The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-11-23
BIENNIAL REPORT Of
MORROW COUNTY
Biennial Report on Condition Of
Morrow County Schools and the
Past Two Years Shows Progress
Made in Education Here.
Lena Smell Shurte, County School
Superintendent.

Looking back over the past two
years and comparing our schools then
with the schools Of the present day
we feel that Morrow County has done
her best to keep pace with improving
conditions.
Taxes have been high, many dis
tricts have felt the burden, some
have been obliged to fund their out
standing warrants into bonds because
taxes were not paid and warrants
were issued to take care of indebted
ness, but the people have realized
the growing condition Of. their school
and budgets have been voted to meet
its demand.
In few districts salaries have been
lowered but in the rural schools
where teachers have been keenly a.
live to the responsibilities that de-
volved upon them and have done
what they could to raise the moral
and intellectual standard Of those
entrusted to their care, il teachers
were retained the salaries were in
creased and in some districts the
term heightened to nine months.
Suitable living conditions have not
yet been provided in many districts
and as a result our best teachers are
loathe to remain longer than one
term. This necessitates a constant
change of teachers each year, which
is not for the best interest of the
district.
Only one certificate for standard
ization was granted at the close of
the year 1921 and 1922. The teacher
in that district deserves credit for
her untiring efforts to bring about
this result.
The relation between the schools
and the home is becoming closer each
year. Our last report gave three
Parent Teachers Associations. We
now have seven. One has recently
affiliated with the State Association.
All should do so, and will in time.
Through the efforts of these asso-
Citations in cooperation with the
school boards, playground equipment
has been placed in four districts,
hot lunches provided for the chill
dren, and many improvements made,
such as school-rooms renovated,
cloak built on, outside build
ings painted, school grounds fenced,
window boards and screens supplied,
wells cleaned out and schoolyards
cleaned up, etc.
The Morrow County Red Cross has
financed for a year public health
nurse who has done much to better
the conditions Of our schools in many
ways. Coming in contact with all
the pupils and most Of their parents
she has had names added to the CEN
sus list that would otherwise have
been overlooked, thereby saving to
that district $40 per pupil; the health
of the pupils has been much improv
ed, sanitary conditions changed for
the better; in two districts we sue
ceeded in getting a supply of water
for the schools, in one brick els
tern was built for use this year, and
in another q well was dug. Lighting
has been changed thereby protecting
the eyes of the pupils, also through
her the travelling expense Of the
County Superintendent was lessened
almost half.
Her services have proved invalu-
able and we are hoping that the coun-
ty will decide to assist the Red Cross
in this much needed work, SO that
our schools will soon be standard in
every respect,
Club Work continues to hold its
own, but because of the failure to
hold county or local fair each year
it is difficult to keep up the enthus-
iasm.
We can now boast of two consoli-
dated districts which helps to place
Morrow County among the other pro-
gressive counties of the state. Dis
tricts Nos. 80 and 35, lone; and Dis
tricts Nos. and 81, Hardman, We're
the first in the county to take this
important step.
Transportation is being furnished
in six districts at an average cost of
$2,l0s.73 per year.
Our Teachers Institute held octo-
Der 16, II and Is, 1922, was well at
tended and much interest manifest
ed, not only by the teachers but by
the public as well.
Many expressed their appreciation
of the good they had received and
stated that the instructors seemed
to understand the teachers needs
and thus were helpful to them in
their work.
For three years we have been 100
per cent in the 0. S. 7. A. notwith-
standing the constant changing OF
teachers each year. We have also
organized a County Division Of the
o. S. T. A.
The number of eighth grade grad
yates increases each year and with
but few exceptions all attend and
finish high school. One new build
ing was erected since last report, in
District No. 10, Irrigon. They have
their own water and light plant. Two
teachers are employed in the high
school and three in the grades.
In the last biennial we reported
six standard high schools. We now
have seven, one union high, the 9TH
ers all district high schools. In ad-
dition to this we paid this year s6a9
high school tuition outside Of the
county.
As yet we have no gymnasiums nor
playsheds but look forward to the
near future when we will have.
Had there been some provision in
the school law whereby district
could issue bonds to build teach
ers' cottage, two would have been
erected this year. We recommend
that some law be passed to take care
Of this feature.
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