The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1922-01-19
STATE AID SCHOOLS

the number will increase next yeai
Several school officers have en-
CURED Of us relative to this mat
ter. and il scenes that there is d
very general misunderstanding con
corning this matter in this commu-
nifty. We are therefore glad to
publish a recent statement made
by the State Department Of Pub
lie Instruction at Pierre.
"A school once accepted AS a
state aid school may be kept on
the state aid list from year to year
with very little additional expense
In ten years state rural school
will receive $500 from the state,
a first class consolidated school
"a 600. and second class consoid-
ated school $500. These are the
amounts to be considered, not the
annual aid of $3.50 $500, and $3.50
respectively.
There is no mystery about state
aid nor has the state inspector
any autocratlc power to accept or
reject a school. He merely applies
the law and the department re-
auirements to individual cases. 1t
is the local school board that
places a school on the state aid
list by making it such as to meet
the requirments. If school meets
the requirements it gets state aid:
If it gets state aid without all
essential requirements, the pur-
pose of the law is defeated, and
the states money is not legally ex
pended.
ANY school board can inspect
its own school II knows whether
the school has nine months
term, a teacher holding at least
afirst grade certificate, and wheth-
er the school site contains at least
one acre. 1t knows whether the
school is modern as required by
law; that is, whether the building
is constructed with light from one
side or one side and rear; whether
the window area is approximately
1-5 Of the floor area, whether the
ceiling is twelve feet high, whcth-
er the walls and ceiling are tinted
soft color, and whether the build
ing is in good repair, painted, pro
vided with cloakrooms and built
on cement foundation. 1t surely
Is not difficult to determine whe-
ther a heating and ventilatine
plant has been installed or whether
the out houses are firmly set on
cemented vaults and provided with
windows and doors that close;
whether the grounds are properly
kent and the barn fit for horses
to live in. The fixtures and appara-
tus can easily be checked up; sin
gle desks and seats, a recitation
seat. chair and desk in good con
dition for the teacher, translucent
adjustable shades set Of 3 maps. in
Guiding South Dakota, IL inch
globe, framed pictures Of Wash
ington and Lincoln, sixty to eighty
square feet Of good blackboard
erasers, crayon, an International or
Standard dictionary in good con-
slition. 4 bookcase, sets Of supple
mentary readers from 100 to 200
library books, water jar and in
dividual cups Cor fountain), wash
ing facilities (basin, liquid soap
paper towels, water) sweeping
compound facilities for teaching
agriculture and domestic science
primary material, flag pole and
a flag.
1t is true that the department
may, temporarily. accept school
that is deficient in one or two re-
qtiirements For example: a cell
ing may not be IL feet high and
vet, liz the ENROLMENT il small,
there may be ample air space per
pupil q victrola may Offset some
minor deficiency, A district max
ing d ten mill levy may be entitled
to 4 little more consideration than
one making Il two mill levy. "A
school with an average attendance
Of 40 per cent is entitled to more
consideration than astlistrict with
q record of only so per cent at