The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-12-03
Mr.. LuecO Gunter, State Su-
pervisOr Rural Schools,
Gives Result of His Obser-
vatiOns During His Four
Days Stay in Union COun-
ty-NOtes improvements
in Buildings and Equip
ment.

The following letter was received
by Superintendent of Education Jas.
II. Hope from Mr.. Lueco Gunter, State
Supervisor of Rural Schools, who Wis
tied the Union county schools in Oc-
tober:
November 80, 1915.
Supt. Jas. H. Hope,
Union, S. c.
Dear Sir:
1t was great pleasure to me this
fall to carry out an expectation that
had had for some time, namely, to
spend week visiting some of the
schools of your county. Owing to the
county fair and weather conditions the
visit was of necessity in two parts of
two days each. But during the four
days of school visitation we seemed
to have reached the four corner sec
tlons of the county and | trust that
the schools visited are typical of the
general school conditions in the coun-
ty. 1t is with pleasure that | here
with make some observations as a re-
suit of our visits.
With reference to buildings and
equipment, Union is making progress.
You and the several communities
where buildings have been erected the
past year can not be commended too
highly for the excellent type of the
buildings. Following the State plans
assured modern arrangements as to
dimensions, cloak rooms and lighting.
The construction work everywhere was
of substantial kind.
These buildings will likely have the
effect of removing some of the build
ings of the old type that saw during
my visit. Most of the counties of the
State have some buildings that were
erected many years ago before State.
plans were thought Of These are,
rapidly disappearing and Union coun-
ty has some of these that ought to be
removed / was impressed that some
of these buildings of the old type in
Union county have recently been added
to so as to accommodate a larger en-
rollment. But as the original build
ing was not suited to modern condi-
tions, it was impossible for these
communities to have modern school
houses and the time will come when
the people will regret that additions
were made. | observed this especially
at Adamsburg, Cross Keys and Cedar
| Hill.
In recent years observed, too, that
some new buildings have been erected
in the county where the State plans
were not closely followed and the
buildings do not, therefore, embody the
| host iIane nf
ton. These buildings are substantial
and serviceable and may be termed
good school houses. This is true of
Kelly, Tabor, Sedalia and West
Springs. II is my feeling, however,
that the erection of such buildings as
those at Gault, Bishops, Carem, Sardis
and Tinker Creek, embodying the lat
est and best ideas of school house con-
struction will be instrumental in i'm
proving the entire school building sit
uation in Union county.
A study of the latest report of Un-
ion county reveals the fact that the
school term of the county is not so
long as it ought to be. The average
for the country schools is 1872 days.
This is about the same as the State
average, but we have come to a time
when no county ought to be satisfied
with shorter school term than 14O
days. There are several schools, how
ever, in Union county that ran the
past year only 100 days and some
less than 100 days. The term exten-
sion law has been used in the State in
lengthening the term of these short
term schools. This State appropria-
ton, like other State appropriations,
is based upon local self-help. Only a
2-mill tax, hoverer, is required to Sc
cure State aid under the Term Exten-
sion Law. These short-term schools
mi ght receive the benefit of the appro-
priation under this law.
. | was impressed while in the county
with the large number of one-teacher
schools, there being last year total
of 81 one-teacher schools in the coun-
ty. | was impressed that progress is
being made in the consolidation of
these schools, which is gratifying.
With our modern ideas of education
and methods of instruction it is i'm
possible for the teacher of a one
teacher school to give the children
of the community the instruction that
they need. In a county so populous
as Union nearly all of these one
teacher schools might be abandoned
Along with the consideration of the
one-teacher schools would come the
organization of the rural graded
+ school. There was only one school in
Union county the past session secur-
] IC0ntInnnH