The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-06-25
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AND GOOD ROADS
Much is Being Said About
Consolidation Of the Rural
Schools Of Kentucky
CONSOLIDATED RURAL SCHOOLS
Can Not Be Possible Until the Roads
Are Of Such Nature That viii Per.
NIT Transportation Of Children Over
Considerable Distance.

In school circles. much is being said
In favor of the consolidation OF rural
schools. In view OF the facilities Of
Tered by such consolidated schools,
both from an economical standpoint
and from the point OF efficiency, they
can not be too highly recommended;
but 1t Is evident that consolidated
rural schools can not be had unless
the roads are OF such a nature that 1t
VIII permit the transportation of chill
dren over considerable distance, as
the districts in these consolidated
schools are much enlarged and the
children frsm the outlying districts
must be furnished transportation OF
one kind or another, and 1t is highly
important that the roads be kept in
good condition.
The U. $. Department OF Agricul.
ture shows In one of their statistical
reports that only about "a per cent OF
the children attend school where the
roads are unimproved, and so per cent
are In attendance where the roads are
In better condition. These statistics
are taken from five Eastern and West
ern States which have an improved
road mileage OF about 35 per cent
The statistics showing Ga per cent of
attendance are taken from four South.
ern and one Northwestern State, which
have only about Y per cent of their
total roads improved
IL bfgh1y prnHahIo H.. g.ua,
tigation of conditions in the State OF
Kentucky will show even greater va.
Ration In the per cent of students at
tending public schools in the counties
boasting OF large mileage OF i'm
proved roads and those of the noun
tain districts OF the state. The con.
solidated rural schools Of Mason coun.
ty, Kentucky. show a far better aver
age OF attendance than do the schools
OF Lee, Owsley and Jackson; and in
fact, number OF other counties in
that section. On account of the road
system OF Mason county they are en-
abled TO maintain their consolidated
schools and secure the attendance OF
the pupils during the winter season,
which is best adapted TO school work;
while in the localities where bad roads
prevail. the schools invariably open
during the months Of July and August
and many children are deprived of at
tending school on account OF the ex-
cessive heat and the home duties at
that season of the year; and by the
time the weather is cool and the chill
dren are In condition to attend school,
the roads are so bad, If not impassa-
bic that In many instances in large
districts where from forty TO eighty
pupils are enrolled, there are only
few in attendance, sometimes even
the teacher opening the school with
but one pupil. which permits the sal
airy TO be drawn without the pupils
getting very much good out of the
money expended.
Twenty cents out OF the fifty
cents state tax go for school purposes
This amounts in round numbers TO
S3,0O0,00 annually and is supplement-
ed by city, town and county levies to
the extent of $4,000 900 annually, max
ing total expenditure for schools in
The state of about $S,000,000. The av-
erage attendance for the whole state
In the year 1913 was 81 per cent.
which indicates that only 81 per cent
efficiency in educational advancement
was attained. Therefore. As per cent
was lost from one cause or another.
Assuming that 20 per cent OF this loss
Is due to bad roads, which is a very
low estimate. the state is paying ST.
10000 annually out of the school fund
on account OF bad roads, for which she
receives absolutely no return, either in
roads or in education.
The time is now at hand when such
wastes of the public funds should be
stopped, The roads should be i'm
proved and consolidated schools in
stalled. so that the maximum efficiency
might be had for a minimum expendi-
ture OF the public funds.-R. C. Ter
rell. Professor OF Civil Engineering.
Kentucky State University.