Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1922-02-17
SUGGESTS CHANGES
IN SCHOOL SYSTEM
DIR. BROOKS SAYS THAT GREAT
GROWTH MUST BE MET
WITH ECONOMY.
MONEY RESOURCES At LINZ,
Must Meet Situation With Reorganl-
zation of System in Schools-out-
lines the Changes.

Raleigh. Already touching the limit
of its resources from taxation, future
growth of the school system in North
| Carolina must be provided for through
reorganization Of the schools that will
reduce the cost per pupil, and provide
| for additional enrolment, declares
State Superintendent Il. c. Brooks In
outlining the new policy of school adj
ministration to become effective next
September.
More pupils to the teacher and few
er supervisors of teachers is the most
drastic recommendation that Doctor
Brooks makes to the county and city
superintendent. he calls attention
emphatically to the fact that school
revenues have reached their maxi
mum. The schools must continue to
grow, he points out, and to meet this
demand. more economical organization
must be consummated,
During the past year Dr. Brooks,
foreseeing the situation that confronts
the school system of the state, has
made a thorough study Of school or
ganization throughout the country.
and his recommendations are based
on data that has been collected from
many sources.
The following preface was given TO
the program as outlined by DR.. Brooks.
wish to discuss very seriously with
the city superintendent the necessity
of very careful study of the relation
ship of school organization to the cost
of operating a school system, The pub
lie does not know how to organize a
school system. 1t must take the rec
concentrations Of the superintendent,
but the public is entitled to know that
a skillful superintendent can so grade
the pupils, group the classes, and or
ganize the teachers as to operate the
entire school system at considerably
less cost per capita per pupil than
other superintendent can who are less
skillful and this can be done without
reducing the effectiveness OF class
room instruction.
A poor superintendent is exceeding
ly costly even II he Is paid very low
salary for his services. He may cost
the people many thousands OF dollars
and they may never know that the
money could have been saved, and too.
without loss Of classroom efficiency
We have been moving rapidly within
the past three years. More progress
has been made than within a given
decade in our history. But the time
has come now to take an inventory, to
become interpretive and to plan for
as wise an expenditure Of public funds
as II is possible to work out. This is
why am calling your attention to the
whole question Of school organization
and its relation to school revenue
The public has had a tendency to
criticise the salaries paid to superin-
tendents. The trouble is not due to-
the high salary paid but to the lack or
wisdom on the part Of some boards
of trustees in selecting the right man
to whom to pay the higher salaries.
Therefore. II is necessary for us to
prepare a statement showing the per
capita cost Of instruction and supervis-
ion in the cities and in the counties
that the public may know what It costs
TO educate the children of given COM
munity. This Is one guide in measur-
ing the business and professional eff
ficiency of a superintendent,