PLAl] FOR ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS OF LINCOLN GO. V, Educational Publication No. 71 Division of School Organization No. 1 A County- Wide Plan for the Organization of the Schools of Lincoln County North Carolina Madb bt Geoege Howaed, Je., Director, Division of School Organization Lawrence L, Lohr, Assistant Supervisor of High Schools 1923 APPROYED BT The State Board for County- Wide Planning Library of the University of North Carolina Kndowed by the Dialectic and Philan- thropic Societies ri: .1 l*J' Educational Publication No. 71 Dwision of School Organization ■ No. 1 A County- Wide Plan for the Organization of the Schools of Lincoln County North Carolina Made by Geoege Howard, Jr., Director, Division of School Organization Lawrence L. Lohr, Assistant Supervisor of High Schools 1923 APPROVED BY The State Board for County- Wide Planning PUBLISHED BY THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION RALEIGH, N. C. INTRODUCTION At the invitation of the County Board of Education of Lincoln County, Dr. George Howard, Jr., of the State Department of Educa- tion, undertook to make a preliminary survey of the educational con- ditions of that county and to suggest to the County Board of Education a plan of organization for all the schools of the county. It was his purpose to collect only such facts as would hear directly on the plan of organization. This report, therefore, should not he considered as an exhaustive survey. The facts collected, however, are so pertinent to the main purpose of the survey and so lucidly stated and the suggested plan of organization so promising, that this report will he of great service not only to the County Board of Education of Lincoln County, hut will also serve as a guide to other superintendents and County Boards of Education who are planning a reorganization of their county schools. Every county has certain local situations that it must meet in its own way. Still the main principles of county-wide organization will be applicable to all counties. Eor this reason the State Department of Education is printing a considerable number of these bulletins for the use of County Boards of Education and County Superintendents in all the counties of the State. 8taie Swperint evident Public Instruction. To the Board of Education of Lincoln County: In the summer o£ 1923 you requested the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to have a study of your county made by some mem- ber of the State Department of Education, and have recommendations made to you in regard to the plan of county organization for Lincoln County. In accordance with this request, State Superintendent Allen assigned me to your county for the purpose of working out a plan as stated above. After a very careful study of your county, the suggested plan of organ- ization is herewith submitted. It is fully realized that the adoption of the plan rests entirely with the County Board of Education. The State law provides that each county must make out a county-wide plan of organization, and that all changes in district lines shall be made in accordance with this plan. In making the study of Lincoln County it was found that there were so few negro children in the county that it was thought best to make a separate report to the County Board of Education in regard to that. A sufficient amount of money has been put in the budget not only tor maintaining an efficient school system for the negro children, but also for improving the buildings in which they attend school. This report is in the hands of the County Board of Education. A number of tables showing the average daily attendance and enroll- ment in each school over a period of years, and other facts that were necessary to collect in order to make out this plan, are also in the hands of the County Board of Education. It was deemed unnecessary to publish in detail these tables and facts, as the essential material from them is given in this study as herewith submitted. This is not intended for an intensive survey of the school system of Lincoln County, and only those facts and material were gathered which would lead to the making out of an intelligent plan for the reorgani- zation of the county. Respectfully submitted, Geokge Howard, Jr., Director of School Organization. RAiiBiGH, N. C, January 1, 1924. CONTENTS Chapter Page I. Lincoln County,- Its Townships, Roads, Population, School Census and School Enrollment 7 Townships 7 Roads 7 Population 7 V, School Population 9 Average Daily Attendance Statistics 10 II. Lincoln County's Obligation to Its Boys and Gikls 12 Standard Elementary Education 12 Accredited High School 13 Comfortable, Sanitary Buildings 13 Educational Support 14 PART I HoAV is Lincoln County Meeting Its Obligation of Providing: III. Standard Elementary Education? 15 Teachers 16 Equipment 18 Term 18 IV. Standard High School Education? 26 V. Comfortable, Sanitary Buildings? - 28 VI. Educational Support From All the Taxable Property in the County? 39 The District Method 39 Special Taxing District 41 The County as the Unit 43 PARTn How can Lincoln County Meet Its Obligation of Providing: VII. Standard Elementary Education? 44 Location, Site, Buildings, Number Pupils, Teachers and Trucks for proposed elementary schools 47 VIII. Standard High School Education? 51 Location, Site, Buildings, Number Pupils, Teachers and Trucks for proposed Intermediate High Schools 53 Location, Site, Buildings, Number Pupils, Teachers and Trucks for proposed Senior High Schools 53 IX. Comfortable, Sanitary Buildings? 54 Types of Building 54 New Buildings 55 Service Equipment Installed 55 Cost 55 Recommendations for Building Program 56 X. Educational Support From All the Taxable Property in the County? 5S PART in XI. Important Recommendations 59 Transportation 59 General Recommendations 60 Supervision 60 Assistant Superintendent for Transportation 60 Sectional Superintendents 60 County Board of Education 60 Board of Education for Special Chartered District 60 XII. What Will it Cost Lincoln County to Meet Its Obligation? 61 LIST OF TABLES Table - Page I. Census Statistics for Each Townsliip in Lincoln County for Each Census Period 1890-1920 8 II. School Census Statistics for the Townships of Lincoln County, 1915 to 1923.-.. 10 III. Average Daily Attendance for the Townships of Lincoln County, 1915 to 1923 10 IV. Lincoln County Teachers, 1922-23 16 V. Certificates Held by Teachers in Lincoln County, 1922-23 17 VI. Lincolnton Teachers, 1922-23 17 VIl. Enrollment in the Schools of Lincoln County by Grades Since 1912-13 19 VIII. Enrollment by Age and Grade 21 IX. Per Cent of Total Number of Children in Each Grade Who Are Under Age, Normal Age, and Over Age 22 X. The Number and Per Cent of Total Number of Children in Each Grade "Who Are Under Age, Normal Age and Over Age 25 XI. School Building Scores 30 XII. Valuation Per Pupil Enrolled and Valuation Per Teacher for Each of the Local Tax Districts of Lincoln County, 1922-23 40 XIII. Valuation Per Pupil Enrolled and Valuation Per Teacher for Each of the Townships of Lincoln County, 1922-23 41 ILLUSTRATIONS Figures 1. Map of Lincoln County Opposite page 7 2. Population Chart by Townships 9 3. Average Daily Attendance of Each Township in Lincoln County 11 4. School Map of Lincoln County, Giving Name of School, Number of Teachers and Enrollment, 1922-23 Opposite page 15 5. Schools of Lincoln County With Two Mile Circle Drawn Around Them Opposite page 16 6. Grade Progress of 910 Pupils Who Were in the First Grades of Lincoln County in 1912-13 : 20 7. Per Cent of Pupils That are Over Age, Normal Age and Under Age in Each Grade of the Schools of Lincoln County 24 8. School Building Scores 35 9. Valuation in Each Township for Each Pupil Enrolled, and Valuation in Each Township for Each Teacher 42 Proposed Elementary Centers for Lincoln County Opposite page 51 Proposed High School Centers for Lincoln County Opposite page 54 Location of Stroup School 27 North Brook Consolidated School 27 Bakers School — : 31 Howards Creek Consolidated School 31 Union Consolidated School 32 Fairview School - - 32 Beatty's Ford School - 33 Stroup School 33 Interior Signboard School 37 Some Old School Desks —. : 37 Signboard School 38 Toilet at Lowesville School 38 10. 11. Plate I A. B II A. B III A. B. IV A. B. VA. B VIA. B LINCOLN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA o FlGURt c A COUNTY- WIDE PLAN FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SCHOOLS OF LINCOLN COUNTY CHAPTER I LINCOLN COUNTY, ITS TOWNSHIPS, ROADS, POPULATION, SCHOOL CENSUS AND SCHOOL ENROLLMENT Lincoln County, North Carolina, lies in what is known as the Pied- mont section of the State. It is in nearly all respects a typical county of the Piedmont section. TOWJfSHIPS There are five townships in Lincoln County, each township run- ning the full length, north and south, of the county. The western township is from Indian Creek west to the county line, and is known as North Brook. Howard's Creek Township is bounded on the west by Indian Creek and on the east by the south fork of the Catawba River to the point where Howard's Creek enters this stream, and thence by a straight line due south. Lincolnton Township is bounded on the west by the Howard's Creek Township line just described, and on the east by a line run- ning north and south about two and one-half miles from the town of Lincolnton. Ironton Township extends from this eastern boundary of Lincolnton Township to a north and south line approximately seven, miles from the Catawba River. Catawba Springs Township extends from this boundary of Ironton Township eastward to the Catawba River, which is the county boundary line. ROADS Lincoln County has a splendid sj^stem of roads. The board of county commissioners are very far-seeing and progressive, and have authorized the issuance of county bonds to complete additional hard-surface roads. The State Highway Commission is also build- ing hard-surface roads in Lincoln County. When this county pro- gram and State program are completed Lincoln County will have an excellent system of roads. Most of the roads in the countj^ are gravel, and are in splendid condition. POPULATION The people of Lincoln County are from thrifty, industrious, Anglo- Saxon stock. There are no cities in the county. The county-seat, the town of Lincolnton, is a very progressive community of about five thousand people. 