/^^ 8 2861 F5 opy 1 BULLETIN No. 6 Consolidated Rural Schools and The Motor Truck ISSUED BY FIRESTONE SHIP BY TRUCK BUREAU )| FIRESTONE PARK AKRON, OHIO July 1920 Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. 'CI.A597054 m /6 I92Q u# 1 *3 ' ' I ^HE improvement and consoli- JL dation of rural schools and the use of such schools as rural social centers have a marked influence upon the prosperity and intellectual devel- opment of the people who live in the country. The movement in this direction has only begun and its continued progress is dependent in a large measure upon the improvement of highways and highway transporta- tion. Better roads are essential to better rural schools." — P. P. Claxton, Commissioner, U. S. Bureau of Education. FOREWORD The publication of this bulletin is made possible in large measure through the hearty cooperation of the U. S. Bureau of Education, State Departments of Public Instruction, and of many county superintendents, principals, teachers and others who are interested in advancing rural community life and in placing at the disposal of the boy and girl of the village and country schools facilities equal to those enjoyed by the city boy and girl. Grateful acknowledgment is made to all who have thus cooperated. Especial thanks is due to the following : A. O. Neal, Specialist in Rural School Administra- tion, U. S. Bureau of Education. H. W. Foght, President, The Northern Normal and Industrial School, Aberdeen, South Dakota. C. G. Sargent, Colorado Agricultural College, Ft. Collins, Colorado. George S. Dick, State Inspector of Consolidated Schools, Des Moines, Iowa. C. C. Swain, Inspector of Rural Schools in Minnesota. Lee L. Driver, Director, Bureau of Rural Education, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. J. C. Muerman, State Teachers College, Greeley, Colorado. O. H. Greist, County Superintendent of Schools, Winchester, Indiana. W. S. Fogarty, County Superintendent of Schools, Eaton, Ohio. R. P. Crawford, Associate Editor, Nebraska Farmer, Lincoln, Nebraska. George W. Comer, Trustee, White River Township, Winchester, Indiana. Mildred English, Principal of Consolidated School, Capleville, Tennessee. George W. Todd, Superintendent of Consolidated School, Center, Colorado. Floyd D. Welch, Principal of Madison Township Schools, Linden, Indiana. George R. Momyer, Superintendent of Consolidated School, Monte Vista, Colorado. W. C. Clarkson, District Superintendent of Schools, Charleston, West Virginia. George R. Young, Superintendent of Sargent School, Rio Grande County, Monte Vista, Colorado. H. L. Hartwell, Rollo, Illinois. Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, Iowa. CONSOLIDATED RURAL SCHOOLS AND THE MOTOR TRUCK TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 5 The Rural District School of America. 6 The One-Room School and its Defects 6 Recent Tendency in Rural Education 8 Consolidation of Rural Schools 8 Definition 8 History of Movement 9 Consolidation of Rural Schools in 1920 9 State Laws on Consolidation 9 Different Units of School Ad- ministration 11 Survey on Consolidation by States 12 The Typical Consolidated School. 17 Results of Consolidation 22 Advantages of Consolidation 22 Comparison of the Cost of a Consolidated School System with a One-Room System 25 Transportation 27 Some Transportation Essentials. 28 Transportation Analyses 29 Good Roads 33 Cost of Transportation 36 Advantages of Motor Trans- portation 47 Conclusions and Summarization 48 Bibliography 51 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this bulletin is to give some authentic information on the consolidation of rural schools. Some 40 or 50 consolidated schools have been visited in 13 states which are among the leaders in consolidation. It is not the purpose of this bulletin to urge the consolidation of schools against the wishes of the people in any community nor to minimize the glorious work that the rural schools have accomplished; but it does aim to present the many advantages of the consolidated school, to tell what has been accomplished in improving rural school conditions, and to explain how some of the difficult problems attending the consolidation movement have been solved. The more purely academic questions in the present day trend of educational development, such as the vitalization of courses and the standardizing of educational measurements, will be left to others; while this bulletin will deal with questions of a more practical nature, such as the ways and means of consolidating the rural schools, and the methods and cost of transportation. This bulletin does not demand its acceptance as an authority on these subjects; but it is hoped that it may be the medium of presenting a number of interesting phases of consolidation. It is probably safe to say that the period of experi- mentation in school consolidation has passed. The present task is to devise ways and means whereby school consolidation shall come in its best form. It is reasonable to expect that sometime, not very far distant, a solution of all the various problems and difficulties will have been determined, so that the movement may more rapidly progress and thereby aid very appreciably in the bettering of rural conditions throughout the country. It is hoped that those who are interested in consolidation or in giving country boys and girls a better and more modern education, will find in this bulletin much of interest and helpfulness. THE RURAL DISTRICT SCHOOL OF AMERICA THE ONE-ROOM SCHOOL AND ITS DEFECTS The recent awakening in the study of rural life has given to the rural school a new task and a new responsibility. Undoubtedly the greatest educational problem now facing the American people is the rural school. About one-half of the American school children are enrolled in rural schools. Ninety per cent of them are getting no other education. These 12,000,000 children are laboring under distinct educational disadvantages, because the 212,000 one-room schools still remaining are of the pioneer type and cannot possibly meet the needs of modern agricultural life. The school year in some sections is much shorter than it used to be, enrollment is low and daily attendance is often irregular. In recent educational surveys it has been disclosed that in certain states the educational level must be measured by about 6K years of school attendance for the villages and less than five years for the rural district. How can the intelligent leadership needed so much today upon the American farms be supplied by this limited education? It is true that these one-room schools have improved considerably over the schools of 20 and 30 years ago; new subjects have been added to the curriculum and, due to state supervision and pressure, they have been forced to raise their standards. With the increased curriculum the country teacher is now expected to train his pupils thoroughly in the following subjects: reading, writing, arithmetic, drawing, spelling, history, geography, music, physiology, hygiene, civics, agriculture, grammar, language, domestic science, manual training and other industrial subjects. These must be taught in such a way as to fit the various ages and grades of pupils. It is very evident that it would take an unusual person to handle this outlay with any success. As one travels around the country today he is struck with the evidences of prosperity among the farmers. Large and beautiful homes have been built. Adequate barns and sheds have been constructed for the live stock and nothing is lacking in the way of comfort and convenience. The automobile and tractor have replaced the old time cart and plow. The only institution to remind one of the past is the little district schoolhouse with its ugly, weathered and inhospi- table appearance. When Garfield said, "A pine log with the student on one end and Dr. Hopkins on the other would be a liberal education," he uttered it to emphasize the importance of the teacher, but not to minimize the need of a proper house in which the teacher may do his work. The true basis of complaint is not that the rural school has not improved, but that it has not kept and is not keeping step with the onward progress of our civilization. It is a laggard in the race with the city school. While the cities have been, and are still, putting thousands of dollars into beautiful school buildings, equipped with every modern convenience, the country has thought itself well equipped if it had a structure of the "box car" type. Little or no thought has been given to the many things that go to make up a truly efficient school. A one-room school is not necessarily a poor school, nor is a country school by that one fact alone a poor school; but a small school is, and always has been, a poor school. President T. J. Coates of the State Normal School of Richmond, Kentucky, in speaking of the small school, said, "The average farmer and rural teacher think of the rural school as a little house, on a little ground, with a little equipment, where a little teacher, for a little while at a little salary, teaches little children, little things." The Ten-Mile Branch School, discontinued when itwas consolidated with the Capleville School ~J>*J** n» The Old Capleville School — two teachers The present Consolidated School at Capleville, Tenn One of the trucks which brings the students to school The Kelly School, discontinued when that schoo was consolidated with the Capleville School As a nation the United States has passed the time when the farm home produced whatever the family group needed in the way of food, clothing and tools. In those days the arts and manual industries were taught at home. Today the average home can no longer teach these subjects. The schools, therefore, must take over the new responsibility by offering courses in agri- culture, household economics, manual training and other vocational subjects. The gravest charge against the one-room school has been its failure to sustain the pupils' interest. This is due to the fact that it is unable to provide the kind of education demanded by the conditions of modern agriculture. Schools that answered well enough a pioneer civilization cannot be expected to do the same for a generation of commercial farmers. RECENT TENDENCY IN RURAL EDUCATION It is very generally conceded that the country school, because of its social nature must be the chief means and factor in making country life richer. This the farmer, throughout the country, is coming to realize. Good crops are not of much value to the farmer unless they can provide him with the proper kind of farm life. He is beginning to realize that the best way to obtain these desired ends is to provide his children with the kind of education that will make it possible for them to live in harmony with their environment. This is what the consolidated rural school is organized to do. In the next 10 or 15 years we shall witness the greatest change in rural schools that the country has ever known. The rural school children of today will be the farmers and farmers' wives of 10 years hence. They will be educated and fitted for their work. The state that falls down in this program of readjustment and fails to effect the most liberal policy possible will be outdistanced in the race. The progressive and enlightened community is going to be the consolidated community. CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS DEFINITION There are almost as many different definitions of the term, "Consolidation," as there are states, and educators within the same state sometimes disagree. In some states when but two schools are replaced by one, the term "Union School" is used, the. term "Consolidated" being reserved for the merging together of three or more schools. Some sections of the country use the term "Consolidation" only in speaking of a school to which children are transported at public expense. The Colorado law defines the term, "Consolidation," as providing for the abolishment of certain adjoining school districts and their organization into one special school district, and for the conveyance of pupils. There are some states that use the term, "Centralization," instead of "Consolidation." Ohio uses this term almost entirely, a centralized school being one located where it will be the most convenient for the children of a township. In Colorado the term, "Centralization" is used as well as "Consoli- dation." In this state the school districts are generally very large, some districts maintaining eight or ten one-room schools. If the schools within any one dis- trict should unite to form one school, a centralized school would result because the merger has taken place wholly within one district. Consolidation in its best form takes place when schools are not forced to close for lack of students but are deliberately abandoned for the purpose of creating a larger school where more efficient work may be done, or the same work at a diminished cost. HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT Massachusetts, the state that first developed the small district school, was the first to begin consolidation. In 1867 the legislature of Massachusetts passed the first law authorizing consolidation. In 1869 the law was amended to provide for transportation at public expense. The district of Montague, Massachusetts, was the first to organize under the act. In 1875 three district schools were abandoned and a new brick building erected at a central location, to which the pupils were transported at public expense. This school is still flourishing and serves an area of approximately 20 square miles. A high-school department was added soon after the school originated. The second consolidated school in the United States was quite likely established in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1879. Following the Concord consolidated school came others in other townships, but progress was very slow. The movement spread from Massachusetts to other states until today there is not a state that cannot boast of several examples of consolidated schools. States that had the township unit of school administration, such as Indiana and Ohio, took to consolidation more rapidly. While Massachusetts led in the establishment of consolidated schools, as early as 1856 Caleb Mills, Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indiana, urged consolidation. He is sometimes accredited as father of the idea. Little was accomplished throughout the country, however, until