Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-09-27
Sumter s Schools

county has for years set a pace
that other counties might follow
to their advantage.
Sumter countys schools are
known from one end of the state
to the other and many commu-
mites are asking men from Sum
ter to visit them and tell them of
our educational progress.
N. II. Ballard, State Superin-
tendcnt Of Schools, recently said
of Sumter schools: Sumter
county hos the distinction of Civ
ing 10 the county children equal
educational opportunity with
that of city children.
That this is true is a fact in
which every citizen of the coun-
ty is proud, whether he lives in
side or outside the limits of
Americas.
A recent issue of an educa-
tional magazine called "E1omt,
School and Community" con-
tanned the following from the
pen of Col. ]. E. D. Shipp, on
Sumter's schools;
I thank God that live in a
county that has already awaken
ed from its lethargy Her forty
schools have been turned into ten
consolidation schools that teach
the eleven grades, by teachers
everyone of whom are full Col
lege graduates and are selected
for their worth inspiring qualifi-
cations. The Districts have all
by a two-thirds vote assumed To-
cal taxation. We have in Sumter
county the finest High School
building in the South outside of
the corporate limits of any City.
Six School Districts unite to form
the accredited Union High School.
This is one of the jewels that
we point to with pride, like Cor
neha of old when she exhibited
her two sons the Gracchi to the
women of Rome. To promote
uniformity of grades we have
four annual examinations given
by the Superintendent, and pupils
are classed by these grades as ex-
amined by him. Two dozen Ford
trucks run nine months in the
year transporting children to and
from School who live over three
miles from the school house. Two
days are spent in a convention
every year where the children
from all the Schools meet and
contend for numerous prizes in
debate, athletics and examina-
tons. These Olympiads are look
ed forward to always with great
expectancy, and the school MAX
ing the best average takes the
loving cup, and the prizes of One
Thousand Isl, 000.O0) Dollars to
the best high School and Five
Hundred ($500.00) Dollas to the
best consolidated grammar school
is awarded under the Smith
Hughes Act, Agriculture is
taught in all our schols and in
two of then. we have agricul-
tural teachers, fve-eights of
whose salary is paid under the
Rogers-Barrett Act. We have
Rosenwald Schools built by the
Rosenwald Fund and volun-
tary contributions from the ne
groes themselves. Sixty per cent
of the ten Consolidated Schools
pills is devoted to manual and
vocational training. One of these
negro schools (The Num- Indus
triaD took twelve of the prizes
offered by the Chattahoochee
Valley Exposition held at Column
bus in 1928. Their industrial
work is matter of much com
ment and appreciation of all Wis
itors.
The most interesting feature of
the Sumter County Fair Associa-
ton every year is the competition
of the ten Consolidated Schools
for the handsome prizes offer
ed. Every School Superintend-
ent is required to teach all the
other teachers of the school at
least forty minutes every week
on such subjects as he thinks
most needful. The County Board
pays the teachers of the county
in accordance with a budget sys-
tenn based on attendance. The
rules being thirty-fve pupils to
each teacher. If I were asked
what one thing more than any
other promotes the greatest uni
formity and coordination among
the schools l would answer-the
quarterly examinations as given
by the Superintendent which are
graded by him and inspected by
the Board of Education of the
county. The trucks, school build
ings, maintenance and all expens-
es except salary of the teachers
are paid entirely by local district
taxation. In a number of in
stances the teachers drive the
trucks. Drivers generally fur
nish all oil and do all repairs to
the trucks and drive by contract
at price varying from fifty to
seventy-fve dollars per month.
Our County Commissioners give
school truck roads the preference,
generally, in working county
roads. A teacherage is being
built at several of the schools.
Teachers are paid from $4,000
for first year teachers to $500