Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-02-09
CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS.

week publishes the South Dakota
state law governing the consolld-
alton of school districts, which we
copy below. The Press cannot
help but believe that Forest City
is vitality interested, or concerned.
in this question, when the rest of
the county is considering it.
AS the Kansas City Star recent
ly remarked:
"The great big advantage of
consolidating a number of 1-room
school districts and providing a
central school building, with free
transportation for children from
all parts of the district to the cen
trail building, is that much better
teachers are employed and they be-
come a fixture in the community.
1t is more nearly along the line of
a city school and really is Just as
good and better in many respects.
Just as soon as the old fossils who
think a 1-room school is good
enough for their children because
il was good enough for them, are
out of the way, then the 1-room
school district will he eliminated
and the the children of the farm
will emerge from the rural districts
equipped to face the world as city
boys and girls are equipped.
Of course the children need to
go to church and Sunday School
but they need something more than
that. They need adequate play
grounds and they need organiza-
tions for field sports and social life.
To a dreary looking, dingy school
building, play in neglected school
yard, tramp to school in mud, re
turn 60 a home where no effort has
been made to make it attractive,
bright and inviting, and attend to
a lot of scrub stock, is about the
worst beginning for American
manhood that / can imagine. Ii
is a mighty strong young character
that survives such treatmeet.
When l say this l do not mean
toapply it generally to all districts.
/ know of many which have pro-
crossed and in which the school
patrons take great pride in pro
viding adequate facilities for their
children. Where there is one such
place there are twenty-five of the
other kind. Yea. there are a hun.
dred of the other kind. There is
the unfortunate part of it.
The publisher of the News was
one of a committee of three APP
pointed at a school meeting almost
q year ago to investigate the sub
ject of Reconsideration of Schools"
The committee has made some de-
sultory Investigations, and for, the
Information of the public, the
News is publishing herewith the
full text of the law governing con-
solicitations, this action being taken
without consultation with the other
members of the committee. 1t will
be observed that the present rural
district organization can be chang
ed into an independent consolidate
ed district without affecting the
boundries Of the district or in
creasing taxes.
Another feature, which might be
an advantage would be this under
the Independent consolidated or
ganization, the board of education
would consist Of FIVE members and
I treasurer.
For the further infor-
nation of those who are inter
ested in this subject, as all should
he who are interested in our schools
we submit herewith the full text OF
the law covering the formation,
powers and privileges Of consolid-
atsd districts.
4. For The purpose of promoting
q better condition in rural schools
and to encourage industrial train
ins including the elements Of ag-
r~iculturs, manual training and
St 1IES4ttzeN<& - l.