the Committee of Twelve made its report to the National Educational Association in 1896, which report brought the question prominently before the people of the country. Since then many states have legalized consolidation and much progress has been made within the last ten years. In 1918 the United States Bureau of Education reported that there were 10,500 consolidated schools in the country. Although there is no way of check- ing up accurately, since the movement is now spreading so rapidly, the proba- bility is that there are about 13,000 consolidated schools. There are still 212,000 one-room schools, the majority of which resemble the old school of pioneer days; so it can be seen at a glance that the consolidation movement is just fairly under way. CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS IN 1920 STATE LAWS ON CONSOLIDATION Substantial progress can be made only with the right kind of laws. There are practically as many kinds of laws on consolidation as there are states. The Holmberg Act of Minnesota and the Buford-Colley Act of Missouri are among the best laws on the subject. Most states require that consolidation can come only when the subject is presented to the qualified voters in the districts affected and they vote on it favorably. In the few states where the educational authorities can act without consulting the people, provision is nearly always made whereby the people 9 can force a return to the old order if they are not satisfied. Only a few states, as yet, allow the majority vote of the combined votes cast in all the districts to decide the issue. Too frequently one district can prevent a consolidation which all others concerned want. In most states rural schools may be abandoned by the authorities if the daily attendance falls below a certain number. The remaining students are usually transported to a neighboring school. In practically all the states pupils are to be transported to the consolidated or centralized school at public expense. In two or three states, as in South Dakota, a certain amount is paid each parent in accordance with the mileage pupils travel, and then each family furnishes its own transportation. Illinois, for a number of years, has had laws permitting consolidation, but just last year (1919) did she amend her law so that transportation could be furnished by the school board at the expense of the district. In very recent years state aid to consolidated schools has been growing in favor. Some feel that special aid to stimulate consolidation should be given. This seems to be advisable since it will relieve the burden that the local district must bear and tends to equalize the cost of education over the whole state. There is no reason why the state should not bear more of the expense of educa- tion, since it is the duty of the state to provide an education for its people. The poor sections of a state can in this way be helped. Several states not only give aid to help support the school from year to year, but pay part of the transportation costs. In Minnesota a consolidated school may draw as much as $4000.00 a year from the state for transportation alone. Wisconsin and other states give aid for the erecting and equipping of the consolidated school building. The policy of giving aid is of such recent origin that the full results claimed for it are still to be demonstrated. In view of the fact that so few state departments of education have formulated any policy for carrying on campaigns to encourage consolidation, it might be interesting to know of the recent school law of Nebraska. This law provides for redistricting the county for school purposes. The county superintendent and two school electors redistrict the county, arrange for hearings upon proposed districts, and submit the proposition to the school voters concerned. It takes a majority of the votes cast in every district to create the new district. In this way Nebraska is to be eventually mapped out into potential consoli- dated areas. This is going to hasten very greatly the consolidation movement. When the time comes to vote consolidation, with these consolidated areas already mapped out, much of the jealousy and trouble that so frequently accompanies a proposed plan to consolidate will be avoided. It will also do away entirely with some of the odds and ends that would be left out if the question is left to the initiative of the small districts. Too much cannot be said toward the adoption by each state of a policy, so organized or supported by law that the question of consolidating the rural schools in the entire state may be engineered through some centralized authority. To rely upon the initiative of each small district for the forming of consolidations means that the growth will be more or less sporadic and considerable harm may be done to certain communities. Evidences of this can already be seen. Too frequently too small an area is included in the consolidation and the mistake is sometimes impossible to rectify. 10 The following information, in the form of a set of questions and answers, sent out by the State Superintendent of Public Schools of Missouri, will give a clear and concise explanation of consolidation in Missouri: 1. Question: How many consolidated districts in the state? Answer: There were 146 last year (1919). 2. Question: How many maintain a high school? Answer: There were 128 high schools in consolidated districts last year (1919). 3. Question: Does the state give financial aid to these schools? Answer: The state gives aid to these schools as follows: Provided the district maintains an approved high school, it will receive $25.00 per square mile or faction thereof up to 32 square miles or a maximum of $800.00 for any one year. Provided further that a building aid will be granted of one-fourth the cost of the buildings and grounds with a maximum of two thousand dollars state aid. This is granted on condition that a five-acre tract of land is secured, a modern heating and ventilating system is installed in the building and that the building contains an auditorium for community meetings. 4. Question: What is the minimum area required? Answer: There must be at least twelve square miles included within the consolidated district or an enumeration of 200 children of school age. 5. Question: What is the first step necessary to secure a consolidated district? .Answer: At least 25 qualified voters of the community must sign a petition asking that a consolidated district be formed and present this petition to the County Superintendent of Schools. He will investigate the needs and determine the exact boundaries. He shall post ten notices in public places stating the time, place and purpose of the meeting. At least 15 days notice must be given. 6. Question: How many votes are required to carry the proposition? Answer: A majority of the votes cast is necessary. 7. Question: How is the new district controlled? Answer: The new district is governed by a board of six directors the same as a city or town district. 8. Question: Is transportation of all pupils to a central building required? Answer: No. Transportation may be voted by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, but this is at the option of the voters. 9. Question: Can state aid be obtained when only one year of high school work is given? Answer: No. The law states that at least a third class high school, giving two years of approved work, must be maintained in order to receive state aid. 10. Question: When may a consolidated district be formed? Answer: Any time when the people feel the need and the petition is presented to the County Superintendent of Schools. DIFFERENT UNITS OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION Throughout the country we find three distinct types of school organiza- tion — district, township and county. The district, which was the original pioneer organization, still prevails in many parts of the country, especially 11 in the middle western states. The township is the basis for school administration in New England, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and parts of Michigan, Iowa, and South Dakota. The county unit has prevailed from the first in the South and has more recently been extended north and westward. The district unit has largely outlived its usefulness and the prevailing tendency is toward the county unit, which, if judiciously organized, usually gives a large enough area to insure equable taxes and a greater equality of educational opportunity. However, if patrons of the schools are not allowed a certain amount of local responsibility, it will fail because of too much centralization. Today there are 19 states organized wholly or in part on the county basis for school administration, of which Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and New Mexico have the pure county type. Illinois is organized on the district basis, the district being usually in rural territory. The state has more than 10,000 one-teacher schools; these 10,000 schools with 10,000 teachers are managed by 30,000 trustees. Consolidation under such conditions is difficult. The district organization for present day conditions fails to recognize that education is not solely a matter of local interest but a matter of county and state interest. People no longer remain as much as they formerly did in the district in which they were educated, or failed to be educated. Under it no uniform state- wide advancement is possible. The per capita cost in maintaining the district schools is too high in proportion to the results obtained. For these and other reasons there is very little that can be said in- favor of the district. SURVEY ON CONSOLIDATION BY STATES Most of the consolidated schools of Iowa are of an excellent type. The legal provision for state aid requires a large land area to be used for playgrounds and experimental purposes. This has from the first given the Iowa consolidated schools a decided agricultural bent. Many of the schools are township consoli- dated schools and have well organized four-year high-school departments. It took Iowa 17 years to obtain its first 17 consolidations, but only six years to secure the next 300. During the eight months preceding April, 1920, the number of consolidations was almost doubled. The following is a summary of school consolidation in the state up to April 8, 1920: 380 Consolidated Schools were organized. 50,000 Children have passed from the one-room school to a consolidated school. 10,000 of the above number are in the high school. 1,800 have graduated from the twelfth grade this year. 2,500 one-room schools have been closed. 11,000 one-room schools are left. 16 Sections is minimum territory that can be consolidated. 88 Sections is the largest consolidation to be found. Y(, of the territory of the state is now under consolidation. 12 t :,:].,] •J-.J M^. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■-■■ Map of Iowa, showing the location of the 400 consolidated schools in Iowa in May, 1920 Pennsylvania, on account of its difficult topography, has made somewhat slow progress in the consolidation of schools. However, some real progress is now being made: 9,875 is the number of one-room schools in the state. 1,320 is the number of two-room schools in the state. 1,715 one-room schools having an average attendance of 12 or less. 552 is the number of townships where complete consolidation would be feasible. 715 Rural schools have been closed in last 10 years as a result of consolidation. 684 of the above number were one-room schools. 6,201 pupils are being transported to consolidated schools. 326 vans or wagons are being used for transportation purposes. Minnesota is making rapid progress in organizing its rural schools to meet the need of present day agricultural life, consolidation being encouraged wherever possible. Some excellent legislation has made the reorganization reasonably easy of attainment, and liberal state aid has provided the stimulus to hasten the work. The Minnesota practice is to consolidate the schools in the open country or on the edge of the rural villages. By the Holmberg Act which pro- vides that 25 per cent of the resident freeholders may petition for consolidation, and that the election shall be held at one centrally located polling place, the result to be determined by a bare majority of all votes cast, consolidation has not been unduly hampered. In 1909 there were only nine consolidations in Minnesota, while today there are 302. Colorado, with an area of nearly 104,000 square miles and a population of 709,000 is one of the largest states in the Union. Due to its sparsity of population and difficult topography slow progress in consolidation has been made, although there are many locations where it is needed. However, rapid progress has been made recently. In 1917 there were only 20 13 Sargent School near Monte Vista, Colo. An open country consolidation. The automobiles are lined up in front of the school for the return home (Courtesy Nebraska Farmer) consolidated schools located in 11 counties in the state while today there are 114 consolidations — to be more exact, 47 consolidations and 67 centralizations. Only 31 out of 63 counties have made any progress at all. In South Dakota, until the past two years, little progress has been made in consolidation. In 1917 there were only 32 consolidations, most of which were village consolidations, only three being in the open country. Today there are about 140 consolidations and the number is increasing rapidly. Many of the village or town schools have been taking in the country districts for the purpose of getting more taxes. This may or may not be advisable, depending upon how far the towns are willing to go to give the rural children the kind of education that they need. Consolidated School at Center, Colo. (Courtesy Nebraska Farmer) 14 In Nebraska there is little consolidation. In 1914 Nebraska had 35 con- solidated schools. They varied in size from two-teacher to five-teacher schools. In January, 1919, Nebraska had 61 consolidated schools and several more in the process of being formed. The law passed last year, providing for the redistricting of the state into potential consolidated districts, ought to do much in furthering the movement. Consolidation in Illinois is just getting under way. The school law of last year has cut the bands that have been holding the state back. Already some 50 consolidations have followed the