8 Lincoln County Schools North Brook Township. North Brook Township is purely agricul- tural. About half of the land is cultivated by owners and the other half by tenants. The population has shown an increase of 525 people in the last thirty years, or since 1890, a growth from 1,956 to 2,481. Howard's Creek Township. This township is also agricultural. Its total population has increased from 2,538 in 1890 to 2,854 in 1920, or an increase of 316. Lincolnton Township. This township includes the town of Lincoln- ton, and together with the town has shown a steady growth since 1890. Its population in 1890 was 3,807 and in 1920 was 6,829. In area it is the smallest township in the county, but contains practically all of the railroad mileage in the county, and is the industrial center for Lincoln County. The south fork of the Catawba River furnishes water-power for mills and its sides from Lincolnton to the Gaston County line are lined with various cotton mills. Ironton Township. Ironton Township is agricultural. Its popula- tion has increased from 2,084 to 2,854, or an increase of 770 since 1890. The southwestern corner of the township is crossed by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Catawba Springs Township. Catawba Springs Township has de- creased in population from 3,243 to 2,852, or a loss of 391 smce 1890. It is strictly agricultural. The( following table will show the population of Lincoln County by townships for the last four census periods. TABLE I Census Statistics for Each Township in Lincoln County for Each Census Period, 1890 to 1920 1890 1900 1910 1920 Catawba Springs Township, including Denver town . 3,058 185 2,538 3,591 199 2,765 3,536 282 2,894 175 2,846 107 5,355 2,413 2,501 2,852 Howard's Creek Township, including Grouse town . 2,854 2,084 2,359 2,846 Lincolton Township, including Lincolnton town 2,950 957 1,956 4,427 828 2,356 6,829 2,481 12,586 15,498 17,132 17,862 *Incorporated. in 1907. tincorporated in 1909. County-wide Plan of Organization The population of the county as a whole has increased from 12,586 in 1890 to 17,862 in 1920. It is evident that the large part of this growth was due to the growth of the city of Lincolnton. On the basis of the above table showing the census of each town- ship in the county since 1890, an estimate was made of the population that might be expected by townships in 1940 on the basis of the population since 1890. On Figure 2 the straight lines represent the estimated population of each township. SCHOOL POPULATION The school population, according to the census statistics for the schools of Lincoln County since 1915, has shown somewhat the same trend as the population statistics given above. The school census of Lincolnton Township, while it has shown a steady rise, has not increased as much as the population census. The following table gives the school census for each township* of Lincoln County from 1915-16 to 1922-23. 10 Lincoln Cotjnty Schools TABLE II School Census Statistics fok the Townships of Lincoln County, 1915 to 1923 North Brook Township Howard's Creek Township. . Lincolnton Townshipf Ironton Township Catawba Springs Township. County 1915 1916 568 1,083 874 774 723 4,022 1916 1917 810 1,041 892 680 733 4,156 1917 1918 864 1,025 929 674 816 4,308 1918 1919 878 1,062 934 670 805 4,399 1919 1920 1,120 1,047 757 712 4,530 1920 1921 914 1,230 1,045 849 697 4,735 1921 1922 921 1,292 1,191 910 722 5,036 1922 1923 1,177 1,043 919 815 4,832 *The figures given here are for townships. Figures for each scliool district in the county are in the hands of the county board of education.. fFigures do not include the city schools of Lincolnton. AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE STATISTICS The average daily attendance in the schools of Lincoln County has had an increase from 2,486 in 1915-16 to 3,029 in 1922-23. The aver- age daily attendance showed a decrease during the period 1916 to 1919-20, but a substantial increase since that period. The average daily attendance in the schools of each township* is given in the fol- lowing table. Figure 3 shows graphically the figures of the table given below. TABLE III Average Daily Attendance for the Townships of Lincoln County, 1915 TO 1923 1922 1923 North Brook Township Howard's Creek Township.. Lincolnton Townshipf Ironton Township Catawba Springs Township. County 1915 1916 1916 1917 1917 1918 1918 1919 1919. 1920 1920 1921 1921 1922 447 453 506 510 495 540 584 679 651 608 619 627 752 814 . 511 516 485 452 526 596 654 428 384 345 337 419 456 559 421 447 419 326 391 385 428 2,486 2,451 2,363 2,244 2,458 2,729 3,039 563 815 617 523 511 3,029 *Figures for each school district are in the hands of the county board of education. fFigures do not include the city schools of Lincolnton. County-wide Plan of Organization 11 In summing np the population, school census, and average daily attendance statistics for Lincoln County we reach the following conclusions : 1. There has been no substantial increase in population in any town- ship in Lincoln County, except Lincolnton Township. 2. The school census has had only a very slight increase since 1915-16. 3. The average daily attendance in the schools of Lincoln County has increased about 22 per cent since 1915-16. CHAPTER II LINCOLN COUNTY'S OBLIGATION TO ITS BOYS AND GIRLS Lincoln County is under obligation to the boys and girls to provide : 1. A standard elementary education for every boy and girl in Lincoln County. 2. An accredited high school available to every boy and girl in Lincoln County. 3. A comfortable, sanitary building for every boy and girl in Lincoln County. 4. That the education of every boy and girl in Lincoln County be supported by all the taxable property in the county. STANDAKD ELEMENTARY EDUCATION Teacher, A standard elementary school must have a welltrained. competent teacher. All who have made a study of the preparation of teachers agree that it requires at least two years of professional study and training above high school to adequately prepare an elementary teacher. Occasionally an individual is found who with less prepara- tion than this makes a success of teaching. Nevertheless, other things being equal, a teacher with this two years of preparation will do much more efficient teaching than the teacher without the preparation. Also, the teacher who is succeeding without preparation would do more effective teaching with additional preparation. It would be difficult to emphasize too strongly the necessity of requiring adequate preparation for the elementary teachers. The teacher is the vital, essential factor in a good school, and it is of primary importance that every elementary teacher be well prepared and equipped for her great task. Teaching Load. With competent teachers the schools should be organized so as to secure the best results from the teachers. Rural teachers have been required to teach so many grades that it has been impossible for them to do efficient work in any. Other things being equal, the best results will be attained when elementary schools are large enough to provide a sufficient number of pupils to justify a teacher teaching only one grade. Equipment. It would be false economj^ to secure a competent teacher, organize the school so as to have her teach only one grade, and then fail to provide the necessary and essential teaching equip- ment. Teaching equipment requires a very small outlay of expendi- ture, but is a most important factor in effective teaching. Teaching without maps, charts, libraries and the like equipment is not only difficult, but generally ineffective and barren in results. County-wide Plan of Organization 13 Term. The State Course of Study for Elementary Schools is based upon an eight months school term. The average child will take eight months to complete each elementary grade. A pupil should have eight mouths iu the fourth grade before promotion to the fifth ; eight months in the fifth grade before promotion to the sixth, and so on for each elementary grade. If the term is shorter than this, the average boy or girl will not be able to make a grade each year. With the requirement of eight months for each grade, it takes fifty-six months of schooling for a pupil to complete the elementary school. With an eight months term a pupil can complete the required work in seven years, but if only a six months term is provided it will require a pupil nine years and two months to finish the elementary school. The result of the short term is that many of the boys and girls drop out of school even before completing the elementary school, and that they are so old by the time they are prepared for high school that it is impossible for them to attend because of economic reasons. One of the main causes for so few boys and girls entering and completing the high schools is the fact that with a six months term it takes them so long to become ready for high school. It is unfair to the boys and girls to be handi- capped in this way, and Lincoln County is under obligation to them to provide an eight months school term. Our standards for elementary education will then be at least : 1. A competent teacher teaching only one grade ; 2. Adequate teaching equipment ; 3. Eight months term. ACCREDITED HIGH SCHOOL Lincoln Countj^ owes every boy and girl an opportunity of attend- ing an accredited high school. This high school should meet, in full, the State requirements for an accredited high school. These stand- ards as set! forth an page eight in the pamphlet "Standardization and Classification of Public Schools in North Carolina," are as follows: a. Four year course of study. b. Length of term — 8 months. c. Four whole-time teachers, one of whom may be a teacher of vocational subjects. d. Length of recitation periods, at least 45 minutes. e. Fifteen units for graduation. f. Laboratory facilities for teaching science. g. Library of not fewer than 300 volumes. COMFORTABLE, SANITARY BUILDOG For a school building to be comfortable and sanitary does not mean that it must be elaborate and luxurious. Comfortable, sanitary, and 14 Lincoln County Schools safe school buildings can be built economically. The health and well- being of boys and girls should not be constantly jeopardized by requiring them to attend schools in buildings that are unhygienic. Classrooms. The room in which a child must study and work for six hours a day should be so constructed that it will not injure the child physically. Elementary pupils are called upon to use their eyes constantly, and so there should be sufficient light coming into the room from the proper way. Those who have studied the matter carefully say that there should be at least one-fourth as much window area as floor area, and that the light should come from the left. The health of the pupil certainly demands that the room be well heated and ventilated. This requires an adequate heating plant. Water Facilities. A safe and adequate water supply with sanitary and clean drinking facilities should be provided. Toilets. Wherever possible, water-flushed toilets should be installed in the school buildings. The toilets should at least meet all the requirements of the State Board of Health. A comfortable, sanitary building would be one that would meet these requirements : 1. Standard classrooms — a. Adequate floor and air space. b. Well lighted. c. Well heated and ventilated. 