GIFT OF N-> The Consolidation of Rural Schools In North Dakota Prepared By N. C. Macdonald, M. A. State Inspector of Consolidated, Graded and Rural Schools for the State of North Dakota. -I • Published by the State Board of Education, of North Dakota, December, 1913. JOURNAL PUBLISHING CO. Deviils Lake, N. D. state printers 1913 The Consolidation of Rural Schools In North Dakota Prepared By N. C. Macdonald, M. A. State Inspector of Consolidated, Graded and Rural Schools for the State of North Dakota. Published by the State Board of Education, of North Dakota, December, 1913. JOURNAL PUBLISHING CO. Devils Lake, N. D. state printers 1913 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Preface 4 Introduction 5 I — The present status of consolidation 11 2 — Benefits of consolidation ii (i) Better attendance 11 (2) Better teachers 16 (3( Better school work 16 (4) Better high school privileges 17 (5) Better^ organization 20 (6) Better civic-social opportunities. . . 20 3 — Objections to consolidation 20 (i) Severe weather 20 (2) Long drives 20 (3) Bad roads 21 (4) Sparsity of population 21 (5) The cost 21 4 — How promoted and organized 26 (i) How promoted 26 (2) How organized • • • • • 26 5 — Transportation 'Z'j (i) Family transportation 30 (2) Public transportation y 30 6 — Open country cons6iidate4'?c3hT^(5l^ 30 7 — Town consoli4a,ted. sphools . .. ,\l\ .^y .^ ■. . . . 31 8 — A detailed st^tem^nt'of'thejl^nefits pf' consolidation 33 TABLES Page Table I — Open country consolidated schools 6 Table II — Town consolidated schools 7 Table III — Total number of consolidated schools. 9 Table-Diagram I — Eighth grade and high school comple- tions 14 Table-Diagram II — Length of term and days of attendance. 14 Table-Diagram III— Qualifications and salaries of teachers.. 15 ILLUSTRATIONS Views 1-4 — Rural and consolidated school buildings 12-13 Views 1-3 — Some consolidated school activities 18-19 Views 1-6 — A few more consolidated school buildings 23-25 Views 1-2 — Some phases of transportation 29 Views 1-6 — A page of progress in North Dakota 32 PREFACE There has been a large and urgent demand on this office for information in condensed form concerning consolidation of rural schools. In addition I have been asked for my views concerning consolidation many times each month. For these reasons there has been prepared for publication this pamphlet on Consolidation of Rural Schools. The material has been adapted from my Sec- ond Annual Report to the State Board of Education and is here published in pamphlet form by the board. During the past two years ending June 30th, 1913, I visited and inspected 57 con- solidated schools in 30 different counties. Prior to that time I had served a number of years as city superintendent in a school where consolidation had been effected, and with that experience and this gained by observation as an inspector of consolidated schools, supplemented by reading and study, I am more fully .convinced that the consolidated school is the only solution to the problem of rural school improvement. This pamphlet then is published with the hope that it may be one of the factors in aiding the cause of rural school consolidation. It is not claimed for this pamphlet that it is exhaustive in any sense of that term, or that it is among the first of its kind. But, it is believed that it gives some new material presented from the view point of one who has had a somewhat extended experience in the field. Valley City, North Dakota, December, 191 3. N. C. Macdonald. STATE 6F north DAKOTA CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS INTRODUCTION The chief support of a Republic is education. This being so, then the first and main purpose of an education in a Republic is to train the future citizens in such a way that they may appre- ciate highly and participate intelligently in the various govern- mental activities; and second, to prepare these citizens to earn and enjoy a good living in the various fields of human endeavor. This is the prime and sole function of the common school, which includes the rural school. This the rurg,! school once did, but today it is failing in its mission when compared with the city school. It has been a great institution. It is yet the greatest Americanizing agency in the rural community. In the major- ity of states it is the most important educational institution, for it enrolls in these states the majority of school children, and to the majority of them it gives the only school training they ever will receive. This is also true of our state. According to the latest available statistics there are now in the state 5,077 public schools with an enrollment of 139,361 pupils. Of that number of schools 4,684 are rural (one-room) schools with an enrollment of 85,115. This means that the great majority of school children in the state are enrolled in the rural schools. Thus i is most im- portant that we improve in every way possible the rural school*; for much of the vigor and life, and the value and perpetuity of a free government depends upon it. * We have too many small and weak rural schools in the state and nation. In the majority of our rural schools the attendance is poor /the teachers are poorly trained and underpaid, supervision is pitifully inadequate, high school privileges are lacking, opportuni- ties to satisfy the civic-social life interests are also lacking, too many classes are taught for one teacher to teach properly, the work is poor and the results are of low grade. This