passage of the new law and will be "going concerns" by the opening of school next fall. So far Illinois has only 14 schools that can really be called consolidations, though there are a great many so-called consolidations. In addition to the legal obstacles that heretofore have hindered consolidation, the standardizing and improving of the many one-room schools in the state have somewhat removed the incentive to consolidate. Consolida- tion in Illinois seems to be coming from the top rather than from the bottom. The popular growth in educational reorganizations has been the creation of a great many township and community high schools of which there are already several hundred. These schools will undoubtedly serve as the nuclei around which the consolidation of the elementary rural schools will be formed. In Kentucky consolidation of schools is comparatively new. A few pro- gressive centers, such as Mays Lick in Mason County, have made a beginning in an experimental way. Thus far Kentucky has only 80 consolidated schools. While North Dakota has not been able to spend money quite as lavishly as many other states, nevertheless it has some unusually fine schools. North Dakota accepts as a consolidation any school that serves 18 contiguous sections and employs two or more teachers, regardless of whether there has been any actual joining of territories. The state now claims 526 consolidated schools, 189 of which are in the open country. According to the standards of some states, many of these schools would not be called consolidations. These schools now have a total enrollment of about 35,000, 3,000 of whom are doing high- Lanier Township School in the open country, Preble County, Ohio 15 school work. Probably not more than 300 of the above high-school students would be having any training above the elementary grades if it were not for consolidation. Ohio, in 1892, was the first state west of the Alleghenies to permit the union of two or more districts to form a consolidated school, its first school being Kingsville Township School in Ashtabula County. From this beginning, centralization and consolidation have spread over the state until today there are 909 such schools located in 69 different counties. There still remain 5,880 one-room schools in the state. West Virginia has established 171 consolidated schools, 20 being organized in 1918 and about 50 in 1919. Approximately 500 one-room schools have been abandoned with 5,000 still remaining. Most of West Virginia's consoli- dations are small and involve only the abandonment of one, two and three- room district schools. The mountainous character of this state makes it diffi- cult to consolidate the rural schools. Most of the consolidations extend up some narrow valley or along a river, giving to the area considerable length, but scarcely any breadth. With the coming of paved roads up these valleys, consolidation ought to make great strides. In 1913 the legislature of Tennessee gave the county board of education full power and authority to consolidate two or more schools and to furnish transportation to pupils who live too far to walk to school. This has made consolidation grow rapidly. At the time of passage of this law there were about 150 consolidated schools in the state, but the number has grown con- siderably since then. Shelby County with 21 consolidated white schools and 9 consolidated negro schools has gone the farthest of any county in the move- ment. The area of this county is 743 square miles. It has 1050 miles of piked roads and 685 miles of graded roads. These road conditions have favored rapid consolidation. Consolidation in the white schools is just about completed, there being 14 non-consolidated schools left, most of which are kept up for the lower grades within the consolidated areas. Transportation to the extent of 43 horse hacks and 20 auto busses is furnished the white schools of the county. The average size of consolidations in Tennessee is 14 square miles. Although Missouri has excellent laws permitting consolidation, very little has been accomplished. In 1914 there were only 29 consolidated schools. The prevalence of the many clay roads and the existence of the old district unit system in the state seem to explain why so little has been done. There are probably 150 consolidated schools in the state today, 130 of which maintain high schools — while there still remain some 9,000 one-room schools. In 1896 Kansas established its first consolidation. In 1914 there were 75 consolidated schools and today there are approximately 140, although many are consolidations more in name than in fact. Wisconsin has agitated consolidation during the past few years and several consolidations have resulted. There are over 6,000 one-room schools in the state and many of them would be greatly benefited by consolidation. Wisconsin now gives aid for erecting and equipping the consolidated school building, and also annual aid for transportation. With these inducements, consolidation ought to progress throughout the state very rapidly. 16 The Hoosier state, with more consolidations than any other, has made an enviable record. A 30 years' campaign for the consolidation of rural schools in Indiana by state educational leaders has resulted in reducing the number of one-room schools in the state from 8,853 in 1890 to 4,880 in 1920. The total number of one-room schools abandoned in favor of consolidated schools is 3,973. In 1912 there were in the state 589 consolidated schools. Today Indiana has 1,002 such schools and is said to be 45 per cent consolidated. There are about eight counties that are over 90 per cent consolidated. Randolph County, leading them all with 97.7 per cent, lias only three one-room schools remaining out of an original number of 131. Throughout the country there seems to be a general tendency toward consolidation. In this connection the report of the United States Commissioner of Education for the year ended June 30, 1919, is interesting: "There was a steady extension during the year of the consolidation of one and two-teacher schools. In spite of the additional cost of buildings and equipment many states strengthened the existing laws for consolidation in various wa3 r s. The trend is toward substantial encouragement, generally in the form of state aid. Georgia, for example, passed a law giving $500.00 to $1,000.00 from state funds to each consolidated school, according to the number of teachers employed. Pennsylvania pays half the cost of transportation from state funds; Washington increased the state apportionment to consolidated schools employing a superin- tendent or principal. Some states passed laws legalizing the expense of trans- portation. Oklahoma gives to consolidated districts an amount equal to one-half the cost of a three or more room building up to $2,500.00. THE TYPICAL CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL The aim of the typical consolidated school is to meet the educational, social and economic needs of the community in which it is located. It is dis- tinctly rural in atmosphere and is often to be found situated several miles from any town or village. It has a larger enrollment than the old one-room school, and serves a much larger territory, the average ranging from 30 to 50 square miles. Pupils are transported regularly at public expense by a rapid and safe method. Open Country Consolidation at East Chain, Minnesota, with janitor's and teacher's homes 17 Consolidated School, Jesup, Iowa The building of this typical school is a large, substantial structure of stone or brick, planned not only for utilitarian purposes, but also for architectural beauty. It is usually to be found near the center of a four or five acre school site, surrounded by cement walks, shrubbery and well-kept lawns. To the rear of the building are to be found all sorts of recreational and playground equipment. And, in a great many cases, the school has set aside an acre or two as a working laboratory for experimentation in agriculture. It has every convenience that can be found in city schools. A pressure-tank or some other equaUy effective system provides flowing water in abundance, making it prac- ticable to have indoor toilets, drinking fountains, baths, etc. The school has the latest and best heating system that can be procured, and is well lighted with gas or electricity. The consolidated school building is invariably the pride and inspiration of the entire community. The people become identified to such an extent with the school and its interests that not infrequently, when speaking to outsiders, do they make mention of it and show the great part that it is playing in their community life. Consolidated School at Hammond, Louisiana 18 Consolidated School at Alta, Iowa The auditorium and gymnasium of the Alta School, Iowa, which is the social center of this community The manual training room in the Alta Consolidated School 19 The typical school is ordinarily in charge of about 10 or 15 professionally- trained teachers and offers not only a well-organized course of work for the elementary grades, but usually has a four-year high-school course. The better and more influential school is the school offering a complete high-school course of study. The equipment of this school for teaching physics, chemistry, agri- culture, domestic science, and manual training is complete. The course of study is planned to meet the educational needs of the children of the community. The course of study for the high school, which is offered at the Sargent Consolidated School in Colorado, is representative of many of the consolidated schools in the country: First Year Required — Algebra 2 credits English 2 credits Food Study and Cooking 1 credit Garment Making 1 credit Farm Carpentry 2 credits Elective — Agriculture (Soils and Crops) 2 credits Ancient History 2 credits Latin 2 credits French 2 credits Second Year Required — English 2 credits Food Study and Cooking (Planning and serving meals). -2 credits Textiles and Elementary Dressmaking 2 credits Forge Work and Engines 2 credits Agriculture (Animal Husbandry) 2 credits Elective — Geometry 2 credits Medieval and Modern History 2 credits Latin 2 credits French 2 credits Third Year Required — English 2 credits Agriculture (Farm Mechanics) 2 credits Agricultural Physics and Chemistry 2 credits Sanitation, Hygiene and Home-Nursing 1 credit Elective — Algebra 2 credits Geometry 2 credits Latin 2 credits French . 2 credits Fourth Year Required — English 2 credits U. S. History and Civics 2 credits Textiles, Millinery and Dressmaking 1 credit Agriculture (Farm Management and Rural Economics) 2 credits Home Management and Household Accounts 1 credit Elective — Latin 2 credits French 2 credits Any preceding elective. (Students who complete this course may enter any of the higher institutions of learning in the State of Colorado.) 20 The Sargent Consolidated School in Rio Grande County, Colo., showing the transportation busses and the homes of the superintendent and teachers The consolidated school building is constructed for a broader purpose than merely a school building. It contains a large auditorium that will accommodate any average gathering of the people and becomes the center of community interests and life. It brings about a closer relation between patrons, children and the school, and this alone is well worth the extra cost of an auditorium. Around the school are centered many activities such as the lyceum course, the farm grange, the farmers' institute and community entertainments. Athletic and physical activities also have their place. These and similar activities center about the typical consolidated school and thus make it indispensable in the new agricultural life of today. Auditorium in Consolidated School at Center, Colo. (Courtesy The Nebraska Farmer) 21 RESULTS OF CONSOLIDATION ADVANTAGES OF CONSOLIDATION The consolidated school has demonstrated that it has advantages and offers educational opportunities that the one-teacher school does not offer. Some of the chief advantages are: 1. The consolidated school is a large enough school to warrant the services of a competent superintendent. 2. Invariably the transportation of pupils to the consolidated school has resulted in a larger and more regular attendance and has eliminated tardiness. 3. Children are no longer compelled to wear wet shoes all day after walking through rain and mud. Thus, health is conserved. 4. A higher appreciation of school work in advance of the eighth grade is produced. More go to high school. In Randolph County* Indiana, where there are now only three of the original 131 one-room schools left, a total of 1,215 students have graduated from the eighth grade during the last five years and 1,179 of this number have entered high school, showing a record of 97 per cent. Before con- solidation there were only 61 students in high school from all the one-room schools in the county; after consolidation there are 742 and the rural population today is practically what it was formerly. 5. Pupils can be better grouped into classes on the basis of advancement. 6. The student's time can now be divided much more effectively between study and recitation. 7. There can be a greater vitalization of the school work by more courses, such as music, manual training, domestic science, agricul- ture, drawing, and sanitation. 8. The contact with a larger number of children broadens the child's vision and gives a more enlightened view-point. It also has the same influence on the whole community since the consolidated school stimulates community meetings and a better cooperative spirit. 9. Teachers of a higher calibre are attracted to the consolidated school and the teaching force is much more stable. 10. The larger number of acres and people gives a more satisfactory taxing basis. 11. The consolidated school offers a greater equality of educational opportunity. Under the old one-room system the children of the poorer district did not get as good an education as those of the more wealthy districts. 12. The consolidated school makes possible better school rooms, better light, heat, ventilation and sanitation. 13. The morals of the pupils are protected in going to and from school since they are in the care of a trustworthy driver. 14. The consolidated school provides amusement and entertainment in community games and sports, moving pictures, musical festivals, school exhibits, picnics and parties. All this gives a variety and charm to country life that is too frequently lacking. 