2. Sanitary water facilities. 3. Sanitary toilet facilities. EDUCATIOJfAL SUPPORT The County of Lincoln should be the unit for the support of the education of every boy and girl within the county. It is only by this county' system of support that it will be possible to meet the first three obligations that the county owes to its boys and girls. There are such inequalities in the amount of taxable property to support education in the districts and also in the townships that the only just and equitable basis for school support is the county. These facts will be presented later in detail. LINCOLN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA FI&URE. 4 © ® ® ® © Howardk Cre^k Con. ® ©" ® © © © ©' © ® © © ® © w w © £/tJOtr ff0C/rJprJ^j^C 54 49 46 46 48 53 46 47 70 59 50 50 25 55 40 40 50 52 36 41 34 35 35 37 36 30 27 32 21 27 26 24 16 170 183 185 155 165 148 95 98 92 108 113 119 82 78 76 93 80 55 72 76 69 65 68 65 68 66 52 80 48 39 40 49 50 39 43 45 45 48 39 49 32 36 35 33 24 27 31 22 179 167 167 153 149 160 114 103 96 94 109 89 116 66 77 98 81 56 85 71 68 90 71 64 47 55 ■ 64 87 55 46 47 32 44 43 45 44 41 52 44 40 42 34 32 38 28 31 30 24 117 112 109 110 87 116 95 86 85 95 65 58 54 51 57 53 41 62 54 51 48 44 45 37 44 34 34 45 44 46 32 24 27 42 34 30 27 33 29 35 39 26 21 27 31 25 26 29 90 80 80 57 50 50 40 40 50 30 18 28 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 • 18 18 18 18 13 20 18 10 18 18 40 20 '18 23 20 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 68 70 75 47 50 43 48 "50 40 18 30 33 40 13 32 19 40 8 20 30 34 19 23 6 13 801 775 775 668 5. Laboratory 641 639 7. Crouse 535 515 477 469 11. Barnes 12. Laurel Hill 462 449 13. Hickory Grove 411 14. Rock Springs H. S. 377 371 16. Pine Grove . - - - 346 17. Triangle 18. Salem 330 315 315 309 21. Webbs . - 300 22. Greenwood 23. Flint Hill 301 294 294 288 278 275 28. Mount Zion 268 29. Shrum . 269 246 243 242 236 34. Elm Grove - 226 35. Elbow School .-. 228 36. Hoyles .. 212 209 206 39. McLeans 202 40. Trinity ._. 193 179 42. Laurel Hill 176 43. David's Chapel 162 44. Wilson's 163 45. Bakers . 153 151 47. Buffalo 132 48. Beatty's Ford 118 Lincoln County PLATE II -KO PLAYGKOUND, ALTHOUGH IN THE OPEN COUNTRY; NO ATTRACTIVENESS, ALTHOUGH SURROUNDED BY NATURE'S BEAUTY. -THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND SCHOOL IN A BUILDING LIKE THIS SHOULD BE GIVEN every boy and girl in Lincoln county, not JUST A FEW of THEM. Lincoln County PLATE III -ONE OF THE FIRST MODEKN BUILDINGS IN THE COUNTY. SHOULD NOT BE CONFINED TO A FEW. SUCH ADVANTAGES B — THE BOYS AND 6IBLS GET THEIR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF CITIZENSHIP IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SHOULD LINCOLN COUNTY BE SATISFIED WITH THIS? Lincoln County PLATE IV A THIS BUILDING SCORED 119 POINTS OUT OF A POSSIBLE 1,000. B LINCOLN COUNTY SHOLT.D NOT EDUCATE ITS FUTLTiE CITIZENS IN SUCH A PLACE AS THIS. 34 Lincoln County Schools In interpreting the scores made on this score-card it will be well to note that any building that scores less than 400 will not meet any requirements of a comfortable, sanitary building, and the county board of education would be justified in making provision to replace any building that scored less than 400 points. Buildings scoring be- tween 400 and 500 points may, by substantial improvements, be made to meet the requirements for a modern, sanitary building. Buildings between 500 and 600 should be improved, for with very little expend- iture they could be made to meet the building standard. The board should take every step necessary in order to bring these buildings that will have to be used for a few years up to at least a score of 800 on this score-card. Figure 8 shows the score for each building in Lincoln County. Location and Site. The county board of education has been show- ing unusually fine judgment in the selection of the sites for most of the buildings in the county. The locations of the buildings in nearly every case score very high. The sites of the buildings are well selected, but very little improvement had been made on the grounds, and so did not score as high as these same sites will score when some atten- tion is paid to the beautification of the grounds. There was an al- most utter lack of playground equipment, there being only a few pieces of home-made equipment found in the county. A beginning had been made in providing basketball equipment, but this should be extended and equipment provided, especially for the lower grade pupils. Buildings. The newer buildings have been well constructed and well planned, and while there is nothing elaborate or luxurious about them, they are comfortable and sanitary. The county board of edu- cation has been extremely wise in the type of buildings that it has been constructing within the past few years. This is especially true of North Brook, Catawba Springes, and Howard's Creek Consolidated buildings. Classrooms. The classrooms in the buildings that have scored be- low 400 should be abandoned as soon as possible. The classrooms in the newer type of buildings meet the requirements for a hygienic class- room, for they are well lighted and have sufficient floor space and air space for the number of pupils within the room. Many of the poorer type of buildings are very poorly lighted, poorly heated, and should be abandoned as soon as possible. County-wide Plan of Organization 35 FIGURE 8 ^Cf/OOL BUILDING SCORES Perfect to North BrooK Con. 601 Cato who Springs Con ns /ioworc/Jt Creek Con. 7 7S Union Nigh School 666 Loborafory 641 Dak Grove 639 Croupe S3S L ov /Pernor io/ School SIS Dan ie Is 477 Aabury 4 6B Barnes 46Z Loure/ Hill iH.C.) 449 Hickory Grove 411 Rock Springs H-S. 377 J ran Sfof/on 371 Pine Gro ve 346 Triangle 330 Salem 3 IS Macedonia SIS L YVes vil/e 309 Webhs 306 Green wood 301 Flint Hill 294 Mounf-Qin V/en^ 294- Ridge Acodemj^ 286 Bushejj Pine Z7B Hoovers Z7S Mt. Zion Z68 Shrunk Z60 Lon^ Shoals 246 Southside 245 Fair y'eiY 242 Zion Z3C E/ny Grove 228 El bo Yf School 226 Ho^/es 21 Z Hebron 209 Graham Z06 li^Lean ZOZ Triniti/ 1 93 Stroup 1 73 Laurel Hi// (a/. B.) 1 7/ Da v/ds Chape/ 166 }Hilson's I6Z Bakers l£3 Sign board ISZ Buffa/o 136 Beotty's Ford J 19 36 Lincoln County Schools Equipment. This item on the score-card was one that brought down the score of practically every building in the count}'. • Very little in the way of equipment has been provided. Any plan for the reorganization of the schools of Lincoln County will of necessity carry recommendations for improved equipment. Outside Equipment. One of tlie main items of the outside equip- ment is a sanitary water supply. In most of the new buildings Delco systems have been installed, and there are drinking fountains for the children. Thirty-one per cent of the pupils of the county are going to schools in which no. provision at all has been made for water. Twenty out of the forty-eight buildings have absolutely no water fa- cilities on the grounds. Toilets. In the newer buildings that have been built adequate and sanitary toilet facilities have been provided. In a few of the other buildings some arrangement has been made, but in nineteen of the schools to which 26 per cent of the pupils of the county go, abso- lutely no provision has been made for toilets. It will be seen from the total scores of the school buildings for the county that thirty-five of the forty-eight school buildings in Lincoln County scored less than 400, and that nine of the buildings scored less than 200. Steps should be taken to eliminate these buildings just as soon as possible. The reorganization program, which will be dis- cussed later, will provide for the abandonment of most of these schools. LiNCOiiN County PLATE V A UNATTRACTIVE, UNINVITING, IT^hYGIENIC, UNWHOLESOME. NOTICE THE UTTER LACK OF EQUIPMENT EVEN USABLE BLACKBOARDS. . \ -ONLY A FEW OF THESE OLD DESKS ARE TO BE FOUND IN LINCOLN COUNTY, BOYS AND GIRLS HAVE TO SIT ON THESE FOR SIX HOURS A DAY. BUT Lincoln County PLATE VI A — ""A LITTLE HOUSE ON A LITTLE GROUND. WHERE A LITTLE TEACHER, AT A LITTLE SALARY FOR A LITTLE WHILE, TEACHES LITTLE CHILDREN LITTLE THINGS." B TWENTY-SIX PER CENT OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS IN LINCOLN COUNTY ATTEND SCHOOLS WITH NO TOILETS. MANY OTHERS ATTEND SCHOOLS WITH TOILETS LIKE THIS. CHAPTER VI DOES ALL THE TAXABLE PROPERTY IN LINCOLN COUNTY SUPPORT THE EDUCATION OF EVERY BOY AND GIRL IN THE COUNTY? The School Law of North Carolina and the Constitution of the State provide that the schools of the State shall be run for six months in each year. In order to maintain this six months school term the county is made the agent for carrying out the terms of the Con- stitution and the law. All of the property within each county is taxed at a uniform rate of taxation for the support of all the schools of the count}^ for a period of six months. This six months term, however, as we have shown above, is decidedly inadequate, and the schools of the county should run for at least a period of eight months. In order to maintain a school system of eight months there are three methods that may be adopted by the county to provide sufficient funds to provide for a term longer than the constitutional six months. 1. Each district in the county may vote a local tax, the proceeds of which are used within the district itself. 2. Two or more districts may form a special taxing district, and thus provide a larger unit of taxation than the district. This unit may be as large as a township, or may embrace two or more townships. 