The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1915-05-26
THIRD ARTICLE ON CON-
SoLWATI0N OF SCHOOLS
nv I n Mcrerran.

that in over So per cent. Of the town
ships consolidation in whole or il
part is in operation and for thai
year the sum Of s161,773.47 was ex.
pended for transportation Of chill
dren. Some of this goes for hired
drivers, some for street car fare
some to parents for delivering theii
children, and some to patrons who
convey not only their own children
but those Of their neighbors as well
Iowa repotrs that consolidation
has been adopted in sixty-three
districts Of % counties and trans
portation in 80 districts Of 35 cour-
ties.
As showing what has been done
in Iowa as sample Of what is be-
ing done in many States a brief ex-
tract from the State Superintend-
ent's report follows giving particu-
lars of the consolidated school at
Buffalo Center in that State:
"The central school is located on
ly one mile from the western boun-
dry line of the district, thus making
it extremely difficult on account of
the distanct to transport the chill
dren from the remote portions of
the township. Contracts for the
transportation of SO children, six
routes are laid out and one team is
provided for each. The greatest dis
tance the children most remote from
the central school are conveyed is
as follows: Route 1, three and
quarter miles; Route 2, four and
half miles; Route 3, five and half
miles; Route 4, five and three quar-
ter miles; Route 6, six and quar-
ter miles. The average distance the
children are conveyed is about four
miles.
"What can be said Of the roads?
Comparatively speaking, this is one
of the newer counties and roads have
not been so thoroughly graded and
drained as in the old settled sections,
consequently the roads are not so
good as in many other parts of the
State. The length Of time required
to convey the children to and from
the school depends upon the condi-
ton Of the roads somewhat When
very muddy, as was the case when
was there in 1900, the drivers be-
gan collecting the children from z is
a. m. to Sis a. M, according to
the length of the route, and returned
them to their homes from AS p. IN.
to 5:45 p. IN. The compensation
paid drivers is $50 per month, ex-
cept on Route l, where only 1876 is
paid. For this amount they are
required to furnish their own prop
erly covered, strong, safe, suitable
vehicles, subject to the approval of
the Board, with comfortable seats,
and safe, strong, quiet team with |
proper harness, with which to col
lect and safely convey, comfortably |
all of the pupils of school age on
the route, and to furnish warm, COM
Portable blankets or robes sufficient |
for each and all of the pupils to and
from the public school building and
their respective homes. They agree
to collect the pupils ON the route by
driving to each and all the homes Of |
the pupils each morning that school
is in session in time to convey the
pupils to school so as to arrive at
the school building not earlier than
$40 a. m. nor later than 8:45 a.
m. and to return them to their
homes, leaving the school building
not later than 4 p. M, or later as
the Board may determine. They are
required to personally drive and
manage the team, and to refrain
from the use of profane or vulgar
language within the hearing or pres
ence of the children, nor may they
use tobacco in any form during the
time they are conveying the children
to and from school. They are not