15. Consolidation develops a broad functioning. Young people learn to have more confidence in themselves and seek a greater participa- tion in the activities of the community. 16. Consolidation develops in the community powers of leadership. The directing force is a superintendent who should be a man of experience and mature judgment with an appreciation of the ways and opportunities of country life. He will organize the community for cultural growth and material progress. 22 The open country makes this one-story structure possible. Located at Okabena, Minn. 17. The course of study is particularly adapted to the child's environ- ment. Since the majority of the boys and girls who attend remain on the farm, the instruction of the school emphasizes the kind of educa- tion that will prepare them for the life they are to live. 18. The consolidated school gives to the country child all the advantages of a city school without sacrificing the advantages of rural life. 19. The consolidated school operates in such a way that it sustains the interest of the pupils, especially the boys. 20. Last but not least, the consolidated school goes a long way in meeting the one big cause of the boy deserting the farm — the desire and want for association. The County Superintendent of Schools of Butler County, Iowa, recently made a survey of 56 consolidated school districts in Iowa. Of the farmers who were asked if they would change back to the old way, 160 replied "Yes;" while 1166 were not willing to return, showing that about 90 per cent of the farmers are entirely satisfied. Playground equipment built by high school students 23 The following facts furnished by the County Superintendent of Preble County, Ohio, show what consolidation has done for that county: Before Since County Consolidation Consolidation Increase 1914 1917 School property $374,925.00 $601,120.00 60% Volumes in school libraries- __ 14,881 20,836 40% Enumeration of school youth. 5,135 5,076 less Total enrollment 4,374 4,508 3% Total enrollment in high schools 523 (1920) 812 55% School buildings used 108 52 less One-room schools in use 92 (1920)23 less Consolidated schools with high school 1 (1920) 13 1200% Wagons carrying children 10 91 810% Teachers graduates of college or normal 16 63 300% High-school graduates 112 122 9% Eighth-grade graduates 168 285 70% Pupils in domestic science work 121 392 224% Manual training 61 ' 155 154% Value of exhibits at county fair $25.00 $800.00 3100% Educational hall provided no yes People present at annual county play day none 3,000 Entries at annual county play day none 1,494 Different pupils entered county play day none 524 Teachers Teachers who are college grad- uates 13 28 Teachers who are normal grad- uates 3 35 Graduates of first-grade high school 98 124 One-year certificates 89 52 Three-year certificates 16 56 Subdistrict No. 10 Washington Monroe Cost Township Township (Not Consolidated) (Consolidated) Average annual cost per pupil for tuition and transpor- tation $50.90 $37.62 Before After Consolidation Consolidation Average daily attendance 81% 92% (In Somers Township) Number attending community meetings in County: September, (1919) 1521 Receipts $ 90.00 October, (1919) 4549 603.00 November, (1919) 8286 721.00 December, (1919) 9093 771.00 January, (1920) 4514 298.00 February, (1920) 5655 617.00 The County Superintendent of Randolph County, Indiana, offers the following data on consolidation: Before After Consolidation Consolidation 1919-1920 Number of one-room schools 131 3 Number of first-grade township high schools 1 16 Number of township pupils in high schools 61 742 Number of grade teachers 154 86 Number of high school and special teachers 3 62 Per cent of eighth-grade graduates in high school 21-50 97 24 Eighth-grade graduates — '15 240, Entered high school 230 '16 242, Entered high school . . .231 '17 253, Entered high school 243 '18 _232, Entered high school ... .227 '19. . .248, Entered high school 248 Total.. .1215 ~ 1179 Number of pupils transported in 1918-19 3126 Number of horse-drawn hacks 102 Number of motor busses 28 No expression of the benefits from consolidation is worth as much as that which comes directly from taxpayers who have had experience with consoli- dation. Mr. A. Newton of the East Chain Consolidated School District in Martin County, Minnesota, states : • "Consolidation, good roads and local improvements are not for speculators and non-resident land owners, as their chief interest is high rent and low taxes and letting the community get along as best it can. But for local land-owners and renters who have boys and girls to educate, consolidation is the coming thing. "Transportation is one of the big problems in a consolidated school, and the school will not be successful unless it has successful transportation. I live 2% miles from the East Chain School and J4 mile from the road. The statements about the inconvenience and long waits in the snow are a joke, because how about wading two or three miles to a one-room school and a cold one at that. "We can see the bus coming and the telephone also keeps the patrons informed when it will arrive. In our system the farthest anyone has to walk is % mile, and an adjustment is now under consideration so the bus will pass his house. "My boys would have stayed home half the winter had I sent them to a one-room school and what would they have gotten out of it in a school where a teacher has to be a jack-of-all-trades and teach eight grades besides? "Transportation has proved successful and can be made more successful. As our roads get better from year to year, our transpor- tation will reach a higher degree of perfection. "I came to East Chain because they were talking consolidated schools and I voted for the consolidated school because I have three boys and a girl. Above everything else, my ambition is to give them a good education. Taxes may be somewhat lower in other town- ships, but I wouldn't trade my quarter section for the best one in Martin County if I had to go back to the one-room school, and I think this expresses the sentiment of the majority in East Chain Township. "We think just as much of our boys and girls in East Chain as you do in town and why shouldn't we tax ourselves to keep them at home and give them the same opportunities here as you folks do in town. If we do not, the better class will move to town to give their children these opportunities and the indifferent, careless class will be left in the country. Our cities and towns are over-populated now. We must offer more opportunities on the farm to keep the boys and girls on the farm. If we can afford six-cylinder automobiles, we can also afford the better kind of schools." COMPARISON OF THE COST OF A CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH A ONE-ROOM SYSTEM Will a consolidated school system cost more than a one-room system? In actual expenditure of dollars and cents, yes. Under ordinary conditions a rural district must pay a higher tax to support a good consolidated school than it does to support a one-room district school. If the consolidated school were merely to displace the nine or ten small one-room schools in a certain area and give the identical instruction — nothing better nor broader — there is no question but that it would be cheaper, but it would be a failure if it did not present a better and fuller life to its pupils. 25 The consolidated school calls for an expenditure of more money, but the money buys better things; it calls for enlarged courses of study, longer terms, better equipment and buildings, trained teachers at higher salaries, a high- school course in addition to the elementary work, transportation, a competent principal as a community leader, larger school grounds for play and experi- mentation in agriculture, and numerous community projects centered about the school. Who would attempt to place a monetary value upon all these things and their worth to the community? It is practically incalculable. In comparing the cost of a consolidated school system with a one-room system, total cost should not be the sole consideration. Per capita cost is a more accurate method of comparison. In Preble County, Ohio, the Monroe Township School, which is consolidated, might be compared with the nearest one-room school. In Monroe Township the average annual cost, according to the county superintendent's figures, for both tuition and transportation for each child in the elementary school was $37.62 in 1919. In the one-room school, which is in Washington Township, where the enrollment was 11, the average annual cost per pupil for tuition was $50.90. Another fact to be kept in mind is that attendance of children in the con- solidated school is much better and more regular. In Somers Township, Preble County, Ohio, the average daily attendance was 81 per cent for the last year under the one-room system; the next year under the consolidated system the attendance was 92 per cent. This means that the total amount of schooling was increased many hundred child days. There is no reduction in the cost of operating the school when some of the children are absent. The consolidated schools are maintained approximately 20 to 40 days longer during the year than the one-room school, and another fact to be considered is that boys and girls remain in school longer. In most of our consolidated schools the high-school enrollment has more than doubled. In Preble County, Ohio, in the last four years 80 pupils have graduated from the eighth grade of the Washington Subdistrict No. 10, a non-consolidated school. Only 33 of them entered high school, the remaining 47 terminating their education at that point. In a nearby consolidated district, of 60 pupils who graduated from the eighth grade school in the past four years, 55 entered high school, or 91 per cent as compared with 41 per cent in the Washington district. One must take into consideration also the increased value of a consolidated school over a one-room school to the community in the service that it renders by the stimulation of greater interest in community projects and enterprises and by teaching better agricultural methods which will indirectly result in the raising of better crops, and earning of more money by the farmers. It is a known fact, also, that farm land values rise immediately after con- solidation. In Iowa recently 385 farmers who live in a consolidated school district were asked what effect consolidation had had on the value of their land. Of this number 280 reported that it had brought about an increase, 99 reported that it had had no effect, and six reported a decrease. In the Sargent Consolidated School district in Colorado many farmers have estimated that consolidation has added $25.00 per acre to their land. If it were possible to place a monetary value upon all these elements of greater worth, the cost of schooling per pupil per day in actual attendance in the consolidated school would be much less than the cost per pupil per day of actual attendance in the former district school. This is the scientific way of com- 26 puting the cost of education and the true measure of accomplishment. When it is asserted that the consolidated school costs no more, or costs less, than the one-room school, one must bear in mind all the advantages that consolidation brings. Money that is spent for education is an investment in the lives of boys and girls. More money is being invested by farmers in the sowing of grain so that bigger harvests may be reaped, and more money is being spent for the better housing, feeding and breeding of stock that larger returns may be obtained. Is there, therefore, any good cause why they should not put more money into better schools for their children, so that greater returns may be attained in greater efficiency and happiness? The real cost of these better schools can only be measured by the real results obtained. TRANSPORTATION In at least 44 states today authority is given to school officers by the state legislature to expend public funds for the transportation of children to schools, provided the children five beyond a reasonable walking distance. It is necessary, of course, to have such authorization before the larger consolidated districts can be established. A consolidated area of 9 or 12 square miles would hardly need public transportation, but consolidations so small do not usually provide an adequate taxing unit. It is impossible to say just how large a consolidation should be, since there are so many different factors that would enter into the determination, such as population, land values, kind of transportation to be used (motor or horse), condition of roads, topography of the country, and standard of school desired. Of the above factors, the kind of conveyance to be employed to transport the children is one of the most important. If auto transportation is feasible throughout the year, the district may be very much larger than if it had to depend upon the team haul. In the latter case a district of 20 to 30 square miles has been found to be the most desirable. To exceed 30 square miles usually produces some rather difficult problems for horse transportation. Moreover, very little can be said in favor of the small consolidated district with a low taxable valuation and less than 100 children of school age. It is universally unsatisfactory. There are today a great many consolidations of this class that realize the mistake that was made and are having a pretty hard pull to get along. Where it is possible to expand, many of these small districts are doing so. It is absolutely necessary to have children enough and a large enough valuation of property to support the kind of school desired, without excessive tax. Under favorable conditions, therefore, it is advisable to establish consolidations as large as possible. The people of each locality must determine for themselves what size of consolidation will be the most economic. There is a real danger in making the consolidation too small because it generally defeats a more effective consolidation later on. Because the consolidated school to which children are transported in public conveyances cannot be satisfactory unless transportation itself is satisfactory, this factor is of great importance. Transportation must be safe, rapid, com- fortable and in charge of competent drivers of high character. If it has these qualities there will be very little trouble resulting from it. In schools where transportation has not given satisfaction the difficulty can often be traced either to the driver or the form of conveyance, and in either case the trouble can usually be remedied quite easily. Transportation has been universally satisfactory wherever it has been properly handled. 