is only 'i part of the indictment; but it is surely sufficient to give all thoughtful men and women much concern for the future of this school and the state. We must improve the rural school in every way possible; but improve it as we may by securing bet- ter attendance and better qualified teachers, yet many of the serious defects will still remain. There ^is only one way to im- prove these schools in a large and rapid way and that is to con- solidate them. This means the organizing of a consolidated school which here and elsewhere in this report implies among other things the employment of at least two teachers. CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS TABLE I. Open Country Consolidated Schools. (Not located on a railroad.) Name of P. O. Address District of Cterk Aired Alexander Arne Hesper Badger __ . . Cando Banner Weaver Beaulieu Olga Blue Hill Ryder Bonetrail Bonetrail Brooklyn Wheelock Caledonia Caledonia Clay Mohall Cleveland Brocket Cleveland Verona Columbia New Rockford Corinne Courtenay Crofte Baldwin Currie Overly Dahlen Petersburg Dovre Shollsmade Dymond Palermo Eden Valley Sherwood Ellingdale Brazil Ellsworth Perth Fairview Sherwood Gopher Maza Goshen Durbin Grail Schafer Grey Daniels Grilley Upham Hardwheat Zion Hawkeye Crosby Hettinger Chandlcx Hope Doyon Hope Vang Howell Perth Huron Clyde Irvine Churchs Ferry Lake Devils Lake Layton Bantry Name of P. O. Address District of Clerk Liberty Sheldon Lockwood Lansf ord Logan Fergus Maryville Belcour: Metcalf Cando Michigan Mohall Minto Wales Monroe Perth Moore Enderlin Mount Pleasant Calvin Newland Edmore North Lemmon.Lemmon, S. D. No. II Center No. i8 Center No. 19 Kathryn No. 69 Litchville Olga Olga Oxford Rolld Pleasant Valley Esmond Paris Woodworth Picton Rolla Prospect Edmore Ramsey Grove Park River Rose Valley Gardner Russel Thorne Sauk Valley McGregor Scovell Lisbon Shell Valley Thorne Sheyenne Power Sioux Trail Rudser Spring Valley Wirch St. Croix Regent Stillwater Scranton Tepee Havelock Uxbridge Leal Washington New Rockford Wolf Creek Rolette STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA TABLE II. Town Consolidated Schools. Name of Town Name of Town Abercrombie Hampden Adrian Hansboro Ambrose Hazelton Amenia Hesper Anamoose Hettinger Beach Hogue Belfield Horace Bentley Honeyford Berthold Hickson Berwick Inkster Bisbee Jud Bordulac Kensal Braddock Kramer Brocket Lakota Buford Lansford Burnstad Lawton Burt Litchville Calvin Linton Cando Marmarth Chaffee McViUe Christine Mekinock Churchs Ferrv Michigan Clyde Mohall Courtenay Mott Dawson Napoleon Deering Nekoma Douglas Newville Driscoll New England Dunseith New Rockford Egeland Norwich Elliott Page Erie Palermo Esmond Pekin Fairdale Penn Fairmont Perth Forest River Pettibone Fredonia Petersburg Cackle Pickert Gardner Pillsbury Gilby Plaza Gladstone Reeder Glenfield Rhame Goodrich Regent Grace City Richardton CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS TABLE II — Continued Name of Town Robinson Rock Lake Rolette Rolla Sarles Sawyer Sentinel Butte Sharon Sheldon Shields Steele Stanton St. John Strasburg Name of Town Tappen Taylor Thompson Tioga Tolna Towner Upham Underwood Velva Walcott Weaver Webster i Wolford STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA TABLE III. Total Number of Consolidated Schools. County Open Country Town Total Adams I 3 3 I 2 I O I 2 7 I 2 o 2 O I o 3 o 2 o 2 I o I 2 2 O I 4 4 3 I 2 2 2 2 2 I I 7 5 o I I 5 3 I 5 o 5 5 2 4 7 o o I I I 2 . 6 o I 6 2 I 4 3 5 5 3 4 ■■> Barnes Benson Billing's Bottineau Bowman . . . . Burke .' Burleigh o Cass 9 12 Cavalier Dickey T Divide 3 n Dunn Eddy * * 3 5 3 I Emmons Foster Golden Valley Grand Forks 6 Grigfsrs o Hettinger ; 8 Kidder 5 2 LaMoure Loeran 4 9 o McHenry Mcintosh McKenzie 2 McLean 2 Mercer I Morton T Mountrail Nelson Oliver . . 2 Pembina Pierce 2 Ramsey lO Ransom 6 Renville 4 5 Richland 10 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS TABLE IIL— Continued County Open Country Total Rolette . Sargent . Sheridan Stark ... Steele . . Stutsman Towner . Traill . . . Walsh .. Ward . . . Wells .. Williams 7 o o o o 2 8 I I o o 3 75 4 o I 4 2 2 7 o 2 3 o 2 115 II o I 4 2 4 15 I 3 3 o 5 190 STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 11 I. The Present Status of Consolidation. Consolidation is no longer a new and untried thing. It has been in practical and successful operation for nearly forty years, the first school being organized in Massachusetts in 1874. Since that time it has grown to include 35 states and all the Canadian Provinces. Ten years ago there were only 9 counties in the state in which there were only 11 consolidated schools in all. Last year there were in 37 counties, 49 open country consolidated schools, 93 town consolidated schools, and 263 partially consoli- dated schools ; today there are 43 counties with 190 consolidated schools, 115 of these being town and 75 open country. In addi- tion there are 308 partially consolidated schools. Therefore we are justified in saying that during the past year the growth of consolidation has been very great and rapid in this state. This is due largely to the state aid grant. Other states are having a similar experience under somewhat similar conditions. 