The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-06-23
Dorchester Interested in
Consolidated Schools

consolidated school. and what benefits
can it give our children?
A consolidated school is formed by
the union of two or more small schools,
a central building replacing the single
scho OILS, and school wagons used to car
ry the distant children to the new
school. The purpose of consolidation
is to give country children equal ad-
vantages with town children.
For instance, if three one-teacher
schools, not too far apart, unite in a
new two-room building, the grades can
be divided up, one teacher taking the
first four and the other teaching the
remaining ones, which is a vast i'm
provement on one teacher handling
seven or eight grades in one room
When four of five schools can unite in
a three-teacher school, the advantages
are much greater. Ten grades can be
formed. the children can be well taught,
until they are sixteen, and have practi-
cally the same school advantages as
I town children.
Unless the old single schools were
very close together, the school wagons
must be used to replace them. The
drivers of these wagons are under con-
| tract to the School Board. They furn-
ish the team and in some places the
wagons also, in other places the School
Board owns the wagons. The drivers
must cover the route in specified
time. stopping at certain points at a
given time, to pick up the children.
They are responsible for the comfort
and conduct of the children while un-
der their care. 1t is usually required
that the driver be a patron of the
school, and be acceptable to the ma
jority of other parents. A covered wa
gon is required, and one State requires
covered wagon with glass at front
and rear, doors at both ends. the front
wheels cut under and the driver must
ride with the children.
Usually the only opposition offered
to consolidation has to do with trans
portation. People fear the roads may
be too bad and that the children may
not be safe in the wagons But it
seems clear that road which is not fit
for horses and wagon. is surely not fit
for our children to walk on. Also,when
neighbor's team picks up our chill
dren along the road and deposits them
at school safe and dry. we are glad and
grateful. Why shouldn't that same
neighhor, or one just as good, carry all
our children to school every day, pro-
tected from the weather and safe-guar-
ded from pad conversation and conduct
along the way?
The first known consolidated school
was built at Montague Mass, in 1875,
where three single schools were re-
placed by a central brick building. and
the children transported at public ex-
pense. 1t is still f1ourishing. and re-
ports better attendance from the trans
ported children than those who walk.
The children like it exceedingly and
everybody is converted to the plan.
This kind of school Ia we'll known in
Virginia. Four years ago. two hun
dred school wagons were in use on all
kinds OF roads. from the best to the
worst. In Maryland. Prince Georges.
Montgomery and Baltimore counties all
have such schools. In Frederick eeun-
ty & splendid consolidated building Is
being erected, the gift OF man who
believes heartily in the idea.
The cost of operating a consolidated
school is usually less than the cost of
the several small schools, as long as
extra grades are not added. The sal
aries saved will ordinarily more than
cover the cost of transportation. When
higher grades are added, the increase
in cost will be for the higher instruc-
tion given. The cost of wagon trans
portatioR varies in different places.
One wagon in Virginia carries the chill
dren at eight cents day per child. In
Massachusetts the average cost is ten
cents a day per child. In some other
States 1t costs from thirteen to eigh-
teen cents per day.
The advantages of such a school are
many. One of the most important is
regular attendance. Children living at
distance, who come by wagon, are
not kept at home by bad weather or
bad roads. They can come every day,
without exposure. The whole school
makes more progress when attendance
is good than when the children only
average half the time. Mhich is the
present case in many of our country
schools.
Another great advantage is that the
teachers, having fewer grades. can do
better teaching.
The children also find the work more
interesting when they are in larger
| classes. At present when boy or girl
| in a one-teacher school. gets to the 9Th
or 7th grade. he or she often drops out
from pure loneliness. A boy is more
apt to want to go to school where
there Is some distinction between the
head and foot of his spelling class, and
where there is enough of his size to
play baseball. Experience shows that
children attend better and study better
when they have number of others in
the same class.
The influence of the best sehaol of to-