27 SOME TRANSPORTATION ESSENTIALS Too much care cannot be taken in working out the details of transportation. Every superintendent of a consolidated school should be willing to study this question thoroughly and give it a good portion of his time and attention. The superintendent of one of the most successful examples of consolidation devotes about half of his time studying and supervising transportation. Too many superintendents are prone to allow the system to run itself after it is once started. If the superintendent interests himself in it, it will not be long before the chil- dren and parents are doing likewise. Why is it that in some places the farmers get out early in the morning to break through the snowdrifts so that the school bus can run on schedule time, while in other sections the farmers expect the school authorities to run the whole system and complain if it isn't perfect? It is entirely a matter of creating the right kind of a community spirit. Bus routes should be so planned as to give the greatest service to the largest number without working a hardship to anyone. Rigid rules should be made to guard against any tendency toward laxity on the part of the drivers or children. Great care must be taken in the selection of drivers who should be com- petent, trustworthy, and able to command the respect of the children. In many places boys are not allowed to drive, although if selected carefully, thej' are usually satisfactory. Frequently it is hard to get drivers at a fair price. To be able to select competent boy drivers would solve the difficulty. The superintendent must be sure that the boy is dependable before he is allowed to take a route. Any driver that is found to be unreliable should be immediately dismissed. School boards should never lose control over drivers and routes. They should delegate to the superintendent of the school full authority to supervise and direct the transportation. Drivers should make a detailed report daily on a suitable card so that the superintendent may know at all times what is happening. A few states, such as Minnesota, have wisely legislated some of the essential rules into the consolidation laws. The busses should follow a definite route and run on schedule, leaving fixed points at set times. They should travel along the public roads and not drive up to the farm houses. Two long trips per bus are not desirable, as a rule, even with the motor bus, since it brings so many to school too early. Some school districts have met this condition by routing the district so that each motor bus daily covers a long and a short route. The plan of allowing parents or guardians to provide transportation for their children should not be advocated under any circumstances. Although it is not so much of a drain on the school funds, the total expended by the school patrons is much greater. If children drive their own rigs, the horses are not available for other work. Neither does this plan assure the regular attendance that is prevalent in the schools where public transportation is supplied. Parents should not lose sight of the great moral advantage that there is to public transportation, where their children are always in the care of a responsible driver. Transportation is as much a part of the school system as any other phase. Therefore, it should be in complete control of the school authorities at all times. 28 TRANSPORTATION ANALYSES The following tables show how transportation is handled in some typical districts : Jackson Township Central School Preble County, Ohio Kind of Wage Pupils Length Average Charac Time first Conveyance per hauled time to ter of child gets day per route route drive roads into bus Auto Bus $12.00 ^30 ?25 9.5 mi. 38 min. fair 7:00 A. M 2.5 mi. 25 min. good 7:55 A. M Auto Bus . 12.00 $28 10.7 mi. 40 min. fair 6:55 A.M (30 8.2 mi. 35 min. fair 7:50 A. M Auto Bus . 11.00 39 9.2 mi. 50 min. good 7:38 A.M Auto Bus _ 12.00 30 15.9 mi. 50 min. fair 7:00 A.M Wagon . _ _ 7.00 28 9 mi. 75 min. poor 7:00 A.M (The auto busses are owned by the drivers who meet all operating expenses. Wagon but not horses owned by township.) Jackson Tr, Preble Co. Ohio ABandoncd Schools — 'Bus Routt Showing routes covered by busses 29 Jackson Township Consolidated School Randolph County, Indiana Wage to Length Time it takes Kind of Conveyance drivers of to drive per day route route 1. Horse Hack $3.20 4 J^ miles 6:15—8:00 2. Horse Hack 3.00 3. Horse Hack 3.00 4. Horse Hack 3.00 5. Horse Hack 3.00 Routes 6:00 is the 6. Horse Hack 3.00 average average time 7. Horse Hack 3.00 5 ^ miles of the first 8. Horse Hack 3.00 stop 9. Horse Hack 3.00 10. Horse Hack 3.00 11. Horse Hack 3.00 12. Horse Hack 3.00 7 miles 6:— 8:00 (Drivers are all farmers, who furnish the teams — the school owns the hacks. The average number of children per hack is 20 — 25. School opens at 8:30.) Losantville, Randolph County, Indiana Kind of Driver's Conveyance Wage per day 1. Horse Hack $3.00 Horse Hack 3.00 3. Horse Hack 3.00 4. Horse Hack 2.00 5. Auto Bus 7.00 Length of route 53^ miles 6 miles 6 miles 5J^ miles miles 5 miles Children per route 20 18 22 11 16 5 Time to drive route 6:30—8:15 6:40—8:00 6:30—8:10 6:30—8:00 7:05—7:45 7:50—8:15 (School opens at 8:30. The janitor owns and operates the auto bus. The hacks but not horses are owned by the school.) McKinley School White River Township, Randolph County, Ind. Kind of Conveyance Auto Bus, Auto Bus, Auto Bus. Auto Bus. Auto Bus. per day $3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 Length Children Time of route /ll miles 27 7:00—7:45 \ 8 miles 31 8 10—8:35 /ll miles 28 7 00—7:45 \ 9 miles 31 8 00—8:35 /ll miles 27 7 00—7:45 \ 7J^ miles 27 8 00—8:30 /10 miles 25 7 00—7:50 \ 6 miles 29 8 15—8:30 /12 miles 25 7 05—8:00 \ 6 miles 18 8 15—8:30 6J^ miles 6 8 00—8:22 3J-£ miles 6 8 00—8:20 3J^ miles 8 8 10—8:25 5 miles 5 Ordinary Auto 2.50 Ordinary Auto 2.50 Ordinary Auto 2.00 Private Rig 1 .50 (School opens at 8:45. The auto busses are owned and operated by the school.) 30 Wayne Township School Randolph County, Indiana (March 24, 1920) Route Children Til 21 6:30—8 20 22 7:10—8 40 23 6:30—8 20 Routes 22 6:40—8 or, average 14 6:30—8 10 5^ miles 18 7:00—8 oo 6 7:00—8 05 15 7:00—8 00 15 6:30—8 25 9 7:00—8 00 15 6:45—8 00 Kind of Conveyance Wage 1. Horse Hack 2. Horse Hack 3. Horse Hack 4. Horse Hack Drivers 5. Horse Hack get 6. Horse Hack $3.50 7. Horse Hack per day 8. Horse Hack 9. Horse Hack 10. Horse Hack 11. Horse Hack (School opens at 8:20. Drivers are 9 farmers and 2 high-school boys. Hacks are owned by the school.) Sargent Consolidated School Rio Grande County, Colorado Kind of Wage Conveyance 1. Auto Bus 2. Auto Bus 3. Auto Bus 4. Auto Bus Drivers 5. Auto Bus get 6. Auto Bus $1.25 7. Auto Bus per day 8. Auto Bus 9. Auto Bus 10. Auto Bus (Drivers are 8 teachers and 2 high-school boys. School owns and operates auto busses, has garage on school grounds and pays an auto mechanic $150.00 per month to keep busses in good running con- dition.) Maiden Consolidated School Kanawha County, West Virginia Miles Bus Children Time Travels 13 15 14 No child 17 Average enters bus 19 number before 7:55 20 per School 22 bus, 34 opens at 15 9:15 12 13 Kind of Wage Length Time of Conveyance of route Children Starting each route Auto Bus . $3.75 4 miles 35 7:45 per day 3 miles 30 8:00 2 miles 20 8:20 7 miles 35 8:45 2 miles 21 9:10 (One auto bus makes all five routes. Students begin their study and work as they arrive, and leave at night in the same way. School owns bus and pays all operating expenses.) East Chain Consolidated School Martin County, Minnesota Kind of Wage Conveyance per day Horse Hack $4.50 Length of route 5 miles 4 miles 4J^ miles 43^ miles 4^ miles 3 miles 53^ miles 43^ miles 6 miles Children Time Average First child is 23 picked up by children horse hack at to the 7:15, by motor route bus at 8:15 Auto Bus 4.50 Auto Bus 4.50 Auto Bus 5.00 Auto Bus 5.00 Horse Hack 2.25 Horse Hack 5.00 Horse Hack 4.50 Auto Bus 5.65 (School owns and operates all conveyances. Five high-school boys and four farmers drive.) 31 Waynetown, Indiana Kind of Conveyance Auto Bus Horse Hack. .. Horse Hack... Horse Hack__. Auto Bus Horse Hack_._ 7. Horse Hack... S. Horse Hack__- 9. Horse Hack__. 10. Horse Hack... 11. Horse Hack... Driver's wage per day $5.00 3.50 3.50 3.50 4.00 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.50 2.50 Length of route 7V 2 m Children 43^ mi 8Mmi 7 sy 2 mi 5 6 6 6 4J^ mi (Five high-school boys and six farmers drive. School opens at 8:30 Wagons owned by school. Auto busses owned and operated by drivers.) Jefferson Township School New Paris, Ohio ties . 20 7:20— 8:00 (Motor) les 19 lies 20 lies 15 Some children lies 22 are picked up lies 19 by horse hack lies 14 as early as lies 20 6:00 and 6:15 les 20 lies 15 lies 7 Kind of Conveyance Wage Children per per day route 1. Auto Bus $8.00 2. Wagon 4.00 3. Wagon 4.00 4. Wagon 4.00 5. Wagon 3.50 6. Wagon 3.50 7. Wagon 3.50 8. Wagon 3.50 9. Wagon 3.50 10. Wagon 3.50 11. Wagon .25 (School owns wagons — expenses. School opens farmers drive.) 39 24 18 24 20 25 22 21 27 17 3 Length of route 6.5 miles 6 miles 7 miles 7.5 miles 7.5 miles miles miles miles miles miles miles Average time to drive 45 min. 60 min. 75 min. 90 min. 75 min. 90 min. 60 min. 60 min. 60 min. 75 min. 15 min. Time Charac- first ter of child gets road into bus good poor fair fair fair fair fair fail- fair fair good driver owns auto bus and meets at 8:30. Three high-school boys 7:10 7:00 6:45 6:30 6:45 6:50 7:00 7:00 7:00 6:45 7:30 operating and eight In a number of places the school boards are being "held up" in the matter of drivers' wages. When contracts are let on the basis of competitive bidding, the bids are often unreasonably high. Nor does this method insure the highest quality of drivers. The wide-awake superintendent is the one who goes out and finds his own drivers and he usually gets them on fair terms. While the horse-drawn wagon is the customary form of conveyance at most schools, in nearly every state the motor bus is coming in rapidly. Many schools expect to motorize completely within the next year or two. A sentiment in favor of motor transportation is becoming quite general. Where the law permits it, the school district should own the transportation facilities, because it insures the best and most dependable service. There is a number of schools where the drivers are hired upon the condition that they furnish the horse hack or auto bus and pay for all operating expenses. A large enough wage is paid so that the driver can meet these expenses and still make a profit. It is felt by those who advocate this plan that the driver will take better care of his own property than he would if he were using public property and that he will keep expense down. It is also argued that this plan relieves the school board or trustees from investing money in wagons or motor busses and in case of the latter, they are not troubled with purchasing oil, gasoline, tires and repairs, all of which would necessitate their giving considerable attention to the question of transportation in order to keep the cost down. The ownership of transportation facilities is a matter that each consolidated district must decide for itself, since a given set of conditions may make it advisable either to have the drivers own the conveyances or to have the 32 conveyances owned by the school. There is a tendency, however, throughout the country, in schools where the drivers own the conveyances, toward changing from the private to public ownership. The following are some of the outstanding advantages and arguments for public ownership: 1. Control generally goes with ownership. Sometimes the superintend- ent must lengthen or change routes. Driver-owners of busses are not always willing to meet these adjustments. 2. It is sometimes very difficult to find the right kind of a driver to invest his money in a bus. If the school owns the bus it is much easier to get a good driver. 3. An incompetent driver who owns his bus cannot easily be dismissed because a successor cannot always be found who would be willing to invest his money in such an undertaking. 4. School ownership usually means better and more comfortable busses since making money is not the school's object. 5. If properly managed the cost of transportation is generally cheaper under school ownership. 6. The number of instances of breakdowns and delays is fewer under school ownership. The busses are usually kept in better repair and can be frequently and uniformly inspected. 