The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1921-01-27
SCHOOL NOTES.
A. c. Moreland, County Supt.


the General Assembly. A review e
the bill is gwen here that You may
better inform yourself in regard to its
operation # 1t becomes a law.
Che County Unit Bill has the en-
dorsement ri the following: The
State Teachers Association, the State
Department of Education, the indie
pendent League of Women Voters
the State Federation of Women's
Clubs, the Parent-Teachers Assoc;a-
ton. the Missouri Federation OF Farm
bureaus. the Missouri Farmers Con-
grcss. the Women's Chamber of Con;
mercc. OF ST. Louis. County School
Board Conventions in many counties
i'll the State. very large number of
persons in ali walks of life who have
given the matter serious thought
What is il.e object or aim # this
| bill; The aim OF the bill is to gaar-
antce i'll SO FAR as it is possible, the
right OF every child in this state to
a good comron school and nigh
| school education.
| ). 'ow is this to be done? BY cor
ic' ting the fundamental weaknesses
Inherent in the present district sys-
TEN OF school administration.
| an these Weaknesses be cor: Get =.
cd: Yes. No business man would for
: moment doubt the possibility Of
| their correction.
| What are :hcse weaknesses? They
are poor organization. inadequate f.
nancial support and inefficient al
miniStration.
/ What evidences have we that The
organization is poor: There are
many evidences. among them the fol-
lowing: Thek are 1901 districts Ill
the state with fewer than twenty pa
pills; there arc l.oI2 districts that have
an average daily attendance OF less
than 10; and 2,o47 districts with an
average daily attendance of les, than
Is. We have IS per cent more
teachers in the rural schools than we
need. This means a loss of more lhan
one million dollars year in teachers
saaries alone; thirty eight districts il:
| less than ST. ooo 200 districts an as
! scsScd valuation of less than $40 90.
| While many districts have an asscssc;
| valuation III excess of 100000; '.p'e
| than 1000 schools have six months
| term or less, I43 schools have less
| than four .ronths; seventeen distri,ts
III the state make no tax levy tor
school purposes, 50 districts levy 20
cents. while sos districts pay -
cents or more; only small number
of the pupils III the country have a,v
high SCHOOL advantages.
Are the rural districts able to alto i
high schools? Yes. In most coun
ties the average assessed valuation
per child enumerated is greater IN the
rural districts than in the cities.
How may these weaknesses be cor
rccted? Thee things are necessary.
First, we must equalize educational
opportunity throughout the county.
| We must tax all wealth of the co,'ny
| for the education of all the child:en
within the county. A tax levy on the
entire county will give you much more
revenue for the reason that under the
existing conditions it is the little
weak district that pays the high tax
late and the large. wealthy district
that pays the low rate. A large part
| Of the weaiti, in the rural district pays
very nominal school tax. Second.
redistrict the county ON the basis Of
the actual needs of the children and
with a view to giving all of them an
eight months common school edusa-
ton. and four year high school
course. Under the proposed plan
each sub-district would contain one
high school building and as many one
room schools as are needed and
placed where needed. Third, coun-
ty board of education elected from the
county at large ami given. wide pow
ers and trusted with the complete ad
ministration Of, the school affairs of
the county, this would include the fol-
lowing: The selection, of county
superintendent and fixing his salary,
the election on the recommendation
of the sub dstrict board and county
superintendent of all teachers.
Is the. county unit for school adj
ministration :. new thing? 1t is not.
Twenty states now have the county
unit system i'll some form and legisla-
ton is pending i'll others.
What provision is made for equal
izing educational opportunity among