3. The county may be made the unit of taxation and administration. Each one of these methods will be discussed briefly with a view to ascertaining whether equality of educational opportunity can be secured by any one of the methods. THE DISTRICT METHOD The School Law has provided that a district may be laid off and that this district may vote a local tax to supplement the six months school term, and provide other necessary essentials for the schools. The districts in Lincoln County vary in the amount of taxable prop- erty within the districts from $96,000 to $4,934,000. The amount of taxable property within a district, however, is no indication of the ability of that district to support education, nor the needs of that dis- trict for educational support. It will be necessary for us to divide the valuation of property within a district by the number of pupils that are enrolled in the schools of the district. This will give us a very good indication of the ability of the district to provide education for its pupils, for it will indicate the amount of taxable property that the district has for the support of the education of each pupil in the district. 40 Lincoln County Schools Another very good indication of the ability of the district to sup- port education will be the amount of taxable property for the support of each teacher that it is necessary for the district to employ. Table XII gives this valuation per pupil enrolled and valuation per teacher for each of the local-tax districts in Lincoln County. TABLE XII Valuation Per Pupil Enkolled and Valuation Per Teacher for Each of the Local Tax Districts of Lincoln County, 1922-23 DISTRICT Rock Springs Catawba Springs Triangle McLeans Lowes ville Asbury Iron Oak Grove Love MemoriaL. Grouse Daniels Howard's Greek. Ridge Union North Brook Lincolnton Valuation 479,338 386,293 128,628 142,. 554 167,220 600, 106 158,029 331,463 458,222 277,284 378,444 395,101 96,763 249,355 349,106 4,934,514 Enrollment 1922-23 315 151 73 52 70 221 112 109 155 182 124 200 145 163 231 849 Valuation Per Pupil Enrolled 1,522 2,558 1 , 762 2,741 2,389 2,715 1,410 3,040 2,956 1,523 3,052 1,975 667 1,529 1,511 5,812 Number Teachers Valuation Per Teacher 53,259 96,573 64,314 142,554 83,610 120,021 52,676 110,487 152,740 55,456 94,611 65,850 24, 190 49,871 49,872 170,155 The valuation per ]3upil enrolled varies in Lincoln County from $667 in Ridge Academy District to $5,812 in Lincolnton District. That is, there is approximately nine times the amount of taxable prop- erty behind each child in Lincolnton District as there is behind each child in Ridge Academy District. Tf the districts outside of the city of Lincolnton are considered, it is found that Daniels has $3,052 worth of taxable property for each pupil enrolled. This means that there is almost five times the amount of taxable property behind each child in the Daniels District a~s there is behind each child in the Ridge Academy District. The same inequalities exist if the valuation for each teacher is con- sidered. Lincolnton has $170,000 behind every teacher in their dis- trict, while Ridge Academy has only $24,000 for each teacher em- ployed. Within the county the amount of property behind every teacher varies from $24,000 in the Ridge Academy District to $153,000 in Love Memorial District. A consideration of this table and of these facts can bring but one conclusion — there can be no equity of educational support or of educational opportunity if the district plan of support is used. CouNTi'-wiDE Plan of Oroanization 41 SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICT If as large a unit as a township is taken for the special taxing dis- trict, the same inequalities exist that were found under the district plan. Four of the townships in Lincoln County have approximately the same valuation for each child enrolled in the schools, but the fifth township has more than twice the valuation for each child that is found in any other township in the county. The average valuation for each child in the entire county is $3,124.70, and this should be the valuation that should support the education of every child in Lin- coln County. If the valuation per teacher is considered, the same inequalities exist. Lincolnton Township has $177,000 worth of taxable property to support each teacher teaching within the township, while North Brook Township has only $62,959. The inequality in the valuation in each township for each pupil enrolled and for each teacher em- ployed is shown on Table XIII and Figure 9. Equality of educa- tional support and of educational opportunity cannot be obtained if the special taxing district is used. TABLE XIII Valuation Per Pupil Enrolled and Valuation Per Teacher for Each of the Townships of Lincoln County, 1922-23 TOWNSHIP Valuation Enrollment Valuation Per Pupil Enrolled Teachers Valuation for each Teacher $ 1,448,072 2,029,516 9,208,082 1,399,391 1,488,458 15,573,519 766 1,025 1,721* 746 726 4,984 $ 1,866.07 1,980.01 5,350.43 1,875.86 2,050.22 3,124.70 23 30 52* 20 18 143 S 62 959 65 Howard's Creek Lincolnton Ironton 67,650.53 177,078.50 69,969.55 82,692.11 108 905 1'> *Lincolnton included 42 Lincoln County Schools Cou^^TY-wiDE Plan of Organization 43 THE COUNTY AS THE UNIT In order to give everj^ boy and girl in Lincoln County a standard elementary education and an accredited high school and comfortable, sanitarj" buildings, it will be necessary for the County as a whole to assume this obligation. Every child in Lincoln County, no matter in what part of the county he lives, should be given these educational advantages, and all of the property of Lincoln County should support the education of every boy and girl within the county. It is unjust and unfair to penalize a boy or girl within the county and deny him educational opportunities because he happens to live in a Aveaker dis- trict. It is unjust and unfair to insist that a citizen of Lincoln County shall pay an exceedingly heavy rate of taxation to pro- vide educational opportunities for his boys and girls, while another citizen of Lincoln County that happens to live in a more favored dis- trict pays a very low rate of taxes to provide the same educational opportunities for his children. There should be the same rate of taxes over the entire county, and every boy and girl within the county should be provided with adequate educational opportunities. This can only be done when the county is made the unit of taxation and administration and the education of every boy and girl within the county supported by the taxable wealth of the county as a whole. PART II HOW CAN LINCOLN COUNTY MEET ITS OBLIGATION TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS? CHAPTER VII HOW CAN LINCOLN COUNTY PROVIDE EVERY BOY AND GIRL IN THE COUNTY WITH A STANDARD ELEMENTARY EDUCATION? There are too many one- and two-teacher schools in Lincoln County at present for the boys and girls to have the advantage of standard elementary education. The inefficiency of these schools has been shown by this study. If Lincoln County is to provide a standard ele- mentary education for all the boys and girls in the county, it will be necessary to select certain centers and organize elementary schools in these centers. A very careful study has been made in regard to the location of the elementary centers for Lincoln County. The census, enrollment, and average daily attendance for all the schools in the county for the past ten years have been studied. It is essential that the elementary school be located in a center that is large enough to have a stable, perma- neaat school population and not be affected or influenced by the mov- ing of the patrons each year. In addition to a careful study of each one of the districts in the county, the following principles were adopted for the location of the elementary schools : 1. The school should he large enough to assure educational efficiency. There are many factors that contribute toward making a school ef- ficient. The preparation of the teachers, the organization of the school, the length of term, and the equipment all play an important part in making the elementary school efficient. This efficiency is not due to any one of these factors alone. We could not have an efficient school if we provided a well trained teacher, but only provided a six months term. We. could not have an efficient school if we provided a well trained teacher and at the same time gave her so many grades to teach, or so many pupils to teach, that it was impossible for her to get good educational results. Our schools should at least have well trained teachers, an eight months term, and good educational equipment. It is very difficult to secure and provide these factors in the small elementary schools as they are organized at present in Lincoln County. In addition to the good teacher, the longer term and the equipment, our schools should at least be organized as follows : a. Each teacher should teach only one grade. The best educational results have been obtained in schools which County-wide Plan of Oe«anization 45 were so organized that each teacher had only one grade. This allows sufficient time for recitations, for supervised study, and for the neces- sary- individual attention to the pupils. The schools of Lincoln County need this better type of organization. It is essential that the teachers teaching first-grade work teach only one grade. A study of Table VII, page 19, shows the exceedingly large number of boys and girls in the first grades of Lincoln County. Since 1912-13 there has been practically twice the number of boys and girls in the first grade as in the second. With an adequate term and a competent teacher teaching only one grade, these boys and girls will progress normally through the grades, and very soon there will be an almost even distribution in each of the elementary grades. Most of the schools of Lincoln County luider the proposed plan will have a teacher for each of the elementary grades. The centers that have been selected for elementary schools will provide within a few years enough pupils so that all of the schools in the county will reach this standard. It would be too expensive to put this organiza- tion of one teacher to each grade into effect at once ; but even now the board should not allow a teacher to teach more than two grades. With the better distribution of the pupils in the elementary grades that will follow the proposed organization, it will only be a few years before all of the schools of the county will be so organized as to have one teacher for each grade. b. No ieacher should he required to teach more than an average daily attendance of thirty-five pupils. In the standard above we have provided that no teacher shall be overcrowded and handicapped with too many recitations and grades. It is possible to so overcrowd a teacher with pupils that she is unable to do efficient work, or to obtain satisfactory educational results. If the schools are so organized that a teacher shall have only one grade, it will be necessary to also provide that this teacher must not have to exceed thirty-five pupils in average daily attendance. c. There should he at least six grades in each elementary unit. Lender the proposed organization for Lincoln County there are no elementary school units teaching only two or three grades. It is believed that better educational results can be secured if the six ele- mentary grades are in one building rather than having small primary schools in other localities. Two of the schools proposed for Lincoln County will be at present smaller units, but there is eve»y reason to believe that these schools will be able to provide the six full grades in a verj short while. 