7. Drivers can be secured more cheaply under school ownership. In the Sargent School in Colorado eight teachers and two high-school boys drive the ten auto busses and receive a monthly salary of $25.00 each. This would not be possible under private ownership. GOOD ROADS Good roads and good consolidated schools go hand in hand — one is the inevitable complement of the other. In White River Township in Randolph County, Indiana, the roads of the entire township are improved, making transportation comparatively easy and rapid. And in this township the one- teacher school has been completely supplanted by the consolidated school. • Consolidated High and Grade —Abandoned One Room Q Grade f- Active One Room f — n~~ a ■ * » ■ r*v, , ■ I + •- 3 Jh 4 i , RANDOLPH ;&ptmJ-Y , i 4- ■ Randolph County. Indiana, showing progress of consolidation 33 ■A * y s= ^ y ^> ^ >j q ^ IN }y S b £ 34 However, consolidation should not wait for better roads, but should forge ahead. The fact that public transportation in consolidated school districts has been established all over the country regardless of road conditions is the best evidence that it is feasible. In spite of the fact that many roads have been bad and at times impassable, it can hardly be said that they form any greater obstacle to school consolidation and transportation than they do to local, social and business communication; in fact, consolidation will assist in directing public attention to the needs of permanent road improvement. All over Indiana, Minnesota and North Dakota where, due to severe winters and 35 the kind of soil, road conditions are not always of the best, transportation is universally giving satisfaction. At Brewster, Minnesota, where they have two auto busses and four horse hacks, there has been no failure this year of a bus to arrive. Last year there were, in all, ten lates and four days that the roads were impassable. But what if an occasional day is missed? Do not the children who attend the one-room school have to stay home days and even weeks on account of impassable roads? In the spring of the year when the thaws come and the roads are broken up for about two weeks, schools can arrange, as many do, to have their spring vacation at that time. COST OF TRANSPORTATION The cost of transportation per child varies somewhat in the different states, due largely to differences in climate, density of population, size of consolidated areas, labor and road conditions. Very few schools know what their transportation is costing them, except the amount that is paid in salaries to drivers. This, of course, is only a part of the real cost of transportation unless the drivers own all the transportation conveyances and meet all operating expense. In fact, very few schools have been keeping any systematic account of operating expenses. In addition, so many schools have just recently been formed or have just recently adopted motor transportation that the transportation arrangements are somewhat chaotic and are subject to frequent change. In some districts the winter just passed has been very severe and especially hard on tires and other equipment, which has led to much experimenting with pneumatic and solid tires. There is no question but that the pneumatic tire will give the greater comfort to those riding, insure greater traction in traveling over muddy roads, and on good roads will give the greater mileage; but many country roads are exceedingly poor during certain seasons of the year. In the winter time when the ground is frozen, ruts made by smaller tires will often play havoc with the larger ones. In such a case, perhaps, the bus with good strong springs and solid cushion tires to carry the load would be the most satisfactory. Many schools are attempting to carry too big a load with a truck of light tonnage. Very few have any idea what mileage they are going to get from their tires or trucks or what the replacement of parts, repair work and annual overhauling are going to cost. There are those that have had to adopt a number of make-shifts during the severe winter just passed, such as putting sleds on and shortening some of the routes, necessitating the paying for private transportation in some instances or requiring the hiring of extra conveyances to tide them over until conditions became normal. In most cases where horse transportation is used, the school board owns the wagons but hires the drivers for a fixed wage and the drivers furnish the horses. Such transportation involves four items of expense to the school: 1. Driver's wage. 2. Depreciation on the Wagons. 3. Repairs. 4. Interest on the amount invested, to be figured at the prevailing rate which school bonds bear in each community. Insurance would make a fifth item if the school carries it. 36 It is very difficult to say how long school wagons will run. This depends somewhat on miles covered and the care taken in operating them. Some of the older consolidations have been able to use their wagons 12 years, while others have been able to get only eight or nine years' use. The better grade of school wagons today costs about $400.00. The repairs required from time to time are very slight, being chiefly the retiring of the wheels every three or four years. In the following estimates depreciation and repairs on school wagons are figured at 10 per cent. At the Jackson Consolidated School in Randolph County, Indiana, where they have an eight-month term, 285 children are transported daily in 12 horse hacks. Following the explanation above, the expense per month is as follows: Depreciation and repairs on 12 hacks at 10% $ 60.00 Drivers' wages 724.00 Interest on investment at 6% per annum ($4800.00) - 36.00 Total cost per month $820.00 Total cost per day 41.00 Cost per day per child (285 transported) .144 At Sioux Valley, Minnesota, the expense is somewhat greater because of the greater wage that drivers receive. There are 143 children transported daily in seven horse hacks. The expense per month is as follows: Depreciation and repairs on 7 hacks at 10% $ 31.10 Interest on investment at 6% per annum ($2800.00) 18.65 Drivers' wages - 630.00 Total cost per month $679.75 Total cost per day 33.98 Cost per child per day (143 transported) .237 At the Fairview Independent Consolidated School in Iowa, the expense is still greater. This school is an example of a consolidation that does not include enough territory, the area being only 26 sections. Five high-school boys and three farmers drive the wagons, getting salaries ranging from $90.00 to $120.00 per month. The monthly expense for transportation is: Depreciation and repairs on 8 hacks at 10% $ 35.56 (nine-month term) Driver's wages 800.00 Interest on investment at 6% per annum ($3200.00) 21.30 Total cost per month $856.86 Total cost per day 42.84 Cost per child per day (105 transported) .408 At the Jackson Township Central School in Preble County, Ohio, there are four auto busses and one horse hack transporting 210 students daily. The four auto busses are owned by the drivers who meet all operating expenses. Two of the auto busses make two trips each, giving the district seven routes in all. The monthly cost of transportation is as follows: Wages to the four auto-bus drivers $940.00 Wage to the one horse-hack driver 140.00 Depreciation and repairs on the horse hack at 10% (nine month term) 4.44 Interest on the investment at 6% per annum ($400.00) 2.65 Total cost per month $1087.09 Total cost per day 54.35 Cost per child per day (210 transported) .259 Last year there were 12 horse hacks operating in this district. Since one of the 12 is still operating, the four auto busses are therefore doing the work of 11 horse hacks. If the 12 horse hacks were still being used and each driver were getting $100.00 a month, the cost per child per day would be $ .304. Auto transportation, it would seem, has brought a saving in cost to this school. 37 Wayne Township, Montgomery County, Waynetown, Ind. In Waynetown, Indiana, two busses are operating in the consolidated district in conjunction with nine horse hacks. The auto bus drivers own and operate their busses, receiving from the school $4.00 and $5.00 a day respectively. They bring 42 children a day, resulting therefore in a cost of $ .214 per child per day. The nine horse-hack drivers get a total of $30.50 a day for driving and furnishing teams. The daily depreciation and interest on the $3600.00 invested by the township in the hacks is $3.60. The cost per day for each of the 149 children who ride in the horse-drawn vehicles is $ .229. In Preble County, Ohio, the general policy of having the drivers own and operate the motor busses has also been followed; while the school authorities own the horse hacks, but hire the drivers with their teams. The depreciation and interest on the horse hacks in this county amounts to $ .02 per child per day. Data on Transportation in Preble County, Ohio. Total number of consolidated schools 12 Total number transported 1942 Total number transported by motor 725 Total number transported by horse 12,17 Total number of motor busses 20 Total number of horse hacks 60 Total number of routes by motor busses 28 Total number of routes by horse hacks 60 Number of children transported by bus per route 25.9 Number of children transported by hack per route 20.3 Average monthly salary to motor bus drivers $136.95 Average monthly salary to horse hack drivers 75.40 Average daily salary to motor bus drivers 6.84 Average daily salary to horse hack drivers 3.77 Cost per child per day (motor bus) .264 Cost per child per day (horse hack) .205 Average length of bus routes from where first child enters. 7. 14 miles Average length of horse hack routes from where first child enters 5.74 miles Average time to drive the motor bus route 39.4 min. Average time to drive the horse hack route 72.7 min. Cost per mile per route per child, one way (motor) $ .037 Cost per mile per route per child, one way (hack) .036 38 Average time to travel a mile per motor bus, including stops 5.5 min. Average time to travel a mile per horse hack, including stops 12.6 min. Average miles per hour, including stops, per motor bus _10.9 miles Average miles per hour, including stops, per horse hack . 4.7 miles Condition of roads traveled by 85 transportation routes in the county Bad Poor Rough Hilly Fair Good Motor Bus Routes (26)__. Horse Hack Routes (59) Total (85) . _ - 3 1 1 1 12 8 6 5 1 3 27 17 9 6 2 4 39 25 Transportation Busses at Linden, Ind. At Linden, Indiana, there are four auto busses and one automobile operating in a consolidated area of 30 square miles with an average route length of six miles. The school owns the bodies on the four trucks, entailing a cost of $200.00 apiece. The drivers own the chassis and meet the expense of operation. Total salaries per month $495.00 Depreciation on the four truck bodies at 10% 10.00 Interest on investment at 6% ($800.00) 6.00 Total cost per month 511.00 Total cost per day 25.55 Cost per child per day (90 transported) .284 What is the cost of operation to the drivers? The following is only an estimate of what it may be costing the drivers: Depreciation per month on conveyances owned by the five drivers ($2980.00) $ 74.50 Interest on the $2980.00 at 6% per annum 22.35 Storage 25.00 Gas (200 gals, per month at $ .30) 60.00 Oil 6.00 Tires (total of 2400 miles per month) 64.15 Replace of parts and annual overhaul 78.00 Total cost of operation (not including salaries for driving) $330.00 39 Since they are receiving this year from the school $495.00 per month, the amount received alone for driving, then, is $165.00 or $33.00 per driver per month. It is very evident that the school is getting its transportation handled very reasonably. One of the drivers is a drayman in the city of Linden, so only a small portion of his time is spent each day for the transporting of children to and from school. The other four drivers are farmers. This is the first year that motor busses have been used at the Linden School; so, no doubt, readjust- ments will be necessary after they get more experience in transportation problems. In Colorado motor transportation is used almost entirely, due especially to the fact that the consolidations are larger and horse transportation is not feasible. In contrast to the policy in the foregoing instances that have been cited, the Colorado schools own and operate their conveyances, paying the drivers a wage for driving only. At the Sargent School in Rio Grande County, ten busses are used, repre- senting an investment of about $20,000.00. Eight of the drivers are teachers Combination Gatage and Gymnasium at Sargent School, Colo. {Courtesy The Nebraska Farmer) of the school and two are high-school boys. The school has its own garage on the school grounds but it represents an expense for transportation, so an item of $5.00 per bus per month is included in the estimate below: Salaries to drivers per month . $250.00 Salary to mechanic 150.00 Garage 50.00 Depreciation on busses at 20% .' 444.40 Interest on investment at 6 % per annum 133.30 Gas (640 gals, at $ .30) 192.00 Oil (16 gals, at $1.00) 16.00 Tires (6400 miles per month) 291.94 Replacement of parts 100.00 Total cost per month $1627.64 Total cost per day 81.38 Cost per child per day (390 transported) .208 Cost per mile per route per child .0065 Cost per bus per day 8.138 Cost per mile per bus .254 40 At the Consolidated School in Center, Colorado, six auto busses, representing an investment of $11,350.00 are operating in an area of 153 square miles. The monthly expense estimate is as follows: Salaries to drivers per month $300.00 Depreciation on busses at 20 r , . 252.20 Storage 30.00 Gas (432 gals, at $ .30) 129.60 Oil (12 gals, at $1.00) . 12.00 Interest on investment at 6% per annum 75.60 Tires ._____. 208.53 Replacement of parts and annual overhauling _ 102.00 Total cost per montli _ $1109.93 Total cost per day 55.496 Cost per child per day (184 transported) _ .301 Cost per mile per route per child .0083 Cost per bus per day 9.25 Cost per mile per bus .254 At the Monte Vista Consolidated School 180 children are transported daily in eight auto busses, representing an investment of $20,100.00. The monthly estimate is as follows: afcpwf^^HC. 1 '^Mtyw** The New Junior High School Building at Monte Vista, Colo. The Children of this School are Transported in Eight Auto Busses 41 Salaries to drivers per month $320.00 Storage. _ 60.00 Depreciation on busses at 20% 446.60 Interest on investment at 6 % per annum 134.00 Gas 173.68 Oil 17.44 Tires (4709 miles per month) 200.66 Replacement of parts L 80.00 Salary to mechanic . 100.00 Total cost per month $1532.38 Total cost per day 76.62 Cost per child per day (180 transported) .426 In Indiana, at the McKinley School in Randolph County, there are five auto busses owned by the township, representing an investment of $7,236.00. Each of these trucks makes two trips and all five transport 268 children daily. In addition 25 children are brought in by three ordinary autos and a private rig, all four of which are owned and operated by the drivers. The monthly estimate on the cost of transportation is as follows: Depreciation on five auto busses owned by the township $180.90 Interest on the investment at 6% per annum 54.27 Salaries to drivers of the five auto busses 300.00 Salaries to drivers of the private conveyances 170.00 Gas (450 gals, at $ .27) 121.50 Oil 10.50 Tires (6100 miles) 165.90 Storage 25.00 Replacement of parts and annual overhauling 78. 