Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-06-15

lagos is the little country town Of
Sioux Rapids, with little larger
population and building being erect
ed to cost 100000
A Minnesota paper says: "Dickin-
son county, Iowa, is rapidly forging
to the front as leader in consolidate
ed schools.
| Lloyd township has had consoli-
dated township school for many
years and this year has erected 4
$4,000 school house, modern In every
respect"
Milford. a town Of about 500 people,
Is located in Dickinson county and Is
only one OF quite a number of con-
solidated schools Of that county, but
Is probably one OF the foremost schools
of its kind in the state.
The tax for school purposes in the
Milford district is about 80 mills but
the people are willing to pay the price
for the income in an educational and
moral way fully justices the expendi-
ture of this much money. However
this may be, the people in and around
Milford are willing to pay the tax.
The cost Of these schools depends
to great extent upon tho community
The centralized schools OF Fsrril, 4
smaller town only few miles away,
spend only twelve mills for school pur.
poses, but the Terril school is only an
ordinary school, better considerably
than the ordinary village schools Of
Iowa, but nothing to be compared with
the we'll known Milford district.
So. in consolidated schools, about
the same rule will apply as when pur-
chasing any ordinary commodity on
the market and that is you get what
you pay for.
So q community may pay any price
1t please to operate q consolidated
school, but the best results are not al.
ways to be had from small invest.
ment.
The attendance at Milford Is very
regular and will average up better
than most any city high school In the
state.
| During the years that the Milford
school has been running no wagon has
ever been tardy and only one day of
school has ever been missed on &C.
count of the weather.
They have teachers and school
equipment equal to any city school.
This has all cost money but the mon.
ey is we'll spent.
There are many other places In the
state where this system \of rural
school organization is quite success
| 1t is quite popular in other states.
especially in Massachusetts. where tho
hrst school was organized more than
forty years ago. Today nearly all tho
schools of Massachusetts are operat-
ed in this manner.
The state leading at present in the
matter Of consolidation IL Indiana.
North Dakota and some others OF the
states Of New England are doing con
siderable along this line, as well a.
being progressive in other phases OF
educational work.
In our own state We are making
considerable progress but not as much
as We should in the southern part. In
1908 the. number Of pupils transport
ed to these schools In Iowa was S6S:.
Five years later this number had
more than doubled for over 1900
pupils were hauled to school. This
was in 1918 and during the past two
years the number has grown at . rap
Id rate.
Consolidation, except in q very few
cases. Is paying proposition, not only
In the matter Of dollars and cents but
in various other ways as we'll.
On the other hand, II it were more
Expensive there would still be at least
lone good reason for It's being put into
practice. The reason Is that our
country boys and girls can then be
placed on an equal level with the chill
dren of the cities, or nearly so at
least, in regard to a practical educa-
ton and when people begin to un-
derstand the value Of more practical
education such as consolidated sys-
tenn would give the country children,
they will not let a few dollars worth
OF taxes stand in the way
But will not cost more as general
thing. and the landowner will make
back more than the tax might ever
cost them.
In one Of these districts the land
owner usually gets fifty cents per
acre more each year as rent Most
any tenant farmer will be glad to pay
this as it is the cheapest way to give
his children four years high school
course It will cost almost a thousand
dollars to send child away from
home to school for four years.
A consolidated school will save
many thousands Of dollars to any
neighborhood.