The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1921-12-15
Bates County School Notes.
By supt. A. c. Moreland.

visit MONDAY morning, december
18th.
There are I24 rural schools and II
high schools running in Bates county.
There are five first class high
schools, three second class, and three
third class. Because of small enroll
ments, two rural schools did not
start; the pupils are being sent to
other schools.
The lowest salarled rural teacher
receives 500 per month; the highest
salaried teacher receives $I25 per
month. The average salary of rural
teachers is about $84 per month. The
average salary of superintendent is
1868 per term. The average salary
of grade teachers is about $8S per
month.
found upon inspection that most
schools are in good condition SO far
as teaching is concerned. There were
only four schools where the teacher
seemed unable to discipline her pu-
! pills; one of those teachers has re-
signed since l visited her school;
her place will be taken by capable
teacher. :.
The physical condition OF several
schools is dcplorable. visited one
where the floor was covered with
corn, dirt, and a bucket of water had
been soilled upon the floor and left
standing. There was indecent Ian
guagc written on the walls'of the tor
lets and the coal house. The yard
was literally covered with paper and
cthep rubbish. To say the order was
bad is putting it mildly.
| In another school there are over 70
pupils The roo is not "a feet by
20 feet. The pupils were sitting three
in a seat and some were seated on
boxes gotten frem one of the stores.
You can iagine teacher trying to
render service under such conditions.
Most rural schools have just one
room, that is, the pupils wraps and
lunches are in the same room with
the pupils. A school house with just
one room should never be built.
Cloak and lunch rooms should be
provided with each school room. with
such the schools would be far more
convenient and sanitary.
Most schools have no system of
heating and ventilating. The stove is
in the middle of the floor. Pupils
rear lie stove suffer with heat while
those farther away suffer with the
cold. II the room should become too
warm, a window is raised from the
bottom and the children sit in a draft
until they cool off or the air in the
room becomes so contaminated that
| il can be felt smelled and tasted by
enc entering the room from the out
side. 1t is said that the air in a
room should be changed five times
| each hour if there is no ventilatlng
system.
The following rural schools have
installed modern heating and ventila-
ting systems: Woodland, Maple
Grove, Dixie. Buckhorn, Hacker,
Olive, Dillon, Mt. Vernon. WeMott
Harmony, Redmond, Herrel, Viii
cox, Mulberry, Virginia, Grandview,
1ygard. Miller, Summit Center, Fry,
Oak Grove. Hudson, Pleasant Ridge,
CORTLAND, Greenyiew, Worland, Peru,
Double Branch. Pleasant Gap, Rey-
nard Ovid, New Home, Sprague,
Keith, Fairvicw, Montgomery, Green
| Valley, and Mt. Leonard. Such sys-.
TENS as these insure the removal OF
foul air and an introduction Of pure
air; the air is distributed equally over
the room, equality OF temperature is
maintained throughout the room,
necessary moisture is supplied ano
drafts are avoided,
Several -hool room floors have
rot been oiled and have not been
scrubbed for some time, if ever. The
school room should be the. cleancst OF
all places because children from dit
ferent families are brought SO close
" together. People who scrub their
own floors once or twice week
seem contentcd to allow school chill
drcn to sit in a room school term
without the floor being we'll scrubbed.
# is important. too, that the walls
and ceiling OF the school room be
kept well cleaned The blackboard
should be washed at least once a
week and the trays well cleaned. loo
much attention can not be gwen 70
these conditions.
| The public drinking cup still pre-
walls in a few schools but it is last
disappearing. Drinking water should
not be kept in the same room with
the pupils without IT IS III tank
with faucet and tight fitting cover
A number Of schools have these
tanks. The cups should be well
cleaned often and then aired in the
| sunshine. Drainage of the well is
very important In some places |
find no trough to drain the water
from off the curb. Most of the wells
and cisterns have tight concrete tops.
A number of school yards have no
trees, shrubs or flowers. Where
ti,ere are such yards arrangements
should be made Arbor Day to make
the schoo yard more beautiful
Patrons. teachers and pupils should
observe Arbor Day.
Some of the toilets are i'll miser-
,ble condition. Some have not tcch
cleaned for over year. Toilets can be
cared for in a sanitary,way by clean
ing the vaults and using goodly
supply of lime. Children should be
taught that the walls of the toilet are
lrot TO be used for a. blackboard for
unsightly writing. 1t is certainly the