The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-02-17
RURAL SCHOOLS IN
WILLIAMSBURG CO.
REPORT OF THEIR CONDITION
BY THE RURAL SCHOOL
SUPERVISOR

Inc Sounty hecoru Has ieSei'eu
from State Supervisor of Rural schools
D. L. Lewis for publication copy Of
his report, recently made to State
Superintendent of Education j. E..
Swearengen, ,or the condition of schools
in Williamsburg county.
MIR. Lewis Report Follows
Hon. J. E. Swearingen,
Dear sir: Below is given q review
of school conditions among the rural
schools of Williamsburg county, as
obunty as observed during the week
ending February 18th:
On arriving at Kingstree on Tues
day morning, February 9th, / went to
the court house and conferred with
the county treasurer as to the system
of bookkeeping carried on among the
auditor, treasurer and county super
intendent. The county treasurer told
me that tax returns We're not made
by school districts, as the law requires,
and that he (the treasrrer) did not
make monthly reports of school funds
collected by school districts, to the
county superintendent, as the law also
requires. 1t is impossible for the
county superintendent of education to
do accurate bookkeeping unless the tax
books are made up by school districts,
and unless the county treasurer re-
ports monthly the collections of school
taxes by school districts. Of course,
the treasurer cannot report the three
mill tax by school districts, but ne can
report monthly the amount Of three
mill tax collected in the county. and
the county superintendent can appor-
ton it according to the enrolment OF
the preceding year. Many county
superintendent do not enter receipts
of school taxes to the credit Of the re-
spective school districts at all, but
make each year, from tie AUDITORS
abstract, an estimate of the school
funds for each school district, and use
this estimate as the receipts for any
particular district. This is not hook
keeping, but gucss-work. and would
not be tolerated in any first class bus
mess establishment.
The law requires that the tax re-
turns be made each year by schoo' dis
tricts. not by townships, that the
auditors books and tressurers dupli-
Gates be made up by sshool districts,
that the treasurer report monthly to
the county superintendent by school
districts all school taxes collected ex-
cept the three-mill tax and that the
treasure and the county superlnten-
dent each shall keep q general cash
hook and a school district ledger. the
general cash book showing at az
time the total receipts and disburse-
ments, and the school district ledger
showing at any time the receipts ard
disbursements by school districtG.
,Ssee sections SIT, $50, 5S1, 5S2, 5S3,
$50, general school law of South Car
olina. Also section 1853, general
school law of South Carolina.) 1t IS
hoped that the auditor, the treasurer,
and the superintendent of educatloa
cf Williamsburg county will keep their
Looks as the law requires.
On the same day | visited the
Kingstree Graded and High SCI DOL,
where found most excellent work be-
ing done. Why? Because there are
fifteen teachers, experienced, well paid,
in the school which runs nine months,
and because the school has a superin-
tendent of successful experience.
also visited on Tuesday the graded
school at Lane.
I found conditions to be unsatisfac-
tory, due to the fact that the school.
for the past year or two, has been un.
der weak discipline, with the ''"~'
that the larger pupils are backward,
and do not know how to study. The
remedy is with the principal. He
should expect and require of mis- pu-
piis the best discipline and hard work
in order that the upper grades may
reach the standard they should attain.
The question of securing discipline
and good work in a school is que'-
ton of common sense. If the princi-
nal does not control the pupils, the pu-
pils will run over the school. The
principal is put in charge of school
to control it, and it can be controlled
am sure the unsatisfactory conditions
, now prevailing at Lane will be done
away with in the near future.
On Wednesday Trio and Aimwell,
each a two-teacher school, were visit
ed. Both schools were doing good
work as can be done in two-teacher
schools.
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