2. Educational essentials must not he sacrificed for economy, hut edu- cational efficiency must he ohtained in the most economical way. The boys and girls must not be denied anything that is essential to their educational dcA^elopment, and at the same time the schools 46 Lincoln County Schools should be so organised as to secure the best educational results in the most economical way. It is false economy to attempt to organize the schools of Lincoln County in such a manner that the elementary schools do not meet the minimum requirements as just stated above. There should be absolutely no doubt in the minds of the people of Lincoln County in regard to the necessity of meeting these require- ments for standard elementary education. 3. Requirements for standard elementary schools should be met with as little transportation as possible. This does not mean in any sense that transportation is not satis- factory. Transportation is essential in order to develop standard rural schools. It does mean, however, that educational efficiency should be secured with as little transportation as possible. Trans- portation is expensive, and if the requirements are met for standard elementary schools in every case, it would be wise for the count}' board of education to use the money that would ordinarly be used for additional transportation for other purposes. In the proposed scheme for the reorganization of the elementary schools of Lincoln County, it is proposed that the elementary schools teach six grades, and that the seventh grade of the elementary school be taught in either the intermediate schools or the standard high schools. The seventh grade is a very critical year in the school life of a boy or girl. In this year they complete their elementarj' school work and complete their full preparation for high school. It is im- portant that everything be done to assure the very highest efficiency in this important year. For this reason it is proposed that the seventh grade be taught in the intermediate and standard high schools rather than in each one of the elementary schools. This organization will result in better educational opportunity for the seventh grade hoys and girls, for the following reasons : First. The teachers will be better prepared in each of the subjects that they teach. This will be possible because there will be a teacher who makes a specialty of teaching a certain subject or subjects, and can specialize in the teaching of this particular work. There would be such a small number of seventh-grade pupils at each of the elementary centers that it would be impossible to have the special teachers pre- paring the boys and girls in special subjects. Second. By this departmental method the pupils would become accustomed to the high school method of teaching. In the elementary schools usuallj* a teacher teaches all of the subjects that are taught in one grade. In high school the pupil may have a different teacher for each one of the subjects. This is quite a change to the pupil, although it yields better results. It will be quite an advantage to the seventh-grade pupil to accustom himself to this type of organization CoujN'ty-wide Plan of Organization 47 in the seventh year rather than waiting until he enters the high school grades. Third. With more seventh grade pupils brought to one central school there will be more opportunity for special classes for helping those who are behind with their work, and for giving more individual help to the pupils. Fourth, A larger per cent of the boys and girls will at- tend high school if the seventh grade is in the same unit with the high school. There might be a tendency on the part of a number of boys and girls to think that they had completed their schooling if they completed the elementary school and were not brought in very close touch and contact with the high school ; but if in the seventh year thej^ are thrown in daily touch with the high school and are con- stantly impressed with the fact that they have not completed the public school, they will be more apt to enter high school than they otherwise would. In the light of the above study, and guided by the above principles, it is recommended that the elementary schools of Lincoln County be located at the following points. The number of pupils and teachers have been determined by a very careful study of the enrollment in the public schools of Lincoln County for the school year 1922-23, and it is almost certain that the enrollment in the new type of school will be somewhat larger than this enrollment given below. Following the description given below is a map (Figure 10) showing the location of each one of the elementary schools. ELEMEJfTARY SCHOOLS Grades 1-6 NORTH NORTH BROOK: LocAXiOK — On main highway near Hull's Crossroad. Site — At least 10 acres. BuiLDiiVG — New building, Type I-B. Number Pupils — 174. Teachers — 5. Trucks — Use of high school truck from Taluca by Laurel Hill to school. CENTRAL NORTH BROOK: LdCATiox — On main highway near Dave Beam's Store, where County pro- posed hard surface road meets main Cherryville-Morganton road. Site — At least 10 acres. Building — New building. Type I-B. Number Fi^pils — 207. Teachers — 6. Trucks — None. SOUTH NORTH BROOK: Location — Present location. Site — Present site adequate. Building — Present building adequate. Heat to be installed. Number Pupils — 300. 48 Lincoln County Schools Teachers — Elementary 6. Trucks — 3. RIDGE ACADEMY: Location — Changed to Guess' Crossroad. Site — At least 10 acres. Building — New building, Type I-A. Number Pupils — 147. Teachers — 4. Trucks — None. UNION: Location — Present location. Site — Present site adequate. Building — Heating, water and toilet facilities to be installed. Number Pupils — Elementary, 170. Teachers — 5. Trucks — 2. DANIELS: Location — Present location. Site — Present site adequate. Building — Remodeled, heat, water and toilet facilities Installed. Number Pupils — 130. Teachers — 4. Trucks- — 1. HOWARD'S CREEK: Location — Present location. Site — Present site adequate. Building — Heat to be installed in present building. Number Pupils — 204. Teachers — 6. Trucks — 3. CROUSE: Location — Present location. Site — It will be necessary to purchase enough additional land to bring the present site up to ten acres. Building — New building. Type I-B. Number Pupils — 156. Teachers — 5. . . Trucks — None. OAK GROVE: Location — Present location. Site^ — Present site adequate. Building — Present build-ing satisfactory. Jacketed stoves. Number Pupils — 87. Teachers — 3. Trucks^ — ^None. LOVE MEMORIAL: Location — Present location. Site — Present site adequate. Building — Present building. Jacketed stoves installed in each room. Number Pupils — 141. Teachers — 4. Trucks — None. County-wide Plan of Organization 49 LABORATORY: Location — Present location. Site — Present site adequate. Building — Heat installed in present building. Number Fupils^ — 154. Teachers^ — 4. Trucks — None. >- LONG SHOALS-SOUTHSIDE: Location — On main road midway between the two present schools. Site — At least 10 acres. Building — New building, Type I-B. Number Pupils — 208. Teachers — 6. Trucks — None. ASBURY: Location — It is recommended that the location be moved as near as pos- sible to the fork of the road where the road from Denver meets the road leading to the present school. The building should be as near this point as possible to secure an ade- quate site. Site — Not less than 10, preferably 15 acres. Building — New building, Type II. Number Pupils — Elementary, 464. Teachers — 12. Trucks — 4. IRON STATION: Location — As near Iron Station as possible. Site — 10 acres. Building — New building. Type I-B. Number Pupils — 150. Teachers — 5. Trucks — One for use of both elementary and high school. ROCK SPRINGS CONSOLIDATED: Location — Present location. Site — Present site adequate. Building — New building. Type III. Number Pupils — Elementary, 250. Teachers — 7. Trucks — Elementary and high school, 6. CATAWBA SPRINGS: Location — Present location. Site — Present site adequate. Building — Heat to be installed in present building. Number Pupils — 153. Teachers — 5. Trucks — 1. HAGER'S: Location — In the southern part of Catawba Springs Township at Hager's Crossroad near the point where the road from McLean School meets the Lowesville-Denver road. Building — New building, Type I-A. Number Pupils — Approximately, 120. Teachers — 3. Trucks — No additional trucks for elementary school. High school trucks used as far as the school. 50 Lincoln County Schools These proposed centers will adequately provide a standard ele- menary education for all the boys and girls in Lincoln County with the two following- exceptions. It will be necessary for the board of education to follow the proposed plan for the districts of Pine Grove and Hickory G-rove and the present district of Triangle. It should only be used as a tem-perary measure and abandoned as soon as more definite information can be secured. 1. PINE GROVE AND HICKORY GROVE. These two schools are on the main State highway from Newton to Lincolnton. The highway is in process of being hard surfaced. It is impossible to definitely estimate the increase in school population on this main highway. It is suggested that the county board maintain the present schools, both of which are in comfortable buildings, for at least three years, until future developments point a way to a different course. 