2. Benefits of Consolidation. The benefits of consolidation are many and important. The major benefits are as follows: (i) Better attendance including longer terms ; (2) better teachers including better supervision ; (3) better school work in the grades ; (4) better high school priv- ileges; (5) better organization; and (6) better civic-social oppor- tunities. Time and space will permit me here to refer only briefly to these major benefits. (i) Better Attendance. Consolidation is followed by better attendance including longer terms. The per cent of attendance in these schools is 75 as against 6o in the rural school, and the term is nine months as against seven. This is due to several causes. The teams come and go over the roads and through severe weather that children cannot. Then there are the incen- tives to complete- the grades, because the work is more interest- ing and there is high school work to do later on, and there are athletic activities to attract and hold the boys as well as the girls. Thus the parents will sacrifice more to keep their children in a school that is doing more and better work than the old one- room school. It is always much easier to obey and enforce the compul?^ry attendance laws in the consolidated districts than elsewhere and the cause is not far to seek. 12 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS A few school views that present a strong argument for con- solidation of rural schools in North Dakota. No. 1 Located in one of the old and prosperous communities of the state. No. 2 Gladstone School District, LaMoure County. View one (1) is of the old type of one-room school. There are approximately 4,500 of these in the state. View two (2) is of the new type of one-room school. There are less than 150 of these in the state. They possess most of the dis- advantages of the old type, such as too many grades and classes for ofte teacher to handle properly; and are generally with too small enrollment, ana too low attendance for the best work to be done. They are, however, a vast improve- ment over the old type just as the graded consolidated school is a vast improve- ment over the new type of one-room school, No. 3 Uxbridge Consolidated School in Barnes County No. 4 Grilley Consolidated School in McHenry County Views three and four (3 and 4) are of two four-room consolidated schools in the open country. Each was erected to take the place of four one-room schools. They are worthy monuments to the good judgment of those who paid for their erection. High school work is done in both. The attendance and work are much better than such could possibly be in the one- room schools they supplanted. 14 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS A Few Table-Diagrams that Show Why Consolidation of Rural Schools is Needed. Table-Diagram I. Per cent of pupils completing the eighth grade and the high school based on the enrollment in the first grade eight and twelve years previous : (a) For Eighth Grade — 1. * Country Boys (homes on farms — 1913 7 2. Country Girls 12 3. City Boys (1912) 50 4. City Girls 80 (b) For High School— (1912) Country Boys Yz Country Girls 1^2 3. City Boys '. 123/2 4. City Girls 25 Table-Diagram II. Average length of term in days and average number of days attended by each pupil enrolled during school year 1911-1912: * (a) Length of Term — 1. For All Rural Schools 140 2. For Consolidated Schools 1 80 3. For City Schools 1 80 (b) Days Attended by Pupils Enrolled — I. For All Rural Schools 84 2 For Consolidated Schools 135 3. For City Schools 149 STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 15 Table-Diagram III. Average qualifications and average salaries of teachers during school year 1911-1912: (a) Average Qualifications — 1. For Rural School Teachers — Second Class Elementary Certificates — about eight years of training. 2. For Consolidated School Teachers — Second Class Profes- sional Certificate — about twelve years of training. 3. For City School Grade Teachers — Second Class Profes- sional Certificate — about twelve years of training. (b) Average Salaries on 12-Month Basis — 1. For Rural School Teachers $29.85 2. For Consolidated School Teachers $45.04 3. For City School Teachers $47.63 16 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS (2) Better Teachers. While the rural school ought to have and pay well for a properly trained teacher, yet it costs more to secure such a teacher for the rural than it does for the consoli- dated school. The teacher is but human after all. She likes the companionship of her fellow teachers. She will, like most mor- tals, avoid the hardship and drudgery of the one-room school. To be sure, there are a few who will do this w^ork, but as a general rule she will teach for less in the town and cities even though she pays more for board and room. It is also true that it is much easier to get qualified teachers to teach in the consolidated schools than in the rural schools ; and they do not get them. To be one of two or three teachers with the companionship of these teachers while teaching two or three grades in some 15 or 16 classes is much more pleasant and desirable than to be isolated from one's fellows, teaching some 25-35 classes in somic 6 or 7 grades. Then, too, the results that can ^be attained with the same labor in the consolidated schools are so much greater than in the rural school. This condition appeals very strongly to most teachers, and very properly, too.