The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-09-17


5 mills in Petroleum and Meagher counties and 25.04
mills in Sheridan county.
! Even more outrageous are the differences in tax
burden between districts within the county Table
J9, page II of "The Goal" published by the MEA
shows the range of leves in Toole County to be one
mill and 56.8 mills; Richland, mills and 86.6 mills;
and Madison, O mills and Ga mills. In other words
the taxpayers in district in Rchland had to
themselves 86.6 times much for education the
taxpayers in the most fortunate district.
This however, does not tell the whole story AS
indicated in the discussion of the national situation,
the taxable property and the levies not true
index of ability to pay taxes and carry schools.
1t is true of course, that the bumper crops and
usually high prices during the last several years
have made it possible for farmers to pay even high
taxes.
But in drought periods and even in normal times
fifty mills might prove almost unbearable The tax
able wealth is not therefore, index of ability
Ito pay. In addition to this uneven distribution of
the wealth upon which school revenue in Montana
depends the state has large areas sparsey populated
The resulting higher per capita cost in the rural
areas for the educational facilities has produc
ed the serious problems Of finance, organization,
and equality of educational opportunities
The answer is not to be found in trying to prove
that the rural school is superior to the city school
vice versa. Under present conditions OF finance,
the small enrolment in some rural schools undoubt-
edly has disadvantages. The pupils in schools
of small enrolment deprived of some benefits
that come from minging with the larger number.
But they also have advantages which it would be I'M
thnkable to eliminate.
The ideal environment, the one most conducive to
mental physical, and spiritual development is I'M
questionably possible to a greater degree in COM
paratvely sparsely populated rural than in
the city For this ideal situation demands time
in comparative isolation from the mass some time
and experience with the older members of the group
making the living and time in association with other
members of his age group.
For physical development for coordination and
quick judgment, at least students of child
growth maintain that organized physical education
is far inferior to many of the experiences afforded
by rural life climbing and hiking, especially in
rough country, swimming, riding, and meeting new
and unexpected conditions arising from wrestling
with nature.
The city schools with their superior buildings
more adequate equipment, and more trained spec
la1sts for music drama, home making, etc., most
certainly have certain advantages. They can offer
a more varied school currcula That is undeniabe.
While the virtues of the small school as such have
been overplayed to point of pure sentimentality,
their wholesale abandonment is unthinkable. For
many of the deficiencies of currcula compen-
stated for by benefits of the natural home life
n the rural community.
1t is not a question of either or. The American
economy consists of rural schools and city schools
The abundance of America afford both Coop
Grafton and thought coordinate the benefits of
each group and each type of school, Adequate
thought and effort to a large degree provide the
ura schools with the curricula advantages enjoyed
oy the city Schools and that effort and thought
ul cooperation bring of the rural advan
ages to the city schools
Neither mere bigness smalness is the criterion
Many small schools wholly inadequate. Many
arge ones are overcrowded and incapable of good
eachng. Somewhere in between there is happy
nedium, the answer, which only time and experience
will discover. We must wait for the ideal solution
tep by step, year by year shall come closer
through
The immediate problem that must be solved
that of arnxidino adeauate