2. TRIANGLE. The situation at Triangle, and the territory east of Triangle to the Catawba RiA^er, presents a very difficult problem. The county board should temporarily maintain a school at Triangle. If the county provides better road facilities for the territory east of Triangle, it is possible that it will be necessary to place an elementary school at this point. It is difficult to say just how this situation will grow in the next few years. A light, horse-drawn transportation bus could be used in this district to very good advantage, for the distance is very short and the road only fair. Teachers. One of the most urgent needs of Lincoln County is that the standard of the elementary teachers be raised. This cannot be done all at once, but the board of education should attempt to em- ploy teachers holding higher grade certificates, and beginning with the next school term should not employ in the white schools of Lincoln County any teacher that does not hold at least an Elementary B State Certificate. Term. As soon as possible the term for each school in the county should be raised to at least eight months. It is suggested that instead of raising the term in most of the districts from six to eight months, ' that the term be raised some each year until the term of eight months is reached. This will give the patrons of the school a chance to adjust themselves to a longer length of term, and will work no hardships on any one. Supervision. Recommendations affecting the elementary schools will also be found in the recommendations made for the organization of the count V which are given a little later. LINCO LN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA FIGURL 10 O ol ^ IRON ST/tTWN \ CHAPTER VIII HOW CAN LINCOLN COUNTY PROVIDE EVERY BOY AND GIRL WITH AN ACCREDITED HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION? In providing high school instruction for every boy and girl in Lincoln County, the county board of education must decide as to whether they will offer this instruction in small high schools with few teachers, few pupils and few courses, or in a larger type high school adequately equipped, with a large number of pupils and sufficient number of teachers to offer a large variety of courses. It is strongly reoommended that the Board adopt the larger type of school as the high school program in Lincoln County. Educational Opportunity. The modern high school must offer a sufficient number of courses to meet the needs of the pupils it is de- siring to serve. In order to give these courses on an economical basis, the high school must have a rather large number of pupils. Some of the boys and girls that attend high school will upon graduation at- tend college. Some of the boys and girls upon graduation will be re- quired to engage in some industry or occupation. It is the duty of the high school to see that the pupils in each of these groups are fully equipped for their future tasks. All of the high schools in Lincoln County should offer vocational courses, especially in Agriculture and Home Economics. These studies have long since proven their value, and have become an essential part of the educational opportunities offered in rural high schools. The Division of Vocational Education sayjs that it is almost impossible to secure enough pupils to justify having the vocational subjects taught, unless the total enrollment in the high school is as much as one hundred. The larger type high school is able to secure, both principals and teachers, the better prepared and more experienced teachers. It is possible to have a much better organization of classes, much better equipment, and usually better living conditions in the larger type school ; and this with other reasons makes it much easier for the larger type of school to secure the choice teachers for their subjects. An essential part of high school education today is the extra curri- cula activities — those activities of a school that are carried on that are extra or beyond the regular program of work. These extra curricula activities may include athletics, literary and debating society work, and all forms of student activity. The small type high school offers absolutely no facilities for these essential things, whereas in the larger type high school they play a most important and essential part in the development of the student. 52 Lincoln County Schools Economy. The small type high school must either offer a very meager program of studies or have a very high per pupil cost for in- struction. The high school instruction has always been the most ex- pensive part of the educational system. The classes are smaller, the teachers as a rule better paid, and other reasons have entered in to increase the per pupil cost of high school instruction. It is apparent that the cost of instruction, if anything like the same opportunities are offered, would be prohibitive in the smaller type school as com- pared with the larger type. Community Relations. It is impossible to express in detail the in- fluence upon a community of a larger type high school. With the in- creased enrollment, and with the introduction of the vocational sub- jects, will come the full time principal and full-time agriculture teacher. These workers will live in the community for the full twelve months in the year and become an integral part of its progress and development. It is hardly possible to estimate the value of having the teacher of agriculture in the community for the entire year. Future Opportunity of Pupils. From a very practical standpoint it is essential that the larger type high school be developed in Lincoln County. The State institutions of higher learning have had such an enormous increase in enrollment that it has been necessary for them to require graduation from an accredited high school for' entrance. Several boys and girls in Lincoln County attempted to enter these institutions last year and found that their places were filled by other boys and girls who had the advantages of accredited high schools. For that group of boys and girls who cannot go to college, the larger type of high school is the onl^' preparation that they will get for their future vocation. If these boys and girls are required to at- tend high schools that offer only a minimum of subjects, with no vo- cational courses, they will be forced to leave school with no prepara- tion beyond their academic training for the work they are going to do in the future. The high school program as outlined below provided for three large senior high schools in Lincoln County ; one in the western part of the county, one in the central, and one in the eastern part. These three high schools will be accessible to every boy and girl in Lincoln County. Each of these three high schools will easily meet the State require- ments and become accredited. They will offer a broad course of study that will equip the boys and girls of Lincoln County for their future work. They will be assured of sufficient financial support and suf- ficient number of pupils to always remain accredited high schools. The standards for high schools in North Carolina have been con- stantly increasing, and we have every reason to believe that they will keep on increasing every few years. The small type high school will always have a struggle to maintain a sufficient number of pupils and teachers to remain on the accredited list. With the high school pro- CouKTY-wiDE Plan of Organization 53 gram as proposed, the future of the high schools of Lincoln County is assured. It is recommended that two schools in the county teach intermediate high school work, or through the ninth grade. These schools are North Brook Consolidated and Asbury. The pupils that finish the courses offered in these two schools will secure their last two years of high school in one of the three senior high schools in the county. The location, site, building, number of pupils, number of teachers, and number of trucks for the proposed high schools is herewith given. Immediately after the description a map locating the high schools of the county is shown. INTERMEDIATE HIGH SCHOOLS Grades 7, 8, 9 SOUTH NORTH BROOK: Location — Present. Site — Present site adequate. Building — Present building. Number Pupils — 75. Teachers — 3. Trucks — With elementary school, 3. ASBURY: Location — See elementary school. Site — See elementary school. Building — See elementary school. Number Pltils — 95. Teachers — 3. Trucks — SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS Grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 WEST LINCOLN: Location — At or near the point where the road from Ridge Academy joins the main road from Lincolnton to Dave Bean's Store, east of Indian Creek. Site — ^Not less than 15 acres. Building — New Type IV. Number Pupils — 260, without 7th grade. Teachers — 10. Trucks — 6. CENTRAL LINCOLN: Location — Lincolnton. Site — Present. Building — Present building adequate. Number Pupils — 350. Teachers — 14. Trucks — 5. EAST LINCOLN: Location — Denver. Site — Present site adequate. Building — New Type III. Number Pupils — 150. Teachers — 6. Trucks — With elementary, 6. CHAPTER IX HOW CAN LINCOLN COUNTY PROVIDE A COMFORTABLE, SANITARY BUILDING FOR EVERY BOY AND GIRL IN THE COUNTY? It will require only ten new buildings for Lincoln County to carry out the plan of reorganization proposed for both elementary and high schools. Seven of these buildings will be elementary schools ;> one will be elementary and senior high school combined ; one will be elementary and intermediate high school combined ; and one will be for high school alone. In addition to the ten new buildings, it will be necessary to provide service equipment for several of the buildings now in use. Some of the buildings need adequate heating facilities ; others must be supplied with water and toilet facilities. With a reasonable expenditure the county can make these buildings both comfortable and sanitary. It will require too much space here to discuss each building in detail, with the plans and requirements. The plans proposed will be submitted to the county board of education for their approval. For reference here the buildings are divided into four types, and these types are herewith described. TYPES OF BUILDINGS TYPE I-A By this type of building is meant a building for the elementary school only, built with sufficient number of standard elementary classrooms, provision for auditorium or assembly room, principal's office and library. This building should be equipped with adequate heating facilities, adequate and sanitary water and toilet ' facilities, together with an artificial lighting system. This type of building to be frame. TYPE I-B Type I-B same as Type I-A, except made of brick. TYPE II Of brick construction for elementary and intermediate grades. This building should contain sufficient number of elementary school classrooms, sufficient number of classrooms and special rooms for the intermediate high school grades, consisting of eighth and ninth grades, auditorium, principal's office, and library. It should be provided with adequate heating f acilites, adequate and sanitary water and toilet facilities, and provision for artificial