10 Total cost per month $1106.17 Total cost per day 55.31 Cost per child per day (293 transported) .188 Total cost per month for the five auto busses owned by the township 936.17 Total cost per day (five auto busses) 46.81 Cost per child per day (268 transported) .174 Suggestions to Reduce Costs There is a great deal to be hoped for in the near future with regard to the working out of several phases of the motor transportation question, such as putting the motor bus to the greatest economic use, selecting competent drivers on satisfactory terms and choosing between school or driver ownership of transportation facilities. The auto bus should be put to the greatest use in order to secure the most economic results. Many busses are standing idle too much of the time. In many instances they should be given longer routes. In some cases a long and a short route to each bus would make for greater efficiency. If the auto busses could be used during the day for other hauling, while the children are in school, the daily earnings of the bus and the driver might be increased. Many drivers who own their busses have truck bodies and can use them Saturdays and during vacation periods for general trucking business. To drive an auto bus for the transporting of children to and from school ought not to take more than three hours a day of any driver's time and no driver should look upon a driving job as a full day's work and expect to get remuneration upon that basis. Drivers should be selected with this idea in mind. Of course, the competence of the driver and the quality of the service should not be lost sight of in the attempt to get the driving done cheaply. 42 In Colorado it is the general policy to select people for driving the auto busses who have other occupations, but are free at the time when the children have to be transported. Drivers, such as teachers, high-school boys, bank clerks, and retired farmers have all proved very satisfactory and are usually secured for a reasonable wage. In Minnesota transportation may cost a little more than in some of the other states because, as a general rule, boys are not allowed to drive and children are not to be hauled farther than the actual distance from their homes to the school building. The latter rule will not make possible capacity loads in every case. The state inspector of rural schools estimates that the horse-drawn transportation in Minnesota this year, in most of the districts, will cost $ .045 per child mile, one way. A child, then, living six miles from school would entail a cost of 54 cents per day while one living only two miles would cost 18 cents per day. A number of the consolidated districts have up-to-date garages with complete equipment. At the Sargent School in Colorado they have hired a mechanic for $150.00 a month, who not only keeps the busses in repair and excellent running order, but teaches the high-school boys automobile mechanics and blacksmithing as well. The superintendent of this school buys practically all of his materials, such as gas, oil, tires and repair parts at wholesale and in this way is effecting a very appreciable saving in cost. While estimating the depreciation on the auto busses in the preceding tables at 20 per cent, much depends upon the type of truck used and the miles covered: The majority of busses, however, will probably give 50,000 to 100,000 miles under normal transportation conditions. The average school auto bus will very likely last over five years but it is better to overestimate the cost than to underestimate it. However, it will probably not give the mileage that busses in other service will since it is used only a small portion of the day and is stored away three months in the summer time. Until a school has worn out one or two trucks it will probably be advisable not to speculate on more than five years' use. It is impossible, of course, to recommend any definite truck tonnage or standard of equipment, due to the varying conditions throughout the country. As those who have been close to the transportation question are coming to have more experience in these matters, they seem to favor the trucks of 1}4 ton capacity. The lighter weight trucks, carrying 30 or 35 children, are not giving satisfaction. They are all right for short hauls and light loads. The size of the consolidation will determine to a very great extent the choice of truck tonnage. Preference is also being shown for the pneumatic tires of truck size. With regard to comparison of cost of motor transportation with that of horse transportation in the hauling of children to and from school, too much credence should not be placed in any of the current statements that are being made one way or the other. From the foregoing estimates on the costs of transportation in a number of the different consolidated schools, it would seem that some of them have effected a saving by adopting motor transportation, while others have not. It may not be possible to show that motor transporta- tion is cheaper than horse transportation in every instance, but there are many other merits that motor transportation has with which it is rapidly winning favor throughout the country. 43 In conclusion it should be pointed out that every school or owner of a school auto bus should keep a cost system. Some of the school officials may think it unnecessary to keep an account of the costs since the transportation is public and is paid for from the tax that is levied upon the property of those in the district. This attitude has no ground for commendation. The following are a few of the reasons why cost records are necessary: Cost records are useful in detecting elements of waste and in suggesting future economies. Many schools are employing extravagant methods which cost records would soon disclose. How can an operator tell accurately which of two grades of gas is giving him the greater mileage unless he can check it in a systematic way? Excessive idle time on the part of drivers as well as carelessness can also be shown by costs. The taxpayer has a right to know what the transportation is costing and how the motor transportation is comparing with the cost of transportation by teams. Much of the opposition to consolidation is based on the assumption that it will bring a higher tax and that the transportation will be too costly. It can be shown that this opposition is not justified in the majority of cases if cost records are kept. One of the most important reasons for keeping cost records is that it tells one how the busses, tires and other equipment are performing. A certain size of tire may be entirely inadequate, and yet it might not be detected and the greater cost obviated without records. Finally, great assistance can be given the school authorities and the legis- lature when it comes to the laying down of rules and regulations with regard to school transportation. Also, districts that are contemplating the consoli- dation are anxious to learn about this phase of the subject. In many cases they can be shown that the cost of transportation does not make consolidation prohibitive. The whole consolidation movement will be aided greatly by the proper keeping of cost records.* Good Roads make this possible In the following table are presented some facts about 40 schools in eight states. This table gives the latest available data on the comparative cost of transportation in the different schools and states. These figures give what it is costing the schools, whether they own the transportation facilities or not: *Copies of bulletin No. 5, "Relation of Costs to Motor Truck Transportation," can be secured by writing The Firestone Ship by Truck Bureau, Firestone Park, Akron, Ohio. 44 -t. M Mill Levy On Each $1.00 (1919) co US « CO CO » CO CO co % 1- CO r>; CJ OS CO r^ CN -r -r Cl in C, -r "2 c"o ™ 2 " %%■% > a c O Of CN in" w in i> cc_ O ■* °°. O O 03 CO o» O O w Cl" 00 10 35 OS co" CN O t> •*? 00 co as N co" O CO O r. ■ - CO "*. CO* r- Cl X 1- CO l> co cc 00" OJ 'O Cl r. r. 5 Cl 1- » A -r -r 3_ o c ,,, X -o r- .5; " c u -* in 3 w : j 1 S' C1C3 3^ -c ° S 1 c = — "* a. 3^3 C E "r! 3 5 — S |a >cco -* 111 |-s| **.a 2 t. 3 3 £ 2 S3 SJ3 CS TfCNrH -3 r — -id 3 £ 03 c '- I s 3 o~~; "■^ § SSo 2 S3 aj « TfOOcN -* m 3 O ° m 2 S 3J3 -j- |sl 2S = - — - cicico CS-O j= 2 si O 3 J Ed TfCl It V -= ai ~ Cl CJ - r. -3 Cl J4 CJ 03 -3 O J3 CO M -r. ^ CJ 03 -3 O J3 X CJ v ; — 3. SJ 1 Cl O Size of Con- solidated Area sq. miles O CO s CO t^. CO co CO co t^ Cl s co CO CO ^1 Cl as Cl CO -1> Far- thest Dis- tance miles 10 00 00 00 r~ CO r~ 33 00 CO CO r~ 10 U3 CO t^. iq 06 CD in 1^ Aver- age Dis- tance of Routes miles CO CO in 1Q in CO CO iO 10 co 10 iO CO ! •V a*°| - CO in 2 CN 3 CO CO CO OJ CD Cl 1 Cl CO H5 X 33 Cl Trans- porta- tion Cost per Child per Day CO (M co 10 -1" CI X CI CI s Cl 33 m Cl Cl Cl CN Cl CN 10 r~ CN -r 3d 03 r. > a '-- l> 10 X Cl Cl X 3- --- X 10 CO Num- ber Trans- ported 33 O 33 CO CN O CN CN r CN x CO Cl 32 CO 1C Cl ci 10 3! 2 Cl Cl Cl a~3 •- v .003 3 CO *5 ; O ; ! : co CO : 00 O 1 10 'O O CO OS CO ! U5 x i 3©1 O £'3 CO CI ■0 CI CO CO 00 Cl CN Cl CO CO O Cl Cl CO CN uO X Cl o ci Cl -- 3 Cl -J a 3 rj s M a 00 a 01 3 O 60 C O ""J O -0 a 33 J3 a, 3 -a a J3 C_ C — 3 05 -a a. a 03 JX _3 a a -3 a C3 « *E "0 T3 3 03 « "E ■0 3 03 .0 ^4 S ci = _4 Cl - -3 03 -* c "* 5 S 3 a^ -^3 - c3 B CJ 03 35 - > 03 3 3 35 S3 > =3 3 - 3 33 03 3 3 35 V2 -0 B -3 -0 3 T3 -d 3 -6 -a ■0 ~6 a C 3 d 71 03 Ee 03 03 5 is "0 O J3 u CO c 1 a s 3J = is 3 3 CJ _3 3 3 -' 5> 3 So 3 5. r. ai \ TJ 3 E 4 _c 3 H Cf — 3 a | : = 4.5 Mill Levy On Each SI. 00 (1919) 6 CDiq dec in iO 00 00 00 i j ; d CM CO 00 CM CM in oo in CO CO in d CO ci ca CJ "S a"° S'-S * 5 ca-O «" 3;3 "^ § > C o O gco' 3* go go ©o 05in i-l jo COP. eo^" o CO 05 co" o o o d co" iO m oo" oo i CO °i oo m m CO in d oo CO : d 00 CO CO oo" ■* CD o in d CO co o o OS ■* m t> co o oo co cm" r~ Tin oo" o m CO_ cm" o co o o in ■*" ro_; 00-3 0° a &§* c2°. OT «-*"co ■^05 HH 0Dc#t> o> en c3 -0 >> ; a o» S e o JS a 3 L. o a CO .3 CJ 3 u o o a 00 J2 3 O O a o J2 cj 3 o o a CO J3 o ca J3 O ON o CJ 23 *» o II a cs .-ICN M o 3 O o a r-I JA 3 o o a -« CO 11 CM-* a t> is C3 o «> 11 CS O -id 3. C^T ca ** -a IJ CN00 3 o is «« o CV> ll CMO Jin; 3 o-- aja ca m CM CM a o m ca S«5 ll HOI 3 o is a "".a O 05 II ^Ht-I 3 cj is ca O 4> ll CMi-H ^! cj ca J3 0) o CD CJ a o 1 co c; a h a CO Size of Con- solidated Area sq. miles o CO . CNO cooo o o CO CM o in d m in CO in d CO in CO CM m co m co co CO CO CO 00 CO m CM CM CO o ■CO o CO Far- thest Dis- tance miles d d CO IN i I> t> ; CO CD CO CD 05 CO 00 in CM in t> CD CO Aver- age Dis- tance of Routes miles 30 in d -t 00 m m CO CO m in iO rl< CO in ■ m CO OS m iq in in CO a~l ■* 00 o CO CN co m - CO OS r- ■* CN CN co o t^ •* CO m CO Trans- porta- tion Cost per Child per Day CO 3» CO CM co o ON o CO CM m o> CO co o o oo co oo co CO CM 00 m CM CO oo CM CM in C5 m oo OS m CM CO 05 o m in 00 CO CO IO Num- ber Trans- ported m el O oo O o CO oo O CO IO ■* m CM C35 o o CM CO CO m CO CM CO CO CM o m CM o CM o CN o o in LO CM CO 05 a o •- o 0) CJ ■0 03 3 bo o -* o CO o lO CO CO on CM CO ooW CM -= bo oo M CM" 1-5 c m ' CO ! CM : j ' 05 CO : 05 co j CM CJ a o z s o a O l. » o CM 00 o o oo — CO en o O CO m o m CO o o 1> o CM CM CO o o co o o o m IO CM o CM CM o 3 ■* © CD CM CD CM >> c 3 O U 6 o? a c CJ -a a o o a; -o e ca O o s -0 3 C8 -o Ja d o c3 ca h 3 O bO ca OCO 5 o 3 3 o 3 c3 -c IS ca a ca M >. ca -a a a est O 15 a C3 a a a o -3 ca 1-5 CD 05 J5 05 V cy 0) _Q 05 XI "oS CO -a ■- -= Si -a -a 'Tl C3 c o "3 u c o "o CJ _o "o CJ o "3 cj c3 > > a a a a a a a a O o IE O O O O O _o 15 O a a 05 a a a c a a Name of School « ca -a > a) a o 1=5 e Co « CO a CJ "3 -a B o > a o a a "3 8 ca C Is CO a '3 -a ca >. > K 3 O in ca a ca -*! O .2* fcs o H h CO 'a C3 a -o a ca U a o ca a o V o M ca 05 '> -2 "3. C3 u a o to a e 05 > w '5 -J 46 ADVANTAGES OF MOTOR TRANSPORTATION Motor transportation is rapidly coming to be the established method of transporting children to consolidated rural schools. Because of the recency of its adoption throughout the country — many schools having it this year for the first time — there is still much that can be done to make motor transpor- tation more efficient. Schools must learn through experience how best to man- age motor transportation in order to get the fullest results claimed for it. The school officials of the country are practically unanimous in the belief that motor transportation for the consolidated school is going to displace all other methods within a very short time. Parents are beginning to demand it for their children and many school officials are saying that they will invest no more money in horse-drawn vehicles. The advantages of motor transportation over the horse transportation are quite generally known and accepted. Some of the most outstanding advantages are: 1. There is a great saving in time. Children do not leave home so early in the morning nor return so late at night. In schools where horse-drawn vehicles are used, children often have to leave home as early as 6:00 A.M. and reach home at a correspondingly late hour. 2. More territory can be covered and longer routes can be established, making the larger and more desirable consolidation possible. Horse-hack routes are limited to five or six miles. 3. Fewer busses are required. The trustee of White River Township in Randolph County, Indiana, says, "One motor bus does the work of three horse hacks." 4. Children do not come to school worn out in the morning by one or two hours' travel on the road, as is the case with horse transportation. The motor bus can make 12 miles per hour, including stops. 5. While the initial cost of an auto bus greatly exceeds that of a horse- drawn vehicle, its operating expense usually is less if efficiently managed. 6. Children are not subjected to the "elements of the weather in winter to any appreciable extent. They are not on the road so long, and heating the auto bus by the exhaust from the engine has proved very practicable. 7. The service is much better in that the motor bus affords the maxi- mum of comfort. 8. Children like to ride to school in the auto bus. They are more contented and in a better mental condition upon arrival at school. 9. Motor transportation is more economic in that drivers can more easily follow some other occupation. Little time is spent in driving the auto bus, while horse-hack drivers feel that driving in itself is a day's work and charge accordingly. 10. A nine-month school term can more easily be maintained. Farmers do not like to drive or furnish horses except during the months from October to March, inclusive, when farm work is slack. 11. It is easier to get drivers since the owning of a team is no longer a prerequisite. 12. Salaries paid for driving are less. The work is more desirable and usually attracts a better type of men. Horse-hack drivers frequently "hold up" schools in the matter of salaries. 13. Daily attendance is more regular. 14. Children do not have to walk so far to meet the school bus because, with few exceptions, it is practicable to have the bus pass every farmhouse. 