The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-11-28
THE COUNTY
Unit SCHOOL
SYSTEM
BY MAY TRUMPER
State Supt. of Public instruction

The county unit law as it OPP
crates in one Montana county
Cascade, removes the great in
equalities in means for provid
ing good school facilities in ev
cry district by equalizing the
special school tax throughout
the third class district of the
county. The county board OF
trustees of the rural school dis.
trict or county unit" plan tc
provide school facilities for ev-
cry child in the county, some.
thing which Cascade county
has never done before.
Last year it was reported by
the county superintendent that
approximately sixty children in
Cascade county were unable to
reach school on account of dis
lance. But when the county
board of trustees and county
superintendent set to work upon
their plans for next year and
examined the budgets submit
ted by the sub-district boards,
they found not sixty, but one
hundred sixty-seven children
who had not reached school OF
had been able to attend but a
very short time during the past
school year. Such a situation is
nothing short of criminal in a
great and wealthy county such
as Cascade.
But that situation will not ex-
ist again in Cascade county.
Arrangements have been made
through the budgets of the sub
districts to provide school adj
vantages for these one hundred
sixty-seven children. Some are
to be provided with transporta-
ton, others to have new schools
established. This latter means
is, of course, the most expen-
sive, but it was found absolute
ly necessary in a few cases. In
one district the cost of trans
portation amounts to $2,250 for
thirty-five children, which at
first glance seems an exorbitant
sum. But when the facts are
ascertained it is found that
these children live in several
different communities, remote
from each other. If schools
were to be provided for them at
least two new buildings would
need to be erected. Aside from
the cost of buildings the main
tenance of two schools would
more than equal the S2,25O to
be spent for transportation.
Thus we see in this case where
these groups are brought to a
central school, transportation
proves to be decidedly the less
expensive course of procedure.
Careful scrutiny of the COM
olete budget for Cascade county
reveals the fact that the county
BOARD of trustees and county
superintendent, who is ex-officio
secretary of the board, have
spent, not a few hours, but days
studying the budgets submitted
by sub-district trustees and de-
,ermining the various items to
De allowed. It is interesting to
tote the comparatively small
lumber of items in the budgets
which have been altered by the
county board. Some have been
'aised and some lowered but al
Ways with a very satisfactory
'eason for the change. There
appears to have been almost no
endency toward extravaganza
n the part of sub-district trus- |
ees. In several cases adequate |
aiarles for securing a good |
eacher were not requested and |
he county board saw fit to raise
he amount allotted to teachers
alary so that an experienced
eacher might be secured. The
xcellent business methods of
he county board and county
uperlntendent are certainly to
e commended. The results of
heir labors will tell in year or
Wo in Cascade county's schools.
Pleads for More Schools.
From every county in the
tate pleas for schools are con-
5antly being received. Scarce
a day passes that we do not
ave at least one such letter, and
uring this month and Septem-
er, in particular, when parents
re hoping soon to have their
1lldren in school, it is not un-
sual to receive five or six let /,
rs each day pleading for some
ling to be done to provide an
lucation for children who have
.