Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1924-02-07
CONSOLIDATED SENIOR
HIGH SCHOOL FOR
F I T z G E R RAL d

(These are some of the chief points
brought out by Mrs. Jesse Powell in
a splendid talk before the Woman's
Club Wednesday afternoon):
This subject of consolidated schools
is the foremost topic of the day. We
have learned that consolidated schools
stand for educational efficiency. Also
we know that an efficient and power
full school system will make Georgia
an efficient and powerful state. Fitz-
gerald is beginning to see the need of
such a system. In the Dorminey-Lyn
wood and Ashton schools they are
attempting to teach through ninth and
tenth grades. These schools are un-
prepared for teaching high school sub
jects. When the pupils finish these
schools they cannot enter our city
high school without entrance examina-
tions which they are unable to pass.
This is not reflection on the teachers
for no teacher can do justice to so
many grades and subjects as the coun-
try teacher is required to teach When
the country pupils enter the High
School they are required to pay $400
a month tuition which creates a feel
ing that this is not their school and
an equal amount of interest will not
be manifested. Fitzgerald should have
Senior High School for county and
city. The approximate cost of one
would be 100000 of which one half
would be paid by the county and one
half by the city.
The city owns several squares, one
near the Blue and Gray Park. This
would obviate the need of purchasing
expensive lots. The building would
contain an auditorium, the crying need
of Fitzgerald at present time. If this
seems to favor the city, there is also
favorable feature for the county stu
dents in respect to new course in
vocational agriculture which would be
added for the benefit of the country
boys. In case this is done, the state
will pay one half the salary of the in
structor required for this special
course. The state will also paw $1,000
additional to the appropriation for any
county that establishes a Senior High
School in connection with a consoli-
dated system of schools throughout
the county, such as is already main
tanned by Ben Hill County.
The old building would serve as a
needed Junior High School for 9th
and 9Th grades, now crowtLd INTO the
ward schools and remote fr1 the
Domestic Science and Ar oant
although that work is suppo ID to be
part of their course. Room might
then also be provided for primary
grades or possibly Kindergarten de-
partment in that building, the fourth
ward having been without these low
er grades all these years of enlarged
school Accommodations, now rapidly
falling behind actual needs.
The consolidated high school for city
and county gives equal opportunity for
all the children OF the county to com
plete their common school course un-
der The most favorable conditions,
raising the standard even of the CITY
schools as the combined school board
will be in a position to secure better
teachers by paying better salaries, and
to furnish better equipment It will
create better feeling between city and
county people.
\ few counties now have one super
lntendeHt for all schools and the plan
s found to be very successful and
could certainly be worked out well
with our small county and especially
easy where no rivalry can rise over
the selection of the location of the new
school as i'll counties where two equal
lv sized towns might contest over the
site.