The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-04-14
FUND DISTRIBUTED
TO BUILD SCHOOLS
THROUGHOUT STATE.

The State department of education
has just completed the payment of
State building aid to 1876 districts in
36 counties. The legislature appro-
priated $35, 900 for building purposes
and, though this amount was Sl5,-
900 above the APPROPRIATION of pre-
vious years, it did not fully meet all
the demands.
Under the law the school district
must supply 80 per cent of the cost of
any new school house, the county 25
per cent and the State % per cent
with a maximum allowance of $500
from the county and $500 from the
State. This policy contemplated the
erection of buildings containing at
least two and preferably three class
rooms, with adequate cloak rooms for
the teachers and pupils, in sparsely
populated districts one-teacher
schools are still erected, but the num-
ber Of such schools is steadily de-
creaSing. The introduction of indus
trial work is practically impossible in
the one-room school.
The total investment in these 1876
new buildings is more than half mil
lion dollars. No better index to the
public school enthusiasm of the peo-
pie could be furnished.
Compulsory Law.
large proportion of these build
ingS is the direct result of the local
option compulsory attendance law OF
1918. Some districts accepted COM
pulSory attendance and Immediately
began to build new school houses, no.
tably Columbia and Spartanburg.
Other districts preferred to provide
adequate buildings in order to prepare
for compulsory attendance by July,
1916; for example, Darlington. Adder
son, Orangeburg and Sumter. This
gratifying growth means that ale-
,lnate school accommodations ave now
C''tainable in many communities, and
every such community where u local
tax has been voted, ought to accept
;he compulsory attendance law, either
Iy petition or by election.
Thirty unpaid applications are st;n
on file in the Office of the State super
intendcnt of education. These will be
submitted to the legislature next Jan
uary with the recommendation that
their payment be authorized and that
the building appropriation of $35, 900
De renewed.
improvement in Architecture
The improvement in school archi-
lecture has been noteworthy. Proper
standards of lighting, seating, heating
and ventilation have been observed in
every building plan approved by
school officers. Especial attention has
been given to sanitation and equip
ment, particularly blackboards. A
school lot of four acres has been urg-
ed in every instance in order that
.l;i aisS0 playground and a school
iSardeh might be provided. While the
requirement as to a four-acre site has
not been invariably enforced, it has
been modified with great reluctance
and only after full explanation by To-
cal school officers
State Superintendent j. f. Swear
ingen is especially grateful to Prof. r.
f. Lee, of the drawing department of
Clemson College, for invaluable pro-
tesslonal assistance in supplying blue
prints to school trustees free of
charge.
Schools Receive Building Aid.
Aiken-Earle, $50; Pine Dell, $1OO:
Eureka, 500; Mount Ebal, 500;
Jackson, $3.50; Wards, 500; Ott-Dale.
$3.50; total, $l,O5O
Anderson-W. Market, $500; White
Plains, $500; Green Pond, $500; total.
5000.
Barnwell-FIercules, $500; Oak
Grove, Sl75; total S475.
Berkeley-St. Stephens. $500: Coz
desville, $500; Ebenezer, 5000; I.eba- |
non. $3.50; total. $1,l5O
Cherokee-Blacksburg High. $500; !
Robbs, $500; total. $500.
Clarendon-New Zion, $3.50
Colleton-Hudson Mill, $3.50: Tabor. |
$3.50; total, $7OO.
arlington-Darlingto High, $500;
Pond Hollow, $3.50; Kelleytown, $500: |
Epworth, $500; Palmetto, $3.50; total |
81 500.
Dillon-Dothan, $500; New Holly,
$500; Bermuda, $780, total, $500.
Dorchester-Dukes, $125.
Edgefeld-Red Hill. $500; Beavc..
Dam, 500; total. S4OO.
tairfeld-Centervill $3.50; HicI
ory Ridge, 5000; Wrights, $500: total
$3.50.
Greenvlle-Grove. $500: Paris.
$3.50; Berea, $500; Oaklawn, $3.50.
Janette Stenhouse, $500; Simpson
vile, $500; Union, $500; Travellers
Rest, $500; Ebenezer, $500: Bellevue,
500; total, $4,000.
Greenwood Utopia, $3.50; Salem.
$500; Fairvlew, $500; Central. $500
total, ST ,25O.
iampton-Holly Hill, $3.50