American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1914-02-28
Shall The Schools
Be Consolidated
Leading Educators Favor Consolida.
tion--QuestiOn Soon to BE Put
Up to the People.

ton of the consolidation of the schools
of the north end of Utah county,
Nearly every educator I'm the state,
county and district, favor change of
some kind, and with practical unani-
nifty they say that the solution of the
school troubles is consolidation. Lehi
citizens have I'm the past been very
jealous about their schools or giving
up any rights to central board. This
paper is not yet prepared to unquali-
fedly endorse county consolidation.
However, we do agree with the trus-
tees and teachers Of Lehi and the rest
OF the county that the present method
ia too extravsgant to keep up and that
a more efficient method of supervision
Is desirable.
There is no need of being In too
big hurry over the matter. If con-
solidation is the proper thing II will
stand the full light Of investigation
that II is proposed to turn on 1t. We
will welcome any communications on
the matter from either side. In the
near future there will be prominent
speakers here who will address public
meetings under the direction of the
local trustees.
Tuesday, night Superintendent Greer
met with many of our citizens to ex-
plain this system. The first thing he
said was Consolidation does not
mean the taking of the Lehi High
School to American Fork neither
does 1t mean the bringing of the stu
dents of Pleasant Grove to the same
city. II this was the fruits of the
system he would be unalterably OPP
posed to the system. He stated that
he did not favor the Capitalization Of
our high schools; neither did he think
such system practicable nor feas-
ible, but that he had always favored
the maintenance of three high schools
one at Lehi,i one at American Fork
and one at Pleasant Grove-and that
under no condition would he favor
the uniting OF these three Into one.
He said the advantages Of consolida-
ton are: First, the elimination OF
the double-headed system under which
we are now operating. That Is. ore
board running the high schools and
another running the common schools
thus separating the one from the 9th.
or. instead Of uniting them and max.
ing them one as they should be In
all our Communities. The high schools
and the common schools can not pos.
sibly work best together where the!
are operated by different boards ant
supervised by different principals
The new system Of organization
whereby the seventh and eight
grades are to be associated with tn,
high school. where they can get man
ual training. domestic art. domesti,
science and agriculture, can not b.
probably worked out so long as on,
set Of trustees run the common an,
another run the high schools. Tn,
system Ia too cumbersome and afford
too many opportunities for disagree
ment. Second, better facilities o
school administration. CONSOLIDATE
and you have. but one set of trustee
where now you have eight. Consoli
date and you do not have to pay eigh
sets, of common school trustees an,
one set of high school trustees. Con
s0ltdate and you do not have min
sets Of school trustees buying schoo
supplies and school furniture at retail
prices but one set buying for all tn
north end OF the county at WHOLESALE
prices. Does this mean a saving I,
the people?5 Yes, according TO report
shown from counties already consoli
dated, II means a saving of at leas
Is per. cent Does II mean that tn
supplies Will be more carefully an,
economically used? Yes. according I,
comparison of the same reports,
means another saving Of 20 per cent
How can this be done? you ask. BE
cause consolidated districts have
business manager who Is also clerl
Of the board. whose duty 1t Is to keel
an accurate check on all books ant
supplies used by each individual
and see that no waste might b.
incurred. Consolidate and yol
have system where the com
mon schools and the high school
articuiate perfectly. governed b.
one board they move In unison. on,
supporting and sustaining the other
Third. better. more efficient. and NOR
economical supervision. Today tn,
supervision OF the schools of the nortl
end of the county is costing approx
imately ten or twelve thousand dol
lars. while In consolidated district
approximately the same population |
is not costing five thousand dollars
How can. this be possible? For tire,
reasons. In the. north end of Utal
county there are four district super
visors. four music supervisors and
portion of the salary and expenses o
the county superintendent to be paid
Consolidate and you will have but on,
superintendent, one music director, anC
II you choose you can secure the serv
Ices OF one primary supervisor ant
then save five or six thousand dollari
to the people. VIII this give us al
the supervision we need? II is NOR,
than Provo city has, II is more thar
Logan has, II is as much as OgdeI
has. II is as much as Salt Lake Cit,
has. tits as much as any CONSOLIDATED
district has. and surely all these sys
tens can not be tagging In their edu
oational work, Today the taxes OF
the people are made burdensome OF
account OF too much supervision ant
too much loss In handling of schoo
supplies and furnishings, The new
system reduces this to minimum