Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1922-10-12
COUNTY UNIT PLAN
IS EXPLAINED BY
SUPERINTENDENT
All Schools of District Will Be
Greatly Benefited and Espec-
tally So in Rural Districts
Says Victor Srawe.

There is law now operative in
Oregon which provides that when the
majority Of. the voters of any county
wish to do so they may place the
administration of county school af-
fairs in the hands of central board
of education consisting of five men,
bers elected at large from the coun-
ty. In administering the business OF
the various schools within the county
the board of education would be ad.
vised and assisted by the directors
OF the present school districts.
In the enactment Of this law, now
known as the County Unit Plan. the
original intent was primarily to bene-
fit the small rural districts. In prac-
tical operation all schools in a county
are benefited at reduced cost to the
tax payers.
There are two outstanding features
in the County Unit Plan; first,
blanket" tax assessed equally against
all property in the county; second, Il
centralized board of education work
ing for the best possible good of all
school children within the county and
given authority to use common sense
and practical business Judgment In
school matters.
In Lincoln county as nearly as can
be estimated the annual cost of new
desks and similar equipment for the
various schools averages in the neigh
borhood OF three thousand dollars.
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the County Unit plan this annual
cost could be practically eliminated
by apportionins the school equipment
already owned in the county among
the schools according to their present
needs.
Another and more important item
for evonomy woud be in the employ
ing of teachers. Under the County
Unit plan children would be permit
ted to attend any school in the county,
and by permitting pupils of neighbor-
ling schools to attend central schoo,
the county to furnish transportation
where necessary, 1t is estimated that
the services of fourteen teachers
could be dispensed with, effecting an
annual saving to the tax payers OF
Lincoln county Of more than twelve
thousand dollars.
The employing Of teachers is an
other matter that, under the County
Unit Plan, could be handled more sat
|isfactorily than at presen' Now
when it becomes necessary for small
school district to employ new
teacher the directors as usual thing
must rely upon the employment agen-
cies or upon references written by
unknown school directors and schoo.
principals and submitted by unknown
teachers. Such references are usually
more or less worthless-it Is an in
competent person indeed who cant se-
cure references. So from year to
year the directors Of rural districts are
forced to take chances regarding the
ability of the teacher they employ,
and II the teacher proves incompetent
it means that a year of the children's
lives is Worse than wasted. county
board Of education, cooperating with
the State Shool superintendent Of
flee and with the other boards OF
education in the state, would be ablc
to learn definitely regarding the alb
ility and personality of the teachers
GluplOycu, dlu IHuo lhc iiSoihPoeoheoh
the failures could be eliminated.
The only objection that has been
heard recently regarding the County
Unit plan was stated few days ago
by well known citizen Of Lincoln
county. He said there weren't five
voters in Lincoln county competent to
serve on a board of education. And
what do you think of that for an OBJ
lection!
The voters of this county will ba
given a chance at the November cleo
ton to decide whether they want TO
continue along In the same education
al rut or whether they want new
and more progressive educational pro-
gram TO Lincoln county childen.
Why not persuade State Superin-
tendent Churchill to come in here and
tell the voters about the advantages
and disadvantages Of the County Unit
plan?
VICTOR SHAVE.