Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-10
MAY MERGE RURAL
SCHOOLS WITH CITY
PROPOSAL MADE TO UNITE LINN
TOWNSHIP WITH CITY
DISTRICT.
CONFERENCE HELD BY
BOARD AND FARMERS
Linn Township Farmers Willing Either
to Tax Themselves For Tuition and
Hauling Of Pupils to City, or to Be
consolidated-city Has No Objection
Other Consolidation Plans.

/ The latest development in the move
mert sweeping over the county to con-
solidate schools is that this city, or a
part of it, may take in Linn township.
and some other territory adjacent to
it, and support a cons lidated school IN
this city. For the purpose of discuss
ing this proposal, a conference of farm
ers of Linn township and the city
school board was held at the office OF
Miss Gertrude Z. Miller, county super
intendent. this morning.
Miss Miller called the conference, but
what the outcome of it viii be can not
be foretold. Il is very likely however.
that either under one Of two plans the
children of Linn township will attend
q consolidated or graded school in this
city.
Two Plans Proposed.
Those from Linn township who at
tended the conference are agreeable to
Two plans. Either they will tax them
selves fo- the tuition ana cost OF haul
ing their children to the city schools,
or they are willing 20 be consolidated
with this city in a consolidated school.
Their objection to the tuition plan is
thar the city school beard has the right
to refuse to admit tuition pupils when
ever here is not enough room for both
city and tuition pupils. For that cea-
son the Linn township men would pre-
fer TO be consolidated with the city.
School Board Willing.
The members of the city school board
expressed a willingness to take in the
Linn township pupils on the tuition
plan. or to take in this country district
by consolidation. Questions that are
complicated arise when consolidation is
considered that might prevent consol-
idation. But the law says that any
city, village or town. may consolidate
with rural territory, but the school
must be in the city, village or town"
One of the questions that arises when
the consolidation Of Linn township
with the whole city is that
the people of Linn township
would be taxed for the support Of the
entire school system of the city, unless
some other method that is legal is de-
vised.
Will Consult Superintendent.
The thought of the conference was
that the new Franklin school, because
OF its location, would be ideal to con-
vert into a consolidated schol. 1t was
suggested that Linn township might be
consolidated with that part OF the city
where the children live who attend the
Franklin school. This plan. tho, might
not be legal, and in that case some diff
ferent arrangement would have to be
made when the pupils from the consol-
idated district left the consolidated
school and entered the high school.
Without having any authoritive in
formation on the subject il was left
10 the county superintendent. to take
the question up with the state super
intendent Of public instruction, and to
secure legal advice on the proba BILE
lega! questions involved.
In order to procure state aid. the ter
ritory consolidated must comprise not
less than sixteen sections All OF the
city and Linn township comprises more
than that. but Linn township has only
something more than seven sections.