The people's voice., 1958-10-24

suffers from this practice.
IT. Coordination and articulation
between the local elementary school
and the district high school is entirely
a matter of voluntary initiative and
cooperation between the two admin
istrators Cooperation cannot be leg
islated.
18. The county high school princi-
pal has no direct responsibility to the
county superintendent in the manner
that district high school principals
are responsible to the district super
intendent
19. The county superintendency is
established to exercise supervisory
control over small school districts.
The need for this control is evidence
that the districts are too small to pro-
vide for their own administration.
20 County superintendent in Mon
tana are elected by popular vote on
the basis of low professional qualifi-
cations for administration. The most
able leadership appears to be in the
local district administrators. The
county superintendency is specified
in the Constitution. The legislature
can upgrade qualifications for the
office but cannot change the method
of selection.
FL. County superintendent serve
as ex-officio school trustees.
%. The salary scale for profess
sional and career work such as the
county superintendency is established
on a uniform level with county treas
users, county clerks, assessors, and
other noncareer political offices in |
civil government. The position pro-
vides no incentive to further pro-
fessional study nor promise of any
in economic status. Con-
sequently, the office fails to attract
the better-trained school executives.
RECOMMENDATIONS
/. The Legislative Assembly should
egalize only one kind of school dis
.rict to provide all public school serv-
ces in given area. Montana law au-
,horizes at least seven classes of
school districts, each of which re-
Iuires legislation pertinent to it's op-
incorporating, third class,
second class, first class, high school,
county high school, and joint dis
riots. A single district can do the
work of all these.
2. The general school code should
'e culled of special legislation so that
he school law would apply uniformly
throughout the state. Discrimination
'etween classes and types of districts
S useful in controlling excessively
mall units, but is unnecessary among
properly organized districts.
3. The state should require all
chool districts to operate schools
rom grade l through grade IL. The
aw already provides for grouping
districts on the basis of
Ugh school service areas, and high
chool districts are superimposed over
districts. This proposal
lone would reduce districts in Mon
ana from 1,16O to III without clos
lg any operating school.
q. A single school board should be
'ade responsible for all school oper-
tions in the reorganized district.
uch a board would avoid the over
pping jurisdiction which exists now
etween high school and common
,hool districts. 1t would provide of
cial coordination between element
ry and secondary grades, and would
arify the status of junior high school
'ganization on a uniform basis. 1t
ould permit all teachers in a COM
unity to be treated with equity.
S. Boards of trustees should con-
st of five lay citizens elected at
rye by popular vote for overlapping
rms of five years. Nominations NAV
, arranged easily by petition. and
presentation can be devised for
mes in the district. All electors, how
'er, should vote for each trustee so
e individual board member will
uly be responsible to the entire dis
let. All school boards in the state
ould be of uniform size, since with
districts there will be
ough able, public-spirited patrons -