The Pulaskian., 1918-08-16
Pea Ridge Pod
Man
"a e. 70 l N G
ARoS = o
for
The
Pulaskiian
Observation-Disclosures
FOR A CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL.

k-s
The war is making it very difficult
for the small district school to get
competent teachers. Numbers of the
men have been drafted into the army,
while high salaries has drawn the
most competent lady teachers to the
city. From the commencement of the
war I have realized that the country
school districts will have to be work
ed over and a new system arranged for
them that will give the country chill
dren all the advantages possessed by
their city cousins, for the war has all
SO made it necessary that all children
shall be given better educational adj
vantages than in the past.
The consolidated school is the an
swer to all these questions and It
must come at once.
First of all it should be located II
the healthiest possible locality where
pure air and pure water are FREEDOM
inant The children from the river
and creek bottoms should attend
school in the hills when possible. :.
Schools should be supplied with 81
braries and all modern aids to educa-
ton including moving pictures.
Another advantage of such a school
is that it eompels good roads and
thereby doubles the financial wealth
of the entire section.
Wye, located on the line of Pulaski
and Perry county is an ideal location
for such a school The district is To-
Gated in both counties. North of it
is the Fourche La Fave river bottom,
one of the best large bodies of unde-
veloped land in the state. East is
the Arkansas river bottom and south
of it is the Big Maumelle river bot
tom, fine body of the best of unde-
veloped land. Wye is located on a.
high ridge near 1000 feet higher than
the adjoining lands of the river bot
toms. The ridge rises abruptly from
the Arkansas river and extends TO
the Oklahoma line. From Ledwidge
to Wye is road running along or
parallel to the county line which
should be placed on the line and i'm
proved by both counties. At Wye the
county line runs south for two miles
and the two counties have already
made it a county road and promised
to improve it.
In all this section there is great dis
satisfaction with the schools. In the
three districts there is only one good
school and that is the colored school
at Roland Much dissatisfaction has
been expressed about this condition
by the white people. The proposed
school could well take care of the
children of the Wye and Ledwidge
line schools and the Oak Grove and
Thornburg schools of Perry county as
well as the white children of Roland,
and four other schools above in the
Maumelle valley. / am pretty certain
that Ledwidge Will consolidate with
Wye at once and hope that the 9th
er schools mentioned will come in
also. To do so it will be necessary
to hold a special election in districts
desiring to come in and the State De-
partment of Education is now prepar-
ing the petitions for this election. SUI
perintendent ]. L. Bond will address
the people of the district on this sub
ject just as soon as they can be got
ten together for the purpose.
The idea is to make Of this district
an ideal school that will service not
only as a pattern for the entire State
of Arkansas. but also for the entire
United States. With this end in view
it will receive every possible help
from the State Department of Educa-
ton.