Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-12-12
HODGE EXPLAINS
SCHOOL NEEDS
Inequality Of School Districts
Makes Poor Schools and
Waste of Money
REORCANIZE DISTRICTS
Wonld Have Fewer Districts
and Officials, and Larger
and Better Schools

MONTESANO, Dec. 11.-County Su
perintendent J. w. Hodge has given
out an interview, in which he ad
vocates complete reorganization OF
the school districts of the county. He
quotes the record to show the waste
and inefficiency of the present scheme
of organization and suggests the rem.
edy, saying that we have sufficient
wealth in the county to make, with.
out heavy taxation. graduate out
of every boy and girl in the county
Speaking on the subject, Superin.
tendent Hodge says:
No Equality
Outside of the towns the assessed
valuations run from sixty thousand
dollars to over million and a half.
In size, districts range from six Sec
tions to nearly one hundred. Taxes
vary from no levy at all to sixteen
and one-half mills. Some districts
have thousands of dollars in the treas
ury while others have exceeded their
school houses in Chehalis county are
above the average, yet wa have every
grade from a shack to fourteen thou
sand dollar concrete edifice. Salaries
of teachers vary from fifty to one hun.
dred dollars per month; the number
limit Of warranted Indebtedness,
of pupils, from two to more than
thirty; grades, from one to the entire
eight. In some instances the salary
of the teacher is inverse to the mum.
ber of pupils.
Last year eighteen schools had
less than the minimum of 1000 days
attendance, yet drew $14S from the
state funds and more than that amount
from the county fund. The attend.
ance of these eighteen schools rang
ed from 3O2 days to 1851 days. Six
other schools had slightly over the
minimum.
Waste and Inefficiency
THE idea of local government has
always been a popular one with lib
erty loving people. However, there
is a growing sentiment that it's ap.
plication to the present distric sys-
tenn results in waste and inefIiciency.
Pupils leave school in alarmingly
large numbers. In our rural districts
comparatively few pupils are above
the sixth grade.
"The very nature of the problem
demands the assembling of children
into larger groups where room, equip
ment and teaching force could be pro-
vided to do the work and do it eff
fectively. 1t is true that the geo.
graphical conditions in some parts Of
the county are such that the small
local school must be maintained for
years to come. There are localities
where strong central schools could
be established. In our neighboring
county of Lewis, eleven districts have
been consolidated into one. A central
high school has been built In addi-
tion to the transportation provided,
some pupils use their own convey
ance. which is properly housed in q
building. The one board of
directors maintains local schools az
the most convenient places in the dis
trict.
Consolidate Districts
For administrative purposes few
er districts are desirable, even though
the pumber Of schools remained prac.
tically the same This is especially
true where there are scarcely enough
people to carry on the business Of
the district without continually VIC
lating the law. Combination of dis
tricts is necessary for the establish
ment of high schools, and it has been
found to be very practical for the
purposes of elementary instruction.
Kansas is just now engaged in per
fectlng plan which abOliSheS all dis
trict lines within the county, and
makes the county the unit of school
government. In number of the
Southern states the county board has
general supervision and control of all
the schools of their respective coun
ties. l am not prepared to say that
the one district plan. or one distric.
outside of the towns. will satisfac
torily adjust all Of the difficulties. The
relation Of local control to popula,
interest should never be lost sight
Of. Although the county until plan
is being extensively advocated in
Washington, it should receive thought
full consideration before being put in
to active operation"