47 These children arrive at school dry and warm, ready to begin the day's work CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARIZATION From the extended investigations on which this bulletin is based, the following conclusions are drawn: Every state should provide state aid for consolidated schools. This will' give a greater equalization of taxes as well as educational opportunities. The consolidated school should be very decidedly a rural school and should be built in the open country or on the edge of the village. Every village or small town located in a farming section of the country ought to consolidate with the surrounding territory within a radius of four or five miles. By joining their efforts, both the village and farming community can have a better school with the same expenditure of funds. The course of study can be planned to meet the needs of both village and country, care being- taken not to educate away from the farm. Many consolidated school buildings are too small. The consolidated school grows rapidly, so the buildings should be made larger than conditions at first would seem to require. The consolidated area should be made large enough so that the school tax will not be excessive. The larger consolidation, ranging from 40 to 60 square miles, is proving to be the more satisfactory. The school should embrace a complete four-year high-school course. Every country boy and girl should be given a high-school education within easy reach of their homes. Consolidated schools are built for something more than mere school buildings. They should become, in every sense of the term, community centers. The farmers of the consolidated district should be made to feel that the school building is theirs for any purpose they wish to use it. 48 Orange Township School, near Waterloo, Iowa It seems quite essential that a law should be passed in each state, similar to that existing in Nebraska, which provides for the mapping out of the whole state into consolidated districts. Consolidation is helping very appreciably to solve the present day teacher shortage in that fewer teachers are required than with the one-room system. It is easier to attract good teachers to a consolidated school. The community should recognize the value of the teacher as a factor in permanent community life by erecting modern homes for both teachers and superintendent on or near the school campus. There is a great need at the present time for the right kind of men as com- munity leaders to become principals and superintendents of the consolidated schools. Provision should be made at our normal schools and colleges for the training of these leaders. The leaders of the future are undoubtedly the boys and girls who are being trained in the consolidated schools of today. Too many districts at the time of consolidating do not vote enough bonds. This places them under a permanent handicap. Superintendent's home at Orange Township School. Waterloo .Iowa 49 The most satisfactory type of consolidated school is planned to give the rural community just the kind of education required by an agricultural popula- tion. It should not be so practical, however, that it loses all that is cultural, but should fit the boys and girls for a happy and remunerative life in the country. Those contemplating consolidation should study the experience of other consolidated districts. The state laws on consolidation should be so revised as to permit districts voting on consolidation to count the votes as a whole, a majority of all deciding the issue. One small district should not be allowed to defeat consolidation. Rigid rules should be laid down relating to transportation. This problem should have the constant direction of a competent and wide-awake superin- tendent. Transportation should be furnished by public conveyance and all children should be hauled in busses owned by the district. No child should be made to ride in a bus over an hour. Districts should be rerouted as changes occur in the number and location of children. Many miles of hauling are saved by a careful study of routing. Drivers should be required to sign a contract and to give a bond. Contracts should not be let solely on a basis of competitive bidding. This method does not insure the best results. Character and quality of service are also impor- tant factors. It is a good policy to insure the school and the drivers against all possible accidents, securing protection not only against losses to the trucks, but pro- tecting against damage to life as well. Many responsible companies can be found that insure for a reasonable yearly premium. Schools, thus far, have not deemed insurance necessary, but when it is realized that one bad accident might result in lengthy litigation and cost the school board a large sum of money, insuring seems advisable. At the time of consolidating a number of one-room schools, provision should be made for the raising of sufficient money to purchase all transportation equipment. Increase the bond issue, if necessary, so that the entire initial cost can be met. There are many reasons why a large part of the cost of transporting children to and from school should be assumed by the Federal or State Govern- ment, if not by both. Since farmers must live at a distance from good schools in order to pursue the occupation of agriculture, the State and Federal Govern- ments should provide the same educational advantages for rural children that city children get, at least to the extent of giving them free transportation to and from the consolidated schools. In the United States approximately 2,000,000 children, living in 65,000 old rural school districts scattered in communities from Maine to California and from Minnesota to the Gulf, are now transported successfully to 13,000 consolidated schools. Many of the problems and difficulties of transportation are now being solved by the motor bus. No longer must routes be limited to six miles, nor are children required to ride as much as two hours to reach school as is fre- quently the case when horse-drawn vehicles are used. The motor bus will permit the formation of larger districts and larger districts should mean more and better consolidated schools. These in turn should make for better rural communities and a better rural citizenry. 50 BIBLIOGRAPHY The greater part of the literature on the consolidated school is to be found chiefly in the form of bulletins, pamphlets, and reports from the United States Bureau of Education at Washington and the State Departments of Education. A few of the best books that have appeared recently, and some of the bulletins and pamphlets, are listed for reference. Alabama. Department of Education. Consolidation of Schools and Transportation of pupils. Montgomery, Brown Printing Company (1917) 80 p. illus. (Bulletin No. 56.) Arp, Julius Bernhard. Rural Education and the Consolidated School. Yonkers-on-Hudson, N. Y., World Book Company. (1918) 212 p. illus. (School efficiency monographs.) Betts, George Herbert. The Consolidation of Rural Schools. In his "New Ideals in Rural Schools." Boston, New York (etc.), Houghton Mifflin Company (1913) p. 35-43. & Hall. Otis E. Consolidation and Rural School Efficiency. In their "Better Rural Schools." Indianapolis, The Bobbs- Merrill Co. (1914) p. 215-325. Campbell, Macy. The Consolidated School in Iowa. National School Building Journal, 1:7-12, August, 1919. Illus. Carney, Mabel. Consolidated Country Schools. In her "Country Life and the Country School." Chicago, Row, Peterson and Company (1912) p. 148-87. Challman, S. A. What Consolidation of rural schools means to the children and to the people of the country in equipment, including buildings, playgrounds, apparatus, and demonstration farm. American School, 3:363-65, December, 1917. The Rural School Plant. The Bruce Publishing Company, (1917). Crawford, R. P. Nebraska Farmer, Lincoln, Nebraska. Series of articles describing consolidated schools in Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Colorado, Indiana and Ohio. Cubberley, Ellwood P. Consolidation of Central Schools. In his "Rural Life and Education." Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin Company (1914) p. 230-55. Consolidation of schools. In "A Cyclopedia of Education" ed. by Paul Monroe. Vol. 2, New York, The Macmillan Company (1911) p. 185-89. Driver, Lee L. Rural School Consolidation. Pennsylvania School Journal, 67:352-56, February, 1919. Duke, Eugene Alberto. Do Better Schools Result from Con- solidation? American City (Town and County Ed.) 21:413-17. November, 1919. Illus. Consolidation in Oklahoma. Rural Centralized, Graded and Model Schools. Issued by R. H. Wilson, State Superintendent, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City, Warden Company, (1918) 89 p. illus. Eggleston, J. D. and Bruere, Robert W. Consolidation and Trans- portation. In their "The Work of the Rural School." New York and London, Harper & Brothers, (1913) p. 173-92. Finney, Ross L. and Schafer, Alfred L. The Administration of Village and Consolidated Schools. New York, The Macmillan Company. In preparation. Foght, Harold W. Coming of the Real Rural Community School. In his "The Rural Teacher and His Work." New York, The Macmillan Company, (1918) p. 176-93. Consolidation of Rural Schools. In his "American Rural School." New York, The Macmillan Company, (1910) p. 302-33. Rural Education. Washington Government Printing Office. (1919) 27. p. (U. S. Bureau of Education. Bulletin, 1919, No. 7.) Hood, William R. comp. In his "State Laws Relating to Education in 1915, 1916, and 1917." Washington, Government Printing Office, (1919) p. 131-39. (U. S. Bureau of Education. Bulletin. 1918, No. 23.) 51 Hugh, David D. Bulletin concerning rural schools and their consolidation. Greeley State Normal School of Colorado, (1909) 38 p. illus. (Bulletin, ser. IX, No. 4.) Illinois. Standard Elementary Schools. Department of Public Instruction, Springfield. Circular No. 144, 1920. One-Room and Consolidated Schools of Illinois. Depart- ment of Public Instruction, Springfield. Circular No. 124, 1917. Iowa. Better Rural Schools. Bulletin, May, 1919. Department of Rural Education. Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, Iowa. Kirkpatrick, M. G. The Rural School from Within. J. B. Lippincott Company, 1917. Knorr, George W. A study of 15 consolidated rural schools; their organization, cost, efficiency, and affiliated interests. Washing- ton, D. C, Southern Education Board, 1911. 55 p. illus. (Publication No. 6). McKeever, W. A. Farm Bovs and Girls. The Macmillan Company, 1913. Massachusetts. Board of Education. Consolidation of Schools, and transportation of pupils at public expense. In its "Report of the Commissioner," January, 1919. p. 36-56. Minnesota. Annual Report of the Rural School Commissioner, 1917, Department of Education, St. Paul. Missouri. The Rural School Messenger. Vol. IX, Bulletin No. 4, March, 1920. Published by the Division of Rural Education, State Teachers College, Kirksville, Missouri. New York. Elementary Education. Vol. II, 1917. The University of the State of New York, Albany. North Dakota. The Consolidation of Rural Schools in North Dakota. Prepared by N. C. Macdonald, Devils Lake, N. D., Journal Publishing Company, state printers, 1913. 33 p. illus. Annual Report of the State Inspector of Consolidated, Graded, and Rural Schools, 1919, State Board of Education, Bismark. Ohio. A Study of Rural School Conditions in Ohio. Department of Public Instruction, Columbus, 1920. Phillips, D. E. Rural Education and Consolidation. School and Society. 7:191-94, February 16, 1918. Preble County, Ohio. Superintendent of Schools. Annual Educa- tional Report, December, 1917. 120 p. illus. Rapeer, Louis W. The One-Story Rural Consolidated Building. American School Board Journal, 59: 37-39, 105, September, 1919. Rural school consolidation and national consolidation. Educational administration and supervision, 4:179-88, April, 1918. The Consolidated Rural School. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1920. 545 p. illus. Sargent, C. G. Description of the Sargent Consolidated School, Rio Grande County, Colorado. Rural Education, 1:8-13, December, 1919. Rural School Improvement in Colorado. Fort Collins, Colorado. Colorado Agricultural College, 1918, 62 p. illus. (Colorado Agricultural College Bulletin, ser. 17, No. 9, July, 1918.) Sims, N. L. Ultimate Democracy and Its Making. A. C. McClurg & Co., 1917. Steinmetz, C. P. America and the New Epoch. Harper & Brothers, 1916. Wilkinson, W. A. Rural School Management. Silver, Burdett & Company, 1917. Woofter, T. J. Teaching in Rural Schools. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1917. Von Tungeln, George H. A Rural Social Survey of Orange Town- ship, Black Hawk County, Iowa. Bulletin No. 184, December, 1918. Iowa State College of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa. 52 Program of the Firestone Ship by Truck Bureau To study the problems relating to the entrance on a sound business basis of the motor truck into our national commercial and economic life — To promote the use of the motor truck where it is economically feasible, — To analyze efficient cost, operating and business methods with a view to advocating their more general adoption — To plan cooperation with other forms or agencies of transportation so that our country may have a complete, efficient and economical scheme of trans- portation — To promote the construction and maintenance of roads, adequate for the proper use of the motor truck and the legitimate expansion of its service — To encourage uniform and suitable legislation relating to the use of motor trucks, trailers and the high- ways — To cooperate, when advisable, with other agencies having all of these policies or any one of them as their object — Bulletins issued by the Firestone Ship by Truck Bureau, copies of which may be obtained without cost by addressing the Bureau at its headquarters in Firestone Park, Akron, Ohio: Bulletin No. 1 — Ship by Truck Among Farmers Through Cooperative Associations. Bulletin No. 2 — How and Where to Establish Truck Routes. Bulletin No. Mines. Bulletin No. Truck. Bulletin No. 3 — The Motor Truck at the Coal The Farmer and the Motor 5 — Costs and Their Relation to Truck Transportation. i ! LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 021 302 968 Q The Sign of Good Trucking Service: Manufacture — Operation — Maintenance