Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-19
GIVING ALL A CHANCE
Rv Il Addinotnn Bruce

Interesting evidence Of the continuing in
sistence of the American people as regards
extending educational opportunities to all
children is found in report recently issued
by the United States Bureau of Education. 1t
gives the findings of a survey by John G.
Muerman of the facilities for transporting
to school at public expense boys and girls
living in rural districts.
Only five states, it appears, have failed to
enact measures specifically providing for
such transportation when children live two
miles-in some states one mile-from the
nearest school. Even these five permit free
transportation under the authority granted
school trustees to provide for the general
welfare of their school districts
And an astonishingly large number Of chill
dren are thus cared for at cost of many
millions Of dollars.
In the school year 1920-1921 reports from
sixteen states show that sos children
were carried to and from school at an average
monthly cost of $3.50 per child. Reports
from thirty-seven states for the same. school
year give total of $15,350,S14 of public
funds spent for school transportation. All
manner of conveyances are used, depending
on local conditions and conveniences. The
school auto bus and horse-drawn wagon, hack
or van are most commonly employed, some of
the buses having carrying capacity of sixty
or more children. When available, resort is
made to railways and rural trolleys, and fer
ries, launches, and even rowboats are drawn
upon as required.
In Massachusetts, the state returning the
most detailed report, At per cent of all chill
dren given school transportation were carried
by trolley, 80 per cent by horse-drawn We
hicle, Is per cent by motor bus and 8 per
cent by railway, in tho school yea 1919-1920.
More than per cent of all yearly expendi-
lures for the support of the public schools in
Massachusetts goes to transportation. And
in Massachusetts,, as elsewhere, Mr.. Muer-
man notes:
Transportation costs are increasing each
year. The usual method of providing trans
portation is to call for bids for the kind and
type of transportation desired In this call
specifications are made that afterward appear
in the contract which the driver signs
Usually, too, the distances covered are by
no means small. Reports fro~1 twenty states
give, as the average distance travelled one
way, from five to six miles for the horse
drawn conveyance and from ten to fifteen
miles for the auto bus.
Which brings into clear relief the really i'm
portant part played by free transportation as
an educational auxiliary. Manifestly, if such
transportation were not provided many child
living on some isolated farm would receive
next to no schooling, perhaps, no schooling
whatever. In addition, as stressed by Mr.
Muerman, free transportation gives these
special advantages:
Protection for children from wind, rain and
snow; more time at home in the morning
and evening; greater regularity in attendance,
and proper supervision while going to and
from school.
Hence, costly as it may seem, school trans
portation at the public expense means in the
end a great public saving. For it helps to con-
serve the asset, which, above all others, is of
Importance to every nation-a healthy and
enlightened citizenry.