- In connection with the subject of teaching, it may be noted here that rural school supervision is pitifully inadequate. The average number of visits of the county superintendent per school per year is less than two (1.8), while for the city schools it is more than twenty per school (department) per year, despite the fact that the city superintendent and his teachers will average- with four years more training than the county superintendent and his teachers. This accounts in part for the low rural school effi- ciency, but with consolidation there will be trained principals to do most of the work of supervision, and it will be much easier for superintendents to do more work in this line then, for there will be less schools to supervise. (3) Better School Work. In the 57 consolidated schools that I have been in during the past two years, I have found the work to be much better than in the best rural schools I have been in ac any time. Last year I conducted a series of tests in spelling and arithmetic. These were given to the fifth and eighth- grades in- clusive in 30 rural schools, 30 graded schools, 30 consolidated schools and 10 city schools. The results are as follows: The grand average in both subjects for the 5-8 grades for city schools was 90 per cent, graded schools. 80, consolidated schools 80 and rural schools 55. For the eighth grade alone the grand average for both tests for city schools was 90, for graded schools 80, for the consolidated schools 81 and for the rural school 43. The pupils in the rural schools were naturally just as bright as those in the other schools ; but too many classes for the teacher, poor STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA |7 attendance, and poor teaching had left them far behind. Consoli- dation will remedy this and other conditions also. Then when we compare the eighth grade completion for boys, the graded and the consolidated school, which are too low, leave the rural school far behind. In the schools inspected, it is nearly three times as great, and for the city schools it is seven times as great. Here is the great waste in the rural school. But consolidation will im- prove the grade and quantity of school work, and of course in- crease the eighth grade completion list. (4) Better High School Privileges. At the close of the school year 1911-1912, there were enrolled in the state high schools 2,463 boys of which only 340 were country boys and the other 2,123 were city boys. There are in. the state practically three times as many country boys of high school age as city boys. This means that 6,000 country boys were not enrolled in the high school when compared to the city boys. There should have been at least 6,000 city boys in the high schools, and this would mean that there should have been then 18,000 country boys. At the close of the same year, only 12^ per cent of the city boys com- pleted the high school course. This is a poor showing. But only one-half of one per cent (^ per cent) of the country boys com- pleted this course. This means unequal educational opportuni- ties, and that means the beginning of a caste system — the ruled and the ruling classes. It will not do to reply that there were country boys enrolled in state institutions doing high school work, for there were more city boys, but not more than 600 for both groups. We do not complain that more city boys than coun- try boys were enrolled in and completed high, school courses,, but we do regret that the number of country boys was not larger. The principal cause for this condition is that the cost of sending the country boy to the high school is very much higher than that in the case of the city boy. It will cost the farmer from $125 to $150 more than the city parent when the boy is sent off to school. This is a hjgh tax; and for many it is a prohibitive one. If, how- ever, the high school is located in the district, then the farmer and his boy are on an equal footing with the city parent and his boy. Where consolidated schools have been established long enough to organize a high school, it will be found that the high school enroll- ment on a percentage basis is just as high as that of the average city high school. Then in addition the boy is at home in those years when he needs the kindly care and counsel of father and mother. Besides, he is in a position to do some work on the farm that will be a good thing for him and the home. Then with the organization of the high school, there is an opportunity to enrich the course of study by having well taught such new subjects as 18 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS A FEW VIEWS THAT SHOW SOME WHOLESOME CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL ACTIVITIES No. 1 — A Group of High School Athletes These are all country boys in the Uxbridge Open Country Consolidated School in Barnes County. It shows that athletics will assist in holding boys in school in the country as well as in the town or city. These boys have been well and wisely cared for by patriotic-minded parents. Four in this group expect to com- plete the four-year high school course in their home school next year. Their principal, Mr. J. F. Taylor, who is their coach, is with them as he should be. He is a normal college graduate. This school ranks as a First Class Consolidated School. STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 19 No.2— A Little Domestic Art No. 3 — Some Manual Training Views two and three show Industrial Work in the Open Country Cleveland Consolidated School in Nelson County. These views show what can be done in a consolidated school to enrich the course of study. 