The Yale expositor., 1922-02-23

NAtJlClS Ny W. - EOSd1 CSJ SuP~
erintcndent of Prcble County
Schools, Eaton, Ohio.)
"One Of the three counties in
the United States having the best
rural schools" is the high COM
phment paid the schools of Preble
County, Ohio, by a specialist
from the United States Bureau of
Education. Six years ago the
rural schools of this county were
of that type found most frequent
ly throughout the United States.
Dix years ago, as we went over
this county and saw forlorn di-
led One-room school build
ings with ill-kept grounds. while
just across the road were beauti-
1ul houses with all modern con-
Veniences and fine barns for the
stock, we knew that the rural
people of this agricultural coun-
Try needed to be Stirred up" l
had been accused of going over
the county stirring up things"
by very angry farmer when we
went into his township to consol-
ldate schools. The dismal one
room "box-car" type of school
LuIlding, with the old, unsightly
stove in the center, with white
washed walls discolored by smoke
with crOss-lights and window
ventilation, with dreary grounds
ana unsanitary condition in gen.
eral, presented a sight which
made me heart-sick for the boys
and girls who were so greatly
robbed by such an environ
Consolidation is the key-point
of rural schoo Improvement.
Six years ago Preble County had
81 one-room schools. Since then
we have displaced II of these
with IL modern consolidated
schools. A large number of the
remaining one-room schools are
now in process Of elimination
by our County Board of Educa-
ton, which has been broad
minded and consistently progress
sive in all it's acts.
The Progressive Policy Won
Bitter opposition was met from
Tie selfish man without children,
from the reactionaries who resist
all change, from the cheap-school
crowd who are satisfied with any
school, and from those sentiment
Ialists who were unwilling to give
Up the little school house." The
campaigns showed that the Git
Tie school" with its little tax, lit
tie children, little attendance and
little interest had many little
supporters. However, nearly all
the campaigns were successful,
for a good majority of our farm
ers recognize that the welfare Of
our youth is of supreme value,
and that the farmer can and
should have as good schools as
the citizens Of the city. More
over, they knowthat it is best for
their boys and girls to get their
high school education at home
and spend the night under the
parental roof.
In less than nine months, or
from November 3, 1914, to July
II, 1915, consolidation projects
affecting more than one-half the
county were carried. Other pro-
Jects have followed, until almost
the entire county is consolidated.
The buildings are we'll lighted,
ventilated and heated. Each has
an auditorium, a gymnasium, the
usual class-rooms, good labora-
tories, library and an office.
Improvement of School Grounds
Remembering the dreary one
room school grounds, which were
without flowers and shrubbery
and often without trees and grass,
it was resolved that these new
school grounds should be land
scaped and made beautiful. Prof
r. B. Cruickshank, of Ohio State
University, has come to Preble
County several times and has
handicapped the grounds of our
new consolidated schools. He
drew blue-prints showing what
to plant and where to plant it
indicating walks, drives and spac-
es for base ball, volley ball, ten
mis-, etc. These drawings have
been invaluable to boards ant
superintendents in developing
beautiful school grounds.
Lanier Township Centralized
School has a most beautiful lawT
=. i. Il