The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-23
SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION.
Extensive Plan is Being Completed in
Anderson County, Tenn

Anderson county has more than half
completed an extensive plan of providing
consolidated schools for all children in
the county. This is an cast Tennessee
county, directly west of Knox county,
in which the city of Knoxville is locat-
ed. ID is semi mountainous. In the
southern part the valleys are broad and
there are good agricultural lands; in the
northern part the valleys are narrow
and the tillabIe land small in proper
ton to the total area. Coal is mined
in parts of--the county. In the north
west part of the county is located the
coal village of Briceville, which has be-
come well known on account of two sep
arated explosions in mines in the neigh
borhood, resulting in heavy loss of life.
The county seat is at Clinton and Gin
ton has its own school corporation. The
rest of the county in school affairs is un-
der the county board of education.
In the county there are now in opera
ton seven consolidated schools, nine are
under construction and will be ready for
use by the last of September, 1915.
Most of these buildings are six-room
buildings and serve territory of from
eight to IA square miles. There is much
uninha bited land on the mountain tops,
however, and the population is therefore
collected in districts smaller than the
total area served by the schools. For
the buildings in use at the present time,
four transportation wagons are used
three more will be needed for the new
buildings, making total of seven trans
portation wagons for the 10 consolidated
schools. The greatest distance that chill |
dren may be required to walk in the
state is two and one-half miles. These |
buildings are so located that compare
lively few children will be required to |
walk moro than two miles. The terri |
tory served by each school stretches |
along the valleys between the mountain |
ridges, the children coming almost who'll |
ly from two directions.
All but two OF the present consoidat-
ed schools are brick buildings with from
two TO nine teachers Most of them are
giving one or two wears of high school
work. The nine bindings under con-
struction at the present time are of
brick and will cost approximately $780,
600. exclusive of equipment. Seven Of
these buildings are exactly alike. with
four classrooms located on the ground
floor and two basement rooms half above
ground designed for manual training and
cooking. From four 10 six teachers will
be required at each school Provisions
will be made for two years of high school
work at each school, in addition 60 the
work. Manual training ag-
or household economies viii be
required of all chihnen. The school lots
nre from 10 20 II acres in extent. the
land in every case being donated by per-
sons living in the neighborhood ON each
school site viii be provided a cottage
for the principal and his family. and
they will be expected to board the other !
teachers. In several instances. old school
houses arc being converted into cottages.
A part of the school grounds viii be used !
or school gardens; large part. however. ,
will be given 10 the principal for his !
,wn use with the understanding that IL !
= 20 BE- cultivated a. a model farm for /,
no community and a. a demonstration !
or the CLASSES in agriculture In schools.
The principals viii receive about the
anne salary AZ principals ~ similar /
chools elsewhere. but in addition viii BE- I,
urnished the cottage rent free and the 4
and for farming.
The school buildings and the teach 4,
rs cottages are in themselves to serve 7
. demonstrations. Each building is 10 2
y supplied with running vater piped =
rom springs On the nsighbofiug hills .,
ne teachrrs' cottaees Wiil b. equipped ri
nth modern bathrooms Tho people liy- 81
M IN the distrirt SERVED ~ the school 7
an have an opportunity a. sec how e