Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-06-10
CRITICAL EDUCATIONAL CON-
plTIoNs REVEALED IN GER
70 ooRDo COUNTY.
EIGHT TO De CLOSED
FOR LACK OF PUPILS
Fall Below Requirements Of Law ~
70 Attendanes-Fisurss indicate
Small Rural School Costs Moro
Per Capita 70 Maintain Than Con-
solidated Schools.
Special to Times Republican.

special TO Ilmes- kepuDncan.
Mason City. June 10,--Farmers Of
Cerro Gordo county are locking the
doors OF the rural school house and
barring the windows with pine boards
as teacher after teacher is deserving
the ranks OF Institutional servants
and family after family are leaving
farm and country to flock to the city
TO live.
Fred d. Cram. county superintend-
ent. has made survey Of the schools
In order to determine what teachers
are returning to their former schools
and what the average attendance in
each one has been.
There are approximately one hun
dred rural school teachers in Cerfo
Gordo county each year. This num-
Der varies occasionally with the sup
ply and demand.
Eighty OF these teachers have an
swered questionnaire which has
been submitted to them. Sixteen Of
the number expect to follow other
lines OF endeavor and will never teach
again; several will be married; a few
will remain at home: two have con-
tracted to teach In some other coun-
ty: thirty-six may WELD the birch
next year, but they do not know
where: nine are undecided; Ave will
90 up or down to the town or con-
solidated school: four have definitely
decided to take another school in this
county, and of the eighty girls out Of
the hundred that replied, there were
only six who intended TO return to
the same school again next year.
Eight Schools 20 Close.
Eight schools In the county will
have to be closed next year under
the provisions of an Iowa law which
says that an average daily attendance
OF five pupils must be maintained
the previous FERN to continue the
school for another year. The county
superintsnd\ mt had been assured that
averages OF ten or more would be
maintained in several of them-a
lprumise which was never Kept be-
cause the pupils were \ not there.
fTheSe were nine rural seats OF learn
finssciosed during the spring term for
no other reason than the lack OF
school population!
7 The average daily attendance for
the county for the semester which
began in January has been. about
eleven. the greater number OF schools
having from four to- fourteen pupils,
l.rhis average Is slightly lower than
the average for the entire state which
hboasts OF twelve pupils for each
Epral school. @ I
.eThe smallest school In the county
this year had only one pupil who
ks0nid be relied upon to attend class.
es every day. There were many days
Ethat the teacher did not leave her
boarding place; she and the child
would step into another room and
conduct their classes there. Mean
while tax payers paid the bills.
Such school is the ~most expensive
kind to maintain FOR the tuition rate
per pupil month there was SIS. Mr.
Cram says there is not high school
In the county with its high saIaried
teachers. even where attendance IL
limited. that shows the excessive cost
OF this one rural school. There were
six schools in the county this last
year which cost more than $50 fol-
| each pupil in attendance each month
Mr.. Cram is an ardent advocate OF
the consolidated rltal school and be-
lieves that with the coming OF paved
roads and other modern ways OF liv-
ing these same consolidated rura
schools will solve the Teaching and
pupil problems faced by the rura.
communities of the United States to.
day.