lighting. TYPE III Of brick construction for elementary grades and high school. This f< LINCOLN COUNTY TSfORTH CAROLINA FIGURE II (1 ^ K ^ ~x ^\ If / fix / / / \ i i X t County-wide Plan of Organization 55 building should contain the necessary number of elementary class- rooms, provision for high school classrooms, laboratories, special rooms, vocational rooms, auditorium, principal's office, and library. It should have adequate heating facilities, adequate and sanitary water and toilet facilities, and provision for artificial lighting. TYPE IV Of brick construction for high school grades only. This building should contain adequate classrooms, laboratories, special rooms, voca- tional rooms for the teaching of the high school subjects, auditorium, principal's office, and library. It should also, have adequate heating facilities and adequate and sanitary water and toilet facilities, and provision for artificial lighting. The proposed building program for the county is as follows : jVew buildings Type I-A: Ridge Academy. Hager's. Type I-B: North North Brook. Central North Brook. Grouse. Long Shoals-Southside. Iron Station. Type II: Asbury. Type III: Rock Springs. Type IV: "West Lincoln. SEKTICE EQUIPMENT INSTALLED South North Brook: Heating plant. Union: Heating plant, water and toilet facilities. Daniel: Building remodeled, heating plant, water and toilet facilities. Howard's Creek: Heating plant. Oak Grove: Heating facilities. Love Memorial: Heating facilities. Laboratory: Heating plant, water and toilet facilities. Catawba Springs: Heating plant. COSTS 2 Buildings Type I-A $ 20,000.00 5 Buildings Type I-B 125,000.00 1 Building Type II 50,000.00 1 Building Type III 60,000.00 1 Building Type IV 60,000.00 Equipment for new buildings 25,000.00 *Installing service systems as above 30,000.00 Total $370,000.00 *A detailed schedule of this work has been placed in the hands of the county board of education. 56 Lincoln County Schools EECOMMENDATIOJVS FOR BUILDIIVGJ PROGRAM It is recommended : 1. That the comity board of education petition the county board of commissioners to call a special election under Article 22 of the Public School Law of North Carolina to ascertain the will of the people as to whether there should be issued county bonds in the sum of $300,000 for the purpose of building and equipping the schoolhouses suggested above. 2. That the county board of education petition the State Board of Education for a loan of $100,000 from the Special Building Fund. 3. That the balance of $30,000 which is asked for be used for the purchase of school trucks, the need of which will be shown later. 4. That the county board of education assume the payment of the outstanding bonds and the outstanding indebtedness to the State Special Building Fund for all the districts in the county. These outstanding bonds and indebtedness amount to $247,000. This means that the entire building program can be completed, every boy and girl in the county provided with a comfortable, sanitary school building, and that the entire county will only have $647,000 of outstanding indebtedness for all of the school buildings in the county. Lincoln County can well afford the building program as here pro- posed. This will mean that the heavy annual expenditures for build- ings that have been made in the past few years will be replaced by payments on the funds invested in school buildings. Last year the county board of education spent the sum of $45,661 on outlay pay- ments, which includes new buildings and trucks. This lacks a very little of being sufficient to meet the installment on all the outstanding bonds that are herewith proposed. The county board of education has been following the policy of building a building where needed whenever the necessary funds could be provided. It would take a long period of years before the entire building program of the county could be completed in this manner. The children who are attending the schools of Lincoln County today would derive benefit from a building program that was made possible immediately. Under the Public School Law of North Carolina the only possible way for a board of education to make out a definite building program, and be assured that this building program can be carried into effect, is by the method of a bond issue. This is true because the county board of commissioners must endorse the program of the county board of education each year before it can be carried out. The county board of commissioners of Lincoln County has been cooperating with the countv board of education to the fullest extent, but there is abso- County-wide Plan of Organization 57 lutely no assurance that, if there is a change in the board of county commissioners, the new board will help carry out the program of the county board of education. The county board of education may make out a building program covering a period of years and base its entire educational policy on this program, only to have it broken up by a board of county commissioners who do not see or understand the needs of the schools in the way that the board of education does. The county board of education can save a very large amount of money by completing its building program as soon as possible. By building a number of buildings simultaneously, materials can be bought in large quantities at much lower prices than would be possible if only one building was built each year. For the same reason there would be a similar saving in construction work. It is strongly advised that Lincoln County carry out the building program as proposed above. CHAPTER X HOW CAN LINCOLN COUNTY MEET ITS OBLIGATION OF PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT FROM ALL THE TAXABLE PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY? It has been shown conclusively in Chapter VI that it is impossible to secure equality of educational opportunity and equality of ' the burden of educational support in Lincoln County unless the county is selected as the unit. This simply means that Lincoln County will ful- fill its educational obligation to the boys and girls in the county. It means that every boy and girl in the county will have equal educa- tional opportunity, and that every taxpayer will pay the same rate of taxation for the support of the education of the children. In order to accomplish this end, it is recommended that the Board of Education petition the board of county commissioners to call an election as provided in Article 20 of the Public School Law of North Carolina. In brief, this article provides : 1. That a special tax be levied on all the taxable property in the county. 2. That this special tax cannot exceed 50 cents on the $100 valuation of property, which 50 cents must include all the bonded indebtedness assumed by the county board of education. 3. That the present special taxes may not be levied, but that this 50 cent special tax may be substituted in lieu of the present special tax. In this way Lincoln County can provide that the education of every boy and girl in the county be supported by all the taxable property in the county. PART III GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND COSTS CHAPTER XI IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS TEAIVSPORTATION The proposed program for the organization of the schools of Lincoln County calls for a minimum of transportation. Transportation is a very vital and essential part of the organization of the school system It is only by this means in many cases that enough pupils can be brought together at one center to assure educational efficiency and economy of instruction. It is impossible to give here the exact route with the number of children on the route for all the proposed lines in Lincoln County. The matter has been carefully studied, however, and ample provision has been made in the proposed scheme for all the transportation that will be necessary. In order to carry out the program here proposed it will be necessary for the county to maintain twenty-nine or thirty transportation routes. It is hard to say the exact number of transportation busses that will be necessary, because experience has shown that the number of pupils actually applying for transportation is far in excess of those that were enrolled in all of the schools to which these children went the previous year. It frequently happens that a one-teacher school with an en- rollment of eighteen will decide to transport its pupils to a central school, and instead of having to transport eighteen pupils, between twenty-five and thirty will apply for transportation. This is usually because the central school is able to teach more grades and offer better advantages than the school that the children last attended. Thirty transportation busses will provide ample transportation facilities in Lincoln County for a period of three or four years. It is strongly recommended that an assistant superintendent be elected by the county board of education and given charge of the transportation facilities in the county. It will be the duty of this official to supervise the transportation in the entire county, to plan the transportation routes to the best advantage of the majority of the patrons, and to see that provision is made for the transportation of all the pupils in the county. Such a person will be practically an essential for the first three or four years that this program is put m. Not only will this man plan transportation routes and make pro- vision for the transportation of all the boys and girls in the county, but he will see that the trucks are kept in proper order and that they 60 LixcoLN County Schools are properly taken care of. It will be economy for the board of educa- tion to employ such a man. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIOIfS 1. The county hoard of education should employ a supervisor for the elementary schools of Lincoln County. It is impossible for the county superintendent, with the large num- ber of administrative duties that he has, to properly supervise all the schools of the county. It is very important that a trained, well equipped person be selected to supervise the elementary schools. Su- pervision will result in more efficient instruction and better educa- tional results. Lincoln County especially needs a supervisor if the elementary schoolsj are to be reorganized as here proposed. Prac- tically each school will have pupils from other schools, and it will be necessary to make adjustments in gradation and classification of pupils, and numerous other problems that will present themselves. The small sum that will be. necessary to employ a supervisor would certainly be well spent. 