20 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS agriculture, manual training, domestic science, public speaking, music and drawing. This can be done in a way not now possible in the one-room school ; for it is neither fair nor wise to force the teaching of these subjects into a program already overcrowded and, so much so, that there is not sufficient time to give thorough drilling in the three R's, which we must have if we are to preserve our free government. When high school privileges or better grade school privileges are considered, the consolidated school is cheaper by half than the one-room school. There is no compari- son. (5) Better Organization. This means that where you will find 25-35 classes taught by one teacher this number will be cut in two in the consolidated school ; and therefore one of the two most serious defects in the rural school will be eliminated. This means then, more and better results with less work and drudgery on the part of the teacher, also greater progress on the part of the pupils. (6) Better Civic-Social Opportunities. For many people and particularly for young people, country life is depressing and dis- couraging on account of the drudgery and the lack of opportuni- ties to satisfy the natural desire for companionship, community activities and general leadership. The civic-social activities can be carried on in a way not now possible in the one-room school ; for in the consolidated school, the people gather to take part in lit- erary activities, to listen to inspiring lectures, ta. deepen, re- new and increase their friendships, to learn best how to grow young and old in a natural and wise way. ^This is now being done where there are consolidated schools. 3. Objections to Consolidation. The objection to consolidation are few and immaterial. How- ever, they must be recognized and will be considered here as briefly as it is possible. (i) Severe Weather. It is claimed by the opponents of con- solidation that it is impracticable in North Dakota on account of the severity of winter weather. The answer is that in the first place the North Dakota winter weather is really not so severe as these people claim, and in the second place it is more humane to let horses rather than children endure the discomforts of in- clement weather. I have interviewed several scores of children in consolidated schools, and all without a single exception strongly insist that they would sooner ride 6 or 7 miles than walk i or 2 miles. With rigs properly built and equipped, there is no hard- ship imposed upon children on this account. (2) Long Drives. Children can drive 5 or 6 miles in as short a time as they can walk a third of that distance. It is not STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 21 necessary for children to drive a greater distance than 6 miles if there is a sufficient number of rigs supplied ; and these can be had in any district. (3) Bad Roads. If the roads are too bad for horses to travel over they surely are too bad for school children. Save the strength of the children for something more useful. Horse flesh is cheaper than human flesh. (4) Sparsity of Population. If the school population is small, it means a rural school of small enrollment and small at- tendance with little spirit of wholesome rivalry to stimulate all to do their best. The remedy is to consolidate even where the school population is sparse. (5) The Cost. This is undoubtedly the greatest and most persistent objection to consolidation, much as some may dislike to admit it. The fact is that consolidation does cost more in the aggregate than the one-room school, and it ought to cost more, for it is a vastly better system. However when the true cost, that is, the cost per pupil per day attended is considered, the consolidated school costs less than the rural school. At the close of the school year 1911-1912, this item for the city school was 24 cents, for the graded school 28 cents, for the consolidated s/:hool 32 cents, and for the rural school 35 cents. But the average ag- gregate cost of the consolidated school is greater than that of the rural school, and there is the chief objection. The self-binder, tog, costs more money than does the cradle scythe it replaced, as does the steam thresher when compared with the flail. But no one uses that as an obection against the use of either one, for they give greater returns for the money inevsted in them. And so the consolidated school gives much greater returns in the greater number of better trained boys and girls that it enrolls than would ever be possible in the old school it supplanted. The consolidated school costs about the same as the village or small town school which calls for a tax rate of six mills less than that paid by cities supporting state high schools. The rural resident is not over- burdened with taxes when compared with the city taxpayer. He can still raise two million dollars, and be below his city neighbor. In any event the money spent on tobacco by the farmers in this state would build and equip a consolidated school in every dis- trict in this state. When the better attendance, high school privileges and state aid are considered it is a much cheaper school than any one-room school can ever be. It is not necessary to build a costly building and equip it in a costly fashion. Two of the old one-room buildings placed together and with two well qualified teachers would make a most excellent beginning, and 22 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS would be vastly better than to have both the schools running separately as one-room schools. This has been done with much success in several places. Then, too, the transportation