Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-04-16
H ..,VE Of THREE
- RS DISAPPEARS
LITTLE LOO SCHOOL HOUSE ~
FAs1 FALLING AWAY,
STILL IT IS The Unit
Farmer Members of Legislature DO
mand Appropriations for Consol-
idnted Rural Education,

Two strong educational tendencies
IN oklahoma came prominently into
tho lmollght during tho session of
the last legislature Iunt closed, by
his voto of appropriation billa for
state colleges, Governor Cruoe called
emphatic attention to tho multi
pllclV OF state educational institu-
tions which. no said, woro tondlng
10 lower tho standard of all and
converting many Of tho higher odu-
cauonal normols and colleges Into
littlo better II any than local high
schools,
Tho hard fight Of tho farmer NOM
hers for S2,5OOO0O appropriation
for tho encouragement or rural oon-
soildated grpdod and high schools
oalled as emphatic attention TO
radically different tendency that OF
the district schools toward oantral-
izotlon In larger schools and dis
triots,
Tho consolidated rural school dis
trict is already fact In oklahoma,
and Is growing In favor at rapid rate
Tho days OF tho little log school house |
aro numbered These dear rellos of
tho frontier and backwoOds arc be-
ing replaced by brlok and stone
structures of modern construction
and every modern Improvement
nvon tho long tramp OF the rural
scholar in tho cool Of tho morning
with his heavy lunch basket hang
Ing on stiok has given way to an
easy iaunt IN vehicles provided by
the school districts
e The district school, as every ono
Knows, IL tlme-honorod. Every rural
community has or had ono usually
an unpretentisH7 building az somo
cross roads. gathering In tho pupils
from ono TO three miles around. This
still is tho unit Of the common
school system In oklahoma though
the consolidated district IN making
great inroads and eventually viii
supcrcedo tho district school proper
To tho first state superintendent
OF public instruction, 10. d. Cameron,
Is due the first great impctus TO tho
consolidated rural school ldon I'm ok
lahoma. Three years ago Eo urged
such sy-+~n. and advocated It
consistently until he retired from
office the first Of this year. Tho
advantages Of tho plan are numerous,
and chiefly consist I'm hettor school
houses, higher grades and hctter
teachers. Instead Of throo or four or
five or six llttel single districts of
four to six or eight miles each, the
consolidated distriot is often as hig
as an entire township, I'm fact SO
square miles ia the average. In
place OF the four or five little log
school houses Ut every cross roads
and grove, tho taxes Of the consol-
datlon of tho smaller districts are
sufficient TO build n handsome and
commodious brick building nt some
central point, engage four or fivo
good teachers and transportation Of
the outlying scholars.
In his first message 90 this logisla-
ture, Governor Cruce urged such a
system, for tho advantages have boon
proven I'm tho last two or throe years
OF suoh a plan
Several bills werc introduced IN
tho Legislature to appropriate two or
three million dollars TO assist IA the
construction " such consolidated
rural school buildings. the plan be-
ing for tho state 10 pay half ~ the
construction cost OF mch buildings
The farmer members wcro so u-
sl,tcnt that they practically hold up
tho passage Of nearly an Important
appropriation hull u tho house until
Ml WAS pnIeod to appropriate
$2Jo0.ooo for the Nar-paymcut ut
such buildings over tho state the
liability OF tho sut, boiug limited
always 70 ouo-hu'f the construction
prloo oud ucycr to no moro tbau
t25.00O for any ono d'arict