Charlevoix county herald., 1917-09-14
Rural Schools
Need New Life
Study of Conditions by M. A. c
Man Shows They Can Be Con-
solidated, Efficiency Increased
and Cost of Maintenance
Reduced.

Reduced.
East Lansing, Mich, Sept. 10th. A
study of conditions In the rural schools
of Michigan conducted by the Michigan
Agricultural college through its depart
ment of agricultural education has re-
suited in the unearthing of much in
efficiency and lack of economy in the
maintenance of the states country
school system.
''rhe country educational system of
the state is ineffective and expensive"
Prof. w. Fl. French OF the college has
written in report Of his observations,
and in hundreds of districts it costs
more per capita to teach the children
during eight years in the rural course
than it does to teach the children in
twelve year course, including the high
school, in many of our Michigan cities,
that is, it costs more per child per
year.
"The questions of taxes and equali-
zation have been discussed with great
vigor, yet there is no tax which the
people pay that is so unequal in itself
and so unequally distributed, as is the
school tax. We have communities in
Michigan where the school tax runs as
high as 6 per cent, and still other COM
munities where the primary school in
terest fund from the state practically
pays the entire expense. This phase
of the country school question should
receive careful consideration at the
hands of our rural people.
'In Vevay township in Ingham
county, where typical example is
afforded, there are six rural schools
and the city schools of Mason. The per
capita cost in each of these rural dis
tricts is higher than it is in the city of
Mason. If these six school districts
were all consolidated with the Mason
district the teaching force in the town
ship could be reduced by three or four
teachers, and by transporting the
pupils ii would be possible additionally
to give all the children the same educa-
tional advantages, and at less expense,
than is now incurred. This instance
can be duplicated in at least 500 other
townships in Michigan.
another plan would be to combine
the six rural schools into two or three
schools, with two teachers in each.
These schools would be in the country
and could take the children easily
through the first six grades. After that,
the pupils by providing their own
transportation could attend the central
school without great difficulty and at
very small expense. This plan might
not decrease the whole amount of the
tax levy, but it would distribute the
money equitably and increase the COM
munity spirit. If districts are combined
so as to have two teachers in every
rural school the efficiency of the school
could be increased by more than 100
per cent, the community spirit improv-
ed, and the school made more nearly a
real educational center.
"These consolidated schools, and
high schools in which an agricultural
course is offered, tend to check the
cityward movement of farm boys.
Careful investigations of the agricul-
tural work in our high schools showed
in one year 100 young men who when
they entered the high school had no
idea of going back to the home farm,
but who as result OF their school
training declared they had secured a
new interest and a new vision OF the
possibilities in agriculture and were 60
ing to return to the farm. Thus,
agricultural training in the high school
saved in single year at least 100 keen
young men for agriculture. This year
there are 5000 boys studing agriculture
in the high schools of the state.