can be reduced to a minimum by having family transportation with or without cost to the district. This is also being done and in such cases no additional tax is needed. But all districts can afford a higher grade of consolidation than this, and should have it at an early date. A frame building that will provide two class rooms sufficiently large to seat 60 or 70 pupils, a full basement that will provide rooms for classes in domestic science, agriculture and manual training, and a room for fuel and furnace can be built for sums arranging from $3,000.00 to $4,500.00. The average cost of the two-room consolidated school will run about $3,500.00. For the four-room consolidated school building with a full basement the cost will run from $6,000.00 to $8,000.00, the average cost being about $7,000.00 To build either class of buildings, bonding can be resorted to in which case there will be no additional tax, ex- cept a small tax to pay the interest on the bonds and to provide for the sinking fund. Where the two-room school is established, two teachers are employed, and four busses or vans are hired the annual cost to the district would run about $3,500.00. The four- room school with four or five teachers and as many vans would take about $4,500.00 annually to maintain it, in which case the tax rate would be about that paid in the small towns or villages, but would be lower than that paid in the cities supporting state high schools. If the family transportation is used the cost of this item can be reduced to about one-half. I wish to repeat again that the consolidated school is in the end a cheaper school, for it is a better school in every way than the one-room rural school can ever hope to be. STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 23 A Few More Views That Show Consolidated School Buildings. # (►^n -^fOflllHi r£V?_^iB| ^gl r " 1 No. 1 — Caledonia Consolidated School fn Traill County This is an open country consolidated school. Four teachers are employed, and high school work is done. The total enrollment is 126. It is ranked as a First Class Consolidated School. A 1 6Sm %, No. 2 — Tioga Consolidated School Williams County In No. 3 — McVIIIe Consolidated School In Nelson County Views 2 and 3 are of two four-room consolidated schools. In Tioga four teachers are employed, and the total enrollment is 110. In McVille five teachers are employed, and the total enrollment is 145. High School work is done in both. Each serves the entire township. They are ranked as First Class Consolidated Schools. 24 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS No. 4 — Layton Consolidated School In McHenry County ^ ^ .«^«^^ fp^hHe. » •-*&»■ 19 H^ap'. "iFf |«m^E ii^lt-*^;*^. No. 5 — Minto Consolidated School In Cavalier County STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 25 5 No. 6 — Howell Consolidated School in Towner County Views four, five and six are open country consolidated schools. These are splendid monuments to the commendable public spirit of the people who made them possible. The view of the one-room school is one of the eleven that was eliminated when the three consolidated schools were built. There are in the state over 4,500 one-room schools as shown in view seven, which are 4,500 too many. In the day of the sod shack they were possibly good enough, but they are not good enough today. We need new country schools, and the views given here show that they are coming and coming rapidly. No. 7 26 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCH OOLS — — — ^^— ^— ^— ^— — — ^— — ^^— ^ __, 4. How Promoted and Organized. (i) How Promoted. This calls for investigation and publi- city. The teacher who is on the ground is the one to develop and guide the sentiment in favor of consolidation. This can be done by talking with individual taxpayers and patrons, and with the children in and out of school hours. Then the county superin- tendent should assist in this matter in several different ways. All the available literature should be secured by the teacher and superintendent, which should be furnished to the leaders in the community. The county superintendent is the one, however, who must direct its promotion on a large scale with such co-operation as the state can furnish. Before buildings are erected and equipped, in fact before the vote is taken on the subject, a com- mittee of the board with the county superintendent should visit two or three consolidated schools. This will give the movement greater consideration and weight in the minds of those on the doubtful list. (2) How Organized. There are five common ways to effect consolidation. These are: (a) Sections 43 and 44 of the 191 1 School Laws provide for the consolidation of sciaool districts. This is done by the county superintendent and the county commissioners on petition of the majority of the voters in the district to be consolidated. (b) Section 88 of the 191 1 School Laws provide for a sort of partnership consolidated school in which two or more districts may unite to support the consolidated school. This is a good method for either town or country. (c) Section 84 of the School Laws of 191 1 (Amended 1913) provides for the consolidation of schools in the district. It takes a majority vote. This is the method for those in counties where the township system prevails. (d) Section 232' provides that the board shall provide trans- portation for those living more than one and one-quarter miles to beyond three and one-quarter miles. This is another