The Spectator., 1916-01-28
iiI. ADVANTAGES OF A COUNTY
 UNIT.
By J. R. Jewell, Dean School of Eda
 cation University of Arkansas.

By J. R. Jewell, Dean School of Edn-
 cation University of Arkansas.
 The most important reform needed in our Arkansas school system is the abolition of the district as the unit of school government and the substitu- ton therefor of the county. The school district is an artificial unit, estab, nshed for a single and special pur- pose, and like nothing else under heaven; consequently our schools are governmental outcasts, bearing no re- lation to the county government only recognized unit. It is in such a school system alone that one sees three times as many officers as teach. CTS, which is just like an army with three times as many officers as sol disrs or business concern with three times as many forsmen as laborers.
 There should be no words of abuse for school trustees. Many of them arc honest and honorable men But, in selecting 25,000 officers for any ad ministrativs function. 1t is folly to sx- pect that many of them should have an intelligent conception of the au. ties to be performed. The duties of school officials are peculiar, and rs- Quire culture. business acumen, htgh aims for human progress, and oapao- ity for intelligent leadership. But the prevailing sentiment in . majority of districts is that anybody will do SDr school trustee. The school district M ss small that few men care to incur the displeasure of their friends and neighbors in trying to perform the du. ties required of school trustees.
 There are some who cling to tns district system because, they assert, 1t is the most democratic form 0f school government. On the contrary it is the most autocratic When an election is held, the vote is, by no means, an indication of the popular will
 The school district is democracy gone to seed. a worthless inheritance from Massachusetts, from whose system ". But Massachusetts, after Q disastrous experience similar to our own, dis carded her system many years ago and one of her distinguished sons. Horace Mann, had declared that the school district is the greatest blundeY in the whole history of educational legislation"
 By making the county the unit oi school government. 1t is obvious that its citizens would manifest the same interest in the administration of its schools that is now had in other gov ernmental functions. In the cities the best citizens are selected by the en tire municipality to control the schools. and the whole city contributes to their support.
 be an average of five or six school ofti. cials. Surely 1t would be easier to select school board of this limited number who would have and would manifest an interest in popular education, than 1t would be to secure three times aa many superior men as there are schools. And. too. 1t is equally oh vious that since this board would bs elected by the whole municipality the electors would hold them to . strict accountability for the success ful administration of other county af fairs.
 This matter of a county unit is n extricably tied up with the matter oi better system of taxation. which will be the topic of the next article in this series. Every county in Arkan sas presents examples of adjoining school districts, one of which with very low taxation can raise more money for school purposes than it cRn stand. while the other by taxing itself the legal limit cannot raise enough children of the community to. For instance. in Monroe County. District No. has six times the assessed vafu ation of District No. 26. adjoining 1t although 1t has only two more white pupils. and can raise annually for school purposes s1.76S.2l. while the latter district can raise . maximum of s300.90. District No. 3S. that ad joins No. 26 has . valuation of only Sl7.000 and SO can raise maximum of only $l1s,31. Every principal of democracy urges that every child in Monroe County--and every other coun, ty of our state-have equal opportuni ties for a fair education with every other child. How unfortunate indeed are those children of such districts as No. 3s in Monroe County compared with those of District No. 1. until we AA.- ~us,ae~ untA Cor ek>Sr