The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-11-19
STATE BOARD
TO SIFT BILLS
AT RECENT MEETING AT BOISE 1T
CONSIDERED NEED OF CHANGES
In SCHOOL LAWS
Board Proposes the County Unit In
stead of Present District
Schools

At its recent meeting at Boise tht
state board of education took up thu
preliminary consideration of legisla
tion which has been suggested fol
consideration by the legislature at the
1915 session. County and city super
} gestions as to their ideas of needed
legislation and the convention of these
officials to be held during next month
will take up the various proposals ex-
\ haustively.
j At it's December meeting, the board
will place it's stamp of approval or
disapproval on the bills which are sent
up from the convention. An effort
will be made to take DIP the more i'm
! portant ones at this time in order not
to overcrowd, or ask too much of the
! lawmakers.
| Want County Unit
| Some of the lines upon which legis-
| lature will be asked to act will be di
vision of the state for school purposes
into county units instead of districts
as the educational system is now
planned The system has been tried
and found successful in some states.
In connection with this it is suggested
that the county superintendent be an
appointee of the board of education
and that the board of education be
non-partisan.
1t is suggested that provision be
made so that teachers may cancel
their contracts by giving 80 days no
tice and that a penalty be provided
for breach of contract As to certi- |
fication it was thought that the board |
of education, through an advisory |
board, formulate rules for certifica-
ton under certain board and general
rules laid down by statute.
Make Schools Practical
Training in home economics, farm
arithmetic, agriculture to a greater
degree than is at present required may
be demanded of teachers who expect
to take up rural school work.
In the matter of finances, the mer-
It's of an apportionment fixed in mills
with fixing it in amounts
Der capita of school census, were dis
,ussed With this the talk was along
he lines of appointment of the ex-
)ense among the state, county and {
school districts. Advisability of ma r
ling a recommendation that the law +
)e fixed so that when money was n
Lvailable to pay off warrants, they be i
allied in and liquidated, was taken up. /
TO Equalize Burden
How to equalize the burdens as be- G
ween rich and poor districts was an
ther problems which occupied the at
ention of the board. This problem is N
specially evident in the case of rail- a
Dad districts which often have small u
nrollments while their share of the +,
ounty tax is large because of the h
igh valuation set on the railroad n
roperty. La
The minimum term in the state at Ia
lis time is five months. This Is be- ~
eyed by many to be too short and vi
| enactment by which it is increased di
seven months may be asked for all
strict with less than Is census chill he
EN-. he
Nonresident Problem "a
Another peculiar feature Of Idaho m
hool system that has presented it wi
If to the board is the fact that the da
gulations are not fair in respect to
n-resident pupils. For instance, If
Is cited that one district which has
enrolment of 81 pupils, has "
presidents. The total cost of these =
ems is $50 per capita but the appor-
nment is but $11.
Further recommendation were i'll
gard to the conduct of Institutes.
the need of an anti-cigarette law, to ioi
!, abolishment of the eighth grade 'i'
and to a change in the W.
lie of the election of school Off LIE
Is III