way to effect consolidation in the town and rural community. It must, however, be noted that where there are nine or more children of school age living two and one-half miles from the nearest school, a school and a teacher can be demanded. But this would even then give a territory of about 20 sections which is not too small to maintain a good consolidated school. (e) Article IX of the School Laws of 191 1 deals with the STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 27 organization of special districts; and as there is no limit to the territory that may be incorporated, consolidation can thus be ef- fected. This is where villages and towns located in the corner or side of their districts could easily and properly organize a con- solidated school. It is to be commended where the rural residents refuse to give up their one-room schools when living within 5 or 6 miles of the village or town school. In this connection it may be stated here that the State Board of Education has defined a consolidated school to be one where all these conditions obtain, viz: (i) At least two teachers are employed; (2) at least eighteen contiguous sections are served; and (3) transportation is provided for those living beyond a two and one-half mile limit when such is requested by the patrons living therein. For purposes of classification all requirements in addition to these as stated in the Elementary School Manual must be complied with in order to secure aid as a state consoli- dated school of either class. To schools that so classify, aid in the sums of five and six hundred dollars or pro rata share thereof is granted annually by the state. A total sum, however, of only ten thousand dollars annually is now available. This is too small, but it is at least a beginning. It is hoped that within the near future this sum will be materially increased. Here it may also be properly said that to extend and hasten the growth of consolidation we must have more state aid and better laws to facilitate its organisation. Each consolidated school should receive annually from $1,200 to $1,600. This should be provided for by a state tax of at least one-third mill and .1 county tax of at least one mill. Then the laws pertaining to the organization of consolidated schools should be amended and har- monized. The county commissioners and the superintendent should have optional power to consolidate schools when and where possible, subject to appeal to the state board; and when petitioned for such b-y a majority of the patrons in the territory to be consolidated should be required to do so. They should also be empowered to district the county for purposes of consolidation and submit this matter to a vote of the people. Transportation should be furnished by the district to persons living only beyond the two and one-half mile limit. With that aid and these laws the number of consolidations in our state could be increased five fold within the next four or five years. 5. Transportation. The sticking point in consolidation is without doubt the mat- ter of transportation. It has given the greatest trouble, and it 28 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS has been the largest feature in the additional cost. But there are districts where it has given no trouble and has cost very little. As the law is now the amount that shall be paid for transporta- tion is left entirely within the control of the school board. But in consolidated districts transportation must be furnished by the board either under section 84 (Amended 1913) or section 232 (Amended 1913) ; and in non-consolidated districts it must be furnished according to the zone system for those living beyond one and one-quarter miles. The two kinds of transportation in practice in the state are family and public. STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 29 A Few Views That Show Some Phases of Transportation. ■ -Yf-wk.. r ^'^ ^^'""'"^^^IKK^K- ^s ^ ^^^^IW:^^^B _^^^p^RS^1!^| _H Wm^M^ ^j-.M ^. < . ^.5 m uif 1 ^^, 1 . ^*. »*.: "■^'^"^""■'^M No. 1— Public Transportation This is at the Layton Open Country Consolidated School in McHenry County. They use three such rigs. Public transportation is more expensive than the family system of transportation, but it results in larger and more regular attend- ance and makes it easier for all to get their children to school. These young people are happier than usual at this time, for the horses and not themselves will have to travel over the wet and muddy roads. No. 2 — Family Transportation This is at the Uxbridge Open Country Consolidated School. Only a part of the rigs are shown here. This method of transportation is cheaper than the public system of transportation. Either method is better in every way than to have the pupils get to the one -room school as best they may which is commonly the case under the old rural school system. 