munities. Around every one of these
10 consolidated schools would spring VI
m beautiful country homes with modern
'p conveniences and prosperous farms
g. 1t would stop the flow of population
Is to the city by making the country at
IN tractive, by carrying to the country
's social, educational and religious ad
n vantages equal if not superior to thu
e- city.
to Bulletin No. 8 by w. H. Smith.
Up s. Here are the statistics recent.
collected from the report Of the Super
to intendent of typical Mississippi coul
ar ty where there seems to be no end t
ed the making of school districts: Are
at 90 mill hp
We of white school districts, IA; humble
s? of white teachers, 90; avearge salar
ey of white teachers, $4,000; number c
nd pupils enrolled, 1889; average dali
attendance, 1886; length of term
&C. months: cost per capita of average a
tendance, $3.50 for the six months
'ur total cost to county, $2S,S00.00. If thi
In county could be divided into uniforl
districts containing 16 square mile
ow each, ii would require 26 schools
ng cover the entire county, and give a
average attendance of II pupils to II
ut school With the school located
the center of each district the max
OILS mum distance any pupil would be r
,en quired to walk would be 2.S miles. A
rs? lowing two teachers each to one-ha
ley of the new districts, and three each
ser the other half, would give a maximu
i've of 65 teachers for the county, which, {
or the given salary scale, would cost Il
her county only $19, 10000; a saving of $
ges 10000 per session. ana nearly enou'
ool to run the school nine months inste;
orr of six: or quite enough to employ
hat school wagons for the entire s
+bs months. Allowing three teachers