The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1914-12-31
WILSON
TELLS OF
PROGRESS
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS ISSUES INTER
ESTING DATA

is increasing in all sections OF OKLA
homa The school authorities are
Interested in these schools. In the
report of State Superintendent Will
son, just issued, that official points
out the advantages of consolidated
rural schools and thus reviewing the
development of the iGea that has
been observed in the records ana
statistical re lo1ts'
During the last three years de-
cided elcWrager trt has been given
to rural school consolidation. The
first 5tate ala vas provided for by
the PASSAGE OF the law approved
Morch H. 1.l1, setting aside the
proceeds of section 33, Greer county,
for the benefit of the union graded
OF consolidated schools, but no funds
!. were available until the legislature
OF 1913 appropriated 100000 tor
this purpose. Since then the appli-
cations of sixty-one districts for
| $92 20493 have been approved by the
state superintendent, and in most
cases warrants have been issued by
the state auditor. The legislature OF
1913 by an enactment approved
March 13, 1913, set aside the re-
mainder of the public building fund
for consolidated schools. The value
of this land has been estimated at
approximately $2,000O00 None OF
the land has been sold, and only the
4 rent from section 80 of old Greer
county is available.
There are at this time 1OS con-
sclidated schools located in forty
two counties of our state This num-
Der shows an increase of 80 per cent
in consultations during the school
year 191S-14. The policy of aiding
| these schools has been fully vindi
Gated as evidenced by this notably
increase in the number of consolida-
tons and in the counties represent
ed. 1t is earnestly recommended
that the legislature continue the
policy of aiding these schools as an
effective means of improving the
rural communities.
THE act appropriating $lO&10O for
aid to these schools contains pro-
viso fixing the maximum amount that
may be apportioned to any one dis
tr!ct az $2,500 1t was realized ty
the board of education that the
amount appropriated would not be
sufficient to enable each district en-
titled to this aid to receive the full !
amount allowed by law Therefore
the policy was adopted of paying to
each district that met the require
ments 40 per cent of the maximum
amount such district would be en-
titled to receive. Later an additional
70 per cent was apportioned to eacn
district which had net the require
nents of the law. Up TO this time
no district has received more than
e5 per cent of the full amount. In a
of these districts expensive
have been erected, and the
state aid has helped these districts
Provision should be
made to extend prompt assistance to
those districts that have organized
re emily with the expectation OF
sharing in the state aid.
There has been considerable in s
-erest aroused in the organization OF I
inion graded districts during the {
act year. IN some communities this
lass of district is preferred to the +
consolidated district. because the Law /
'eiating to the union graded district q
loes not provide for transportation 6
T pupils at pubic expense as il does d
n the case Of the consolidated dis Il
. -"to. noNtfcis lHt law T6ldllnS 10 ~
he organization Of the union graded Z
istrict is more or less vague and is 2
Incomplete TO thei extent that no
iovision is made for the issuance OF n
ends by districts or this type in n
smuch as il appears that this form q
{ school district organization is O.
etter ade-ted to conditions existing
4 certain communities than is any q
ther authorized foria. It would per- v,
a9s be well for the legislature to n
-snedy the defects il the language M
cur present statute. and provide r.
means for the issuance OF bonds by a.
sese districts in order that suitable n
MAJ be created and the q
eeessary, equipment supplied fo