30 CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS (i) Family Transportation. This is done by the district paying the pupils so much for each day's attendance. This ranges from 10 to 25 cents per pupil per day. Then a certain graduated sum is paid according to the distances traveled. This ranges from 5 to 25 cents per pupil per day. And again the family is paid a stipulated sum for all the children attending. This varies from two to seven dollars per family per month. In some cases the money that would be used for transportation has been used to pay part of the living expenses of those pupils who must board out in order to attend the central school. This ranges from two to four dollars per pupil per month. For family transportation the average sum paid per child per year transported at the close of the school year 1911-1912 was $15.56. (2) Public Transportation. In this case the district provides transportation by hiring drivers, paying from $45 to $75 per month. In the latter case the vans and horses are furnished by the driver. In thirty consolidated schools last year the average sum paid was $70 per month per driver when the equipment was furnished by the driver, otherwise it was $55 when the vans were furnished by the district. In the matter of securing better at- tendance and making it easy for all to get their children to school, the public system is to be preferred to the family system. At the close of the school year 1911-1912 the average cost per pupil per year transported was $28.05, being nearly double that of the family transportation. There are a few districts where all agree to do the transportation free of charge to the district and this of course materially reduces the cost of consolidation. * 6. Open Country Consolidated Schools. The open country consolidated schools are those that are lo- cated off the railroads. There are now 75 of these schools, five of which will not be in operation until this fall. This last year there were only 49. ThQ list given is as complete and as accurate as could be obtained. This is a good showing, yet it could be 1,200 instead of 75. But a good beginning has been made. When pos- sible, consolidation should be effected in connection with the town or village. However, this cannot be done in the great ma- jority of the school districts, and when not, the natural and logi- cal place for consolidation is of course in the open country. How- ever, as the state develops the railroads will cover practically every township in the state which will mean the town consoli- dated schools will supplant the rural and the open country consol- dated schools in these townships. The most enthusiastic country STATE OP NORTH DAKOTA 3^ life advocate need not fear the small town and village ; for these are the country's strong friends and faithful allies. And they arc the logical and natural places to effect consolidation. 7. Town Consolidated Schools. There appear in the list given 115 town consolidated schools. Last year this list was 93. Here, too, there has been great growth. There could be, however 300 instead of 115. I repeat again that the natural and logical place to effect consolidation is in the town or village. Here the farmer comes to sell his produce, to buy his supplies, to get his mail, to get a rest from the work and toil of the farm. This makes it the natural place for him to send his children to school. Town consolidation is a good thing for the town, but we contend that it is a better thing for the coun- try, and the best thing for the state. It is to be hoped that prin- cipals and superintendents will actively aid the movement of town consolidation. When the town is in or near the center of the township a consolidated school can be organized under sec- tions 84 or 232 or Article IX. It is my opinion that section 84 or Article IX provides the best method. When the town is in the corner or at the side, then section 88 or Article IX provides the best method. ^ i-y-vvac. \jr r-rn-fvjincoo IIN INUPI I n U/\I\U I /\ No. 1 — The Red River Ox-Cart No. 2 — The N. P. Express i Mj^^^ No. 3 — The Sod Shanty on the Claim No. 4 — The Splendid Home on the Farm No. 5 — The One- Room School No. 6 — The Open Country Consolidated School View five is of a one-room school located in one of the oldest and richest communities in the state. It has been here for 26 years. There are over 4,500 of these. View six is of the Cleveland Consolidated School in Nelson County. Good work is being done here. There are less than eighty of these schools; there could be over 1,200. But progress is taking place and soon the one-room school will disappear as did the ox- cart and the sod shack. STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 33 (8) A Detailed Statement of the Benefits of Consolidation. ( I ( 2 (3 (4 ( S (6 (7 (8 (9 (lo (II (12 (13 (14 (15 (i6 (17 (i8 (19 (20 (21 (22 (23 (24 (25 Increases the attendance. Makes attendance more regular. Increases the enrollment. Keeps the older pupils in school longer. Provides high school privileges at one-third the cost. Makes possible the securing of better trained teachers. Results in higher salaries for better trained teachers. Makes possible more and better grade work. Improves industrial conditions in the country. Enriches the civic-social life activities. Conserves more largely the health and morals of the children. Increases the number of eighth grade completions. Provides adequate supervision. Reduces truancy and tardiness. * Develops better school spirit. Gives more time for recitations. Increases the value of real estate. Produces greater pride and interest in country life. Prevents the drift to the larger towns and cities. Brings more and better equipped buildings. Eliminates the small weak school. Creates a school of greater worth, dignity and useful ness. Makes possible a more economical school. Provides equal educational opportunities. . Gives much greater and better results in every way. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW ****L 13 nn SEP 25 f5t^ 30m-l,'15 ^— ^ ~z ^ :^9o042 TV. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY I I I