Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-03-12
Public Forum
Discusses Consolidation
Stanley, Wis, March 5, 1924.


Stanley, Wis, March 5, 1924.
Editor Herald:
Will you kindly permit me to say a
few things through the medium of
your paper on a subject which is re-
ceiving considerable attention all over
the state at the present time
There seems to be concerted effort
on the part of city educators, certain
newspaper editors and some other city
and village people, to discredit the
work being done in the rural schools.
Of all the articles we have read on
the subject, not a single one has been
written by resident of a rural school
district.
Now the question naturally arises:
Why are our city friends, who have
the sole right to say where and how
their children shall be educated, so
determined to dictate to the country
residents the manner and place Of
educating their children? Surely the
parents of the country children are as
capable of properly educating their
boys and girls as are their friends of
the city.
After enumerating the numerous
shortcomings of the district school
school system, the city reformers pro-
pose school consolidation" as a
remedy.
At farmers picnic held at the
home of Assemblyman Schmidt, near
Stanley, last June prominent citizen
of Stanley, referring to the action of
the Chippewa county board in dis
pensing with the County Agent, said:
"All the city people seemed to be in
favor of hiring county agent, while
the country people seemed to be OPP
posed to it. Why was that?" What
this gentleman said in regard to the
county agent is equally true about
school consolidation, which seems to
meet with favor among city and viii
lage residents and to be generally OPP
posed by residents of the rural dis
trictS.
The writer who has had thirty-seven
years experience in rural school
work, first as student; then as
teacher and finally as school officer,
has given this subject much study and
thought and, while he admits that
there is much room for improvement
lieve that the road to improvement lies
in the direction of consolidation.
The following are some Of the rea-
sons why country people are opposed
to consolidation:
Children attending nearby dis
trict school may help about the chores
morning and evening, while those at
tending consolidated school at dis
lance will use up the time outside of
school hours getting to and from
school.
Eff transported with bus. there
Is always the danger of tipping over,
colliding with other vehicles or being
struck by trains at road crossings.
3.-The consolidated school is more
costly, which means increased taxes.
4.-If a child is taken ill, in school,
with contagious disease, a greater
number of children are exposed to the
danger.
5.-Where the district includes an
incorporated village, the villagers,
owing to their denser population can
out-vote the rural residents on any
question that may come up; and while
the latter may vote and express their
views, they really have no influence in
controlling the affairs of the district.
It is worthy Of note in this connection
that the board of education in such
districts is usually made up of BUSH
ness men of the village and that a
farmer is seldom found on the board.
A writer to the Farmers Dispatch
Est. PauD signing himself Happy
Dan" of Beauty Grove, Wis, says, LAS
to consolidated school, even OF q
township, it will never get my vote. A
%r.io
does not deprive township or coun-
ty of its educational facilities. Meth
er Is the loss of life apt to be SO
great. And as to the county bus for
these consolidated schools We are not
ready for them until we get rid OF the
railroad grade crossings"
The state teachers convention at its
convention last summer is said to have
declared in favor of making the
county the administrative and taxing
unit for rural schools"
II we understand this resolution it
favors placing the control of all rural
schools in the county in the hands Of
county board OF education. This
board, presumably. would be appoints
ed by the state board OF education;
the state superintendent or possibly
the county board. If district boards
were continued they would be appoint
ed by this county board. This board
would also have the power to levy all
taxes for the conduct Of the schools.
This method of procedure, it is plain
to be seen, would eliminate the actual
residents and taxpayers OF the dis
tricts from any participation in the
management of the schools. A plan of
this kind might prove of financial
benefit to the teachers as it is not un-
reasonable to believe that a board
levvino taxes ON the nrOnertY of