The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-11-13

The Consolidation of Rural Schools
in North Dakota is the title of a bull
letin prepared by Prof. c. C. Schmidt
of the school Of education at the state
the public during the week of the
meeting of the State Educational as
sociation the last week in October.
The facts and conclusions set down
in this bulletin are the result OF an cX-
tended study that Professor Schmidt
has been carrying on for over a year.
The information is drawn from orig
inal sources and is the most anthem
tic O~btainable. Professor chmidt
Ia a a wide and varied experience
in educational work, which fact gives
added weight to his conclusions. AS
p collection of the real facts relat-
ing to the rapid and consistent growth
of consolidated schools in North Da-
kota, it is one of the best cOntribu-
lions to the fund of growing informa-
ton on the rural school question that
has beer made in recent years. State
Superintendent Taylor has ordered a
large quantity of these bulletins and
will reprint the matter in full in his
next annual report.
Subject Well Covered.
Professor Schmidt has viewed the
problem from many different angles
Their are eighty-three pages in the
bulletin. with a number of valuable
tables and some excellent pictures
of typical schools in different parts Of
the state. The work is divided into
three parts: North Dakota rural
schools as they are: what is be
ing done about it. and the consolida-
ton problem considered. Among
the interesting topics under the last
heading are: The school for the
country child. teachers available for
the country schools, the C~Onsolida-
ton not a new one. consolidation in
a new country. consolidation and Clt-
mate, consolidation and our roads,,
transportation. riding versus walking,
"0st of consolidated schools. the VII
Iage consolidated school. formation Of
consolidated school districts. state aid,
the consolidated school as a social
center, opinions, objections to con-
solidation, summary Of reasons for
consolidation, and how to consoli-
date.
Hopes for Better Attendance.
In the opening paragraphs of TIE
bulletin, Professor Schmidt says:
"One of the strongest Indictments
against the present rural school is
the low ratio of attendance. The
census of June, 1910, showed 1904
persons of sChoOl age in the state.
This, however, counts all from 6 to
90 years of age, n it may be con-
sidered fairly satisfactory that 80
per cent Of them applied for admission
to the schools. But of those aCtu-
ally enrolled during the year only an
average of IS per cent were in
school at any one time. The friends
OF consolidation entertain the hope
that the large central school will, on
account Of it's greater efficiency, at
tract and retain the elder pupils and
and they are encouraged in this belief
hv the experience of the consolidated
schools already in operation in this
and in older states"
The various tables are the more
valuable because of the fact hat the
up were from many, different parts
OF the state and represent typical
statewide conditions. From one
tabulation it may be gathered that
there 108 schools legally and tech
and fifty-three are in the open
there are pupils transported to
is another application of the con-
~solidation principle. Regarding at
tendance in schools consolidated
and otherwise. Professor Schmidt
says: An important ~considera-
,tion affecting the movement for CON
solidation Is the variation of the
trict. A school hat has an at
tendance of twenty pupils his year
may a few years hence have less
than half that number. When only
: about a dozen families. or even fewer,
are served by the school and a good
portion of them nave no children.
this rapid ~fluctuation is a very com-
mon occurrence. The larger the
group the less the liability to this
variation. If the attendance of the
school, embraces the entire own il
will usually be comparatively stable
Consolidation in New Country.
"A good many people feel that
though consolidation is a good tnine
for a thickly settled country. it Ii
not practicable where the population
is sparse. These people hold the
view that the central school mus
necessarily contain a large number
If pupils. and in order to get then
in a thinly settled region we Shout
have to make the area, roo large. The
trouble here comes from the notion
IF what a consolidated school really