2. Assistant superintendent in charge of transportation. This official was discussed under the head of Transportation, but cannot be recommended too strongly. 3. There are .three accredited high schools proposed for the county. The county hoard of education should make every effort to secure a well equipped, ivell trained, well experienced principal for each of these three high schools. These principals should be given the supervision and care of the elementarj^ schools surrounding the high schools. Each principal should have supervision over those elementary schools from which pupils come into his high school. This will give three sectional super- intendents, who will have charge and supervision of the schools within their section of the County. 4. The county hoard of education should he changed as soon as possihle from a memhership of three to a membership of five, ivith the under- standing that two of the five members that constitute the hoard of education shotdd he selected from the town of Lincolnton. This cannot be done until the next meeting of the General Assembly, but if possible this organization should be completed at that time. 5. There should he no change in the manner of selecting the commit- teemen or trustees for the schools of the county. This provision can be carried out in the case of the present special chartered districts by the board agreeing to appoint those chosen hy the voters in the primaries. 6. The special charter districts of Lincolnton and Love Memorial' should surrender their charters as provided in Section 157 of the Puhlic School Law of North Carolina. CHAPTER XII WHAT WILL IT COST LINCOLN COUNTY TO MEET ITS OBLIGATIONS? COST In planning' the reorganization of the schools of Lincoln County, the cost of the proposed scheme was constantly kept in mind. If Lincohi County had had a greater valuation of taxable property, the recommendations might have been different. The whole plan is pro- posed and was made out with the idea of the greatest educational efficiency with a minimum amount of taxation and financial support. The plan proposed is in no way a cheap plan. Educational efficiency has not been sacrificed for the sake of economy. On the other hand, the plan is not an expensive one, and the taxpayers of the county should not hesitate to adopt the proposed plan on the basis of the cost. The cost of the proposed plan for Lincoln County is not excessive in comparison with the other counties in the State. When the pro- posed scheme is carried out in full the per capita cost of education in Lincoln County will not be above the first quartile among the counties of the State ; that is, there will certainly be one-fourth of the counties of the State having a higher per capita cost than Lincoln County. Nor will the tax rate that will be necessary with the proposed scheme be higher than the tax rate in many other counties in North Carolina. In order to carry out the proposals and recommendations as set forth in this study, it will be necessary to increase the amount that is now spent for education in the county. It would be impossible to ma- terially raise the standard of the teachers in the county without ad- ditional cost. It would be impossible to provide comfortable, sanitary buildings for every child in the county without some additional cost ; and it would be impossible to extend the term to an eight months school term for every child in the county without some additional cost. The proposed scheme will yield the best educational results for the minimum- expenditure. The county board of education should bear in mind that it will be impossible to put this plan into operation in one year. The esti- mated expenditure as given below is for the plan in full operation. It would take at least three years before the cost of the system would reach this point. This should be constantly remembered in any con- sideration for the cost of the propose plan. First. The State Law of North Carolina makes provision for main- taining the public schools in every county in the State for a period of six months. The county board of education is required to make out a budget setting forth the amount that will be required to maintain the schools of the county for a period of six months. This budget is 62 Lincoln County Schools presented to the board of county commissioners, who after a careful study of same levy a sufficient amount of taxes to maintain the schools of the county for a period of six months. The law provides that in this six months budget shall be included the salaries of all teachers, the salary of the county superintendent, all the expenses for operat- ing and maintaining the schools, transportation of pupils, and the necessary money for school buildings. This law provides sufficient funds for maintaining the schools of the county for a period of six months. Second. In order to extend the term above six month it is pro- posed that Lincoln County vote a county-wide special tax under Article 20 of the Public School Law of North Carolina. This special tax will be used for the purpose of extending the school term to a minimum of eight months and providing the necessary operating expenses of the school for this additional two months. Article 20 re- quires that the special tax collected under this article shall also be used to pay all indebtedness, bonded or otherwise, of any district or districts that may be assumed by the county board of education. It has been advocated above that the county board assume the bonded indebtedness for the buildings of the school district of Lincolnton, and so it will be necessary to pay the installments on this bonded indebted- ness from this special tax fund. Third. It has been proposed that Lincoln County complete its building program by the issuance of a sufficient amount of county bonds, and that these bonds be voted under Article 22 of the Public School Law of North Carolina. The funds derived under the tax voted under this article will be used only to pay the interest and to create a sinking fund for the amount of the bonds authorized. Under the proposed scheme of reorganization for the schools of Lin- coln County, it will be necessary to raise the following amounts for each of the three funds discussed above. SIX MONTHS FUND ' Salary Fund* Salary of teachers, six months $93,000.00 Salary of county superintendent 3,500.00 Assistant county superintendent 2,000.00 Rural supervisor, salary 1,800.00 Per diem of county board of education 300.00 Superintendent of public welfare 1,000.00 Vocational teachers, 12 months 6,000.00 Total salary fund $105,800.00 Receipts From All Sources Other Than County Tax State Equalizing Fund appropriation $15,000.00 Rural supervisor, appropriation from State, white 900.00 Appropriations from Board for Vocational Education.. 3,000.00 Total $ 18,900.00 Salary fund to be raised by county $ 86,900.00 * Includes amount necessary for all schools, both white and colored CouKTY-wiDE Plan of Organization 63 Opekation and Equipment Fund* Administrative Expenses : Expenses of county superintendent, assistant super- intendent, and supervisor $ 1,800.00 Stationery, fuel, etc., for county superintendent's office 750.00 Office assistance for county and sectional super- intendents 1,600.00 All other expenses 1,000.00 Expenses of Operation and Maintenance: Fuel 11,000.00 Transportation , 8,000.00 Permanent Equipment: New buildings, colored schools 2,000.00 Repairs 1,000.00 Total operation and equipment fund $ 32,150.00 Receipts Feom All Soutsces Other Than County Tax Poll tax $ 3,750.00 Fines, forfeitures, and penalties 3,000.00 Dog taxes 1,500.00 Total ." $ 8,250.00 Operation and equipment fund to be raised by county. . $ 23,900.00 *Iiicludes amount necessary for all scliools, both ■^hite and colored. Fund fob the Repayment of Loans Installment and interest due special building fund on |147,000.00 $10,307.50 Total fund for the repayment of loans $10,307.50 Total for six months school fund $110,800.00 SPECIAL TAX FUND Teachers' salaries, two months $32,000.00 Transportation 5,000.00 Installment for bonded indebtedness assumed for Lincolnton School District 17,300.00 Total special tax fund $54,300.00 Receipts From All Sources Other Than County Tax State appropriation for high schools $ 2,000.00 Total 2,000.00 Total special tax fund to be raised by county $ 52,300.00 SPECIAL BOND TAX Installment and interest due on $300,000.00.. $25,950.00 Total special bond tax 25,950.00 64 Lincoln County Schools The funds necessary under the proposed plan for the current ex- pense of the schools and for the completion of the building program would not be much for Lincoln County to provide. It is true that the amount that will be required under the proposed plan is more than Lincoln County has been spending on its schools. It is also true that the educational advantages that will be offered the children in Lincoln County far exceed anything that Lincoln County is offer- ing today. The increase in the amount spent on education in Lincoln County is due to the fact that hundreds of boys and girls in the county who do not have the advantage of a standard elementary education, of an accredited high school education, nor the opportunity of attend- ing school in a comfortable, sanitary building under the present or- ganization will be provided with all of these advantages under the proposed plan. The per pupil expenditure in Lincoln County for the past two years has been as follows : Current Expenses Outlay Total Rural $ 21.58 41.33 $ 10. 18 33.33 $ 31.76 City 74.66 IN 1922-23 Rural ._ ' _ i 22. 89 45.26 $ 12.68 117.45 $ 35.57 City 162.71 The Per Pupil Expense OF THE Proposed Plan Would Be: All ... $ 30. 00 $ 12.00 $ 42. 00 This would mean that instead of spending a large amount and giv- ing certain advantages to a few pupils within the county, that Lin- coln County would be spending a just and equitable amount on every boy and girl within the county. It is hard to conceive that any one would oppose the giving of standard educational advantages to all the boys and girls in Lincoln County because of the small increase in cost that this would mean. Lincoln County is face to face with its obligation of providing : A standard elementary education ; An accredited high school education ; A comfortable, sanitary building ; That the education of every boy and girl in the county be supported b}^ all the taxable wealth in the county. Lincoln County will fulfill its obligation. FOR USE ONLY IN THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION Form No. A-368. Rev. 8/95 .■" A