The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-07-08

could be brought about until tne peo-
pie were aroused, and you could not
arouse them unless you could reach
their ears, and you could not do that
unless you got in talking distance.
At first my idea was to consolidate
as many rural schools as possible,
and in place of the ffty-nine districts
to reduce them to not more than thir-
ty, but after studying the problem
more thoroughly, I became convinced
that the best solution for the rural
districts was to establish as many ru-
raj community centres as possible
with the school house as the centre
of that community, and in view OF the
State aid offered to any school with
two teachers and an enrolment of fif-
tv children, l undertook to establish
rural graded schools wherever the
conditions warranted. In carrying out
this policy four mill tax has been
voted in the following districts, hav-
ing an enrolment of fifty children, and
if the proper equipment is provided,
each district will get two hundred dol
lars State aid: Jolly Street. Trinity
Zion, Jalapa, Pomaria, Silverstreet.
Each of these goes from a one-teacher
to a two-teacher school.
A two-mills tax was voted IN st.
Paul and Mccullough, and each dis
trict has elready received one hum
dred dollars from the State under the
term extension act. Under this same
act State aid was received during the
school year for Dominick, Trilby, Zion
and Silverstreet, these district already
having voted a two-mills tax.
Four thousand dollars in bonds were
voted in Silverstreet and three thous-
and FIVE hundred dollars in Pomar1a
for buildings and nice and modern
brick buildings have already been
completed.
In Chappells six thousand dollars
were voted in bonds and building
similar to the Little Mountain build
ing is about completed.
In Whirmire five thousand dollars
in bonds were voted for the enlarge
ment of the school building. The con-
tract has been let and work commenc-
ed on the building. The bonds in all
the districts have been sold, the mon
ey not yet being in hand for Chap
pells and Whitmire. The Whltmlre
district has made more progress than
any other district in the county, and
probably more than any district IN
the State. I found debt of eighteen
hundred dollars and a school with
three teachers and no high school,
though an enrolment of one hundred
and thirty or more. The debt was
paid, the building oyerhauled, high
school established, six teachers en-
ployed, all at higher salaries, do
nestle science department installed,
money provided for enlarging the
building to double its capacity, and
three hundred dollars carried to the
credit of the next school year, and
all without any increase in the tax
levy, except, Of course, for the en-
largement of the building. The Whit
mire school is one of the best in the
State.
The total expenditure of the schools
for the year Just closing amounted to
s62,954.79 as against s46,066.S1 for
the previous year. This shows an in
crease of more than fifty per cent.
including the eleven thousand dollars
for buildings at Chappells and Whit
mire which rightly belong to the
school year just closed, though the
money was not in hand before the
closing of the books.
There is probably less money to the
credit of the school fund at the close
of the school year than there has been
for several years, but do not conceive
that the people vote on themselves
special taxes nor pay the regular
taxes for the purpose of accumulating
a fund to lie idle in the hands of the
county treasurer, but rather for the
purpose of having schools. OF course
it should not be wasted.
If proper equipment is not PROVIDED
at Trinity, Jalapa, Jolly Street, and
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