Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-02
FRIDAY EVENING. MARCH >, 1917
LOCAL AID FOR RURAL SCHOOLS


schools, and of the need for state aid
In betterins those schools. While
there are honorable exceptions to the
rule, 1t 10 q fact recognized every
where that the rural schools of the
country generally have made less
progress than have the schools Of any
other character. That fact Is appar-
ent to the layman who cares to ex-
anime, and 1t is stated and emphas-
ICED by educators everywhere. 1t Is
quite generally held that there is need
Cd q greater appropriation of state
funds for the use OF rural schools.
But 1t is important to remember
that state aid alone will not solve the
problem. State aid alone will not
even improve the conditions. much
less correct all the evils. Something
more is needed. Very many of the
rural schools are in need of a greater
measure of state aid. But q large
number are more deeply in need Of
local aid: and the school from which
that local aid 10 withheld cannot be
made good school by all the money
that the state can appropriate.
The simple, undeniable and un-
palatable fact is that there are COM
munities in which the expenditure of
money, or time, or effort on the To-
cal school 10 regarded as a useless
sxtravagance. and where not a dollar
is spent on education save under the
compulsion Of state law. In a COM
munity of that character the ex-
penditure Of state funds will not only
fail to produce a good school, but 1t
will have a scarcely appreciable in
duence in that direction.
This 10 not fgurative language. 1t
ts fact There are communities in
North Dakota which are as wealthy
as any in the state; where the land
Is AZ fertile. as productive, and as
valuable in dollars and cents as any
in the state; where the people are
not merely comfortable. but wealthy:
in which the schools are disgraceful
for the sole reason that the local peo-
pie are unwilling to pay taxes enough
to make them anything but Disgrace
full.
We have in mind two districts ly-
Ing side by side. in which most Of
the material conditions are practically
Identical. AS nearly as there may be
equality in such things these districts
are. equally populous, of equal age.
and of equal wealth. The one dis
trict has history of more than thir-
ty years Of progressive school work.
Good wages have been paid to teach
ers, good equipment has been provtd-
ed, and long terms Of school have
been held. The present building is
modern. we'll heated. lighted and VEN
tiiated. and supplied with all the ma
terial needed In school work. Teach
srs are changed infrequently, and
when q vacancy is in prospect that
district has the pick of the best
teaching material in that part of tho
state. It is scarcely necessary to say
that good work is done in that
school, and. while the residents would
bs glad Of all the aid that they could
receive from the state, they do not
permit their school to suffer because
the aid received tis less than they
might desire.
In the adjoining district the same
shell that was built some thirty years
ago 10 still doing duty as a school,
house. The wind whistles through
and under 1t. It 10 dirty and ugly, In
side and out. There are no con-
vsnisnoss beyond those demanded by
the se1ctest requirements of the law.
Salaries are rs low and terms as short
- are permitted by law. No teacher
has ever taught two terms In that
school; one has always been enough
for tho teacher. To describe tho
work done in that school il unnsces-
sarY.
The explanation 10 that the people
N one district actually wanted a good
school. Those in tho other did not.
such state aid a. has been recsiyed
has not made tho former school wha.
Il ~ nsr has tho lack Of more state
aid ersaesd the deplorabls conditions
IA the other. All state aid mieht be
wasaArawn ana tho former commu-
nitv would continue to have q rood
school. STATE Aid might be doubled
of Suadrupied and the other school
Would remain . missrabls make
thafk
Urinary communities there is ,;sesd
tA.tne rural schools for more financial
~ rom the state, But in Z very
+, gfVaE number the real naaA 4. not a.,
L ssAes asd. but for local interest. !.