Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1927-04-07
How Desatur County
Consolidated Schools

valued at approximately $500, 100000.
Decatur county has always been
considered progressive county. 1t
has railroads, telegraph and telephone
lines reaching almost every section
of the county, and as early as 1920
had one of the best systems of pub
lie roads in Georgia. Yet the public
school system of that date was rep
resented by large number of very
small and inefficient schools.
When Seminole county was carved
from Decatur county on January l,
1921, there were thirty-siX white
schools and forty negro schools being
operated in what is now Decatur
County, outside of the city of COM
bined on account of the smaller
schools being too weak, but no build
ings had been erected. The colored
population, though large, was so To-
Gated as to discourage consolidation.
During the last four years program
of consolidation of colored schools
has been inaugurated and is being
developed; but it will not be dealt
with in this article.
Of the thirty six white schools in
operation in 1921 twenty of these
schools employed only one teacher
to teach all work, which sometimes
went into the high school grades.
Twelve schools employed only two
teachers each. Two employed three
teachers each and two employed four
teachers each.
The school term at this time was
only six months and the number of
teachers so small that standard work
was impossible. The County Board
of Education and the County Super
intendent of Schools resolved to in
augurate an intensive campaign OF
consolidation.
The buildings were poorly erected,
uncomfortable, badly lighted and I'M
inspiring in appearance and in some
instances were a real menace to the
health of the children.
The new county superintendent Of
schools was blessed with very pro-
gressive board of education. These
men on account of their excellent
business ability were invaluable in
the consolidation campaign. Their
loyal support of the superintendent,
their services in their own district in
influencing public sentiment favor
ably, and their good judgment and
great patience in dealing with the
trying and delicate situations that
arose during the consolidation and
bond elections, entitle them to the
honor of having their names mention
ed wherever Decatur county schools
are discussed. They are: President
H. H. Smallwood, Messrs. A. Y.
Jones, C. K. Ausley, W. L. Bowers
and W. H. Carter, of the original
board, and Messrs C. M. Trulock, C..
E. Gibson and ]. w. Donaldson, who
succeeded to places on the county
board before the campaign was COM
pleted.
The campaign was for the county
superintendent to inform all the peo-
ple of the school conditions all over
the county, to compare these condi-
tions with other counties having good
school systems to arouse interest in
bettering conditions, to explain the
method to be employed. 1t was an
appeal to them for their children, a
challenge to their pride in the edu-
cational institutions, and they an
swered it by rising up and rebuild
ing the whole system. The public
men and trustees of the schools of
the county gave generously of their
time and talents, especially Pat Crit
fin of the Post Searchlight, who also
furnished free space in his news
paper for publicity.
During the period of four years
from 1921 to 1924, inclusive, thirteen
consultations were completed, twelve