Author *^ *°r o o o Title •*■ ** s Class .fel. Imprint Book 16—47372-1 OPO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN EXTENSION SERIES VOLUME I NUMBFR 1 CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS IN MISSOURI BY R. H. Emberson Assistant. Professor of Rural Education UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA/ MISSOURI October. 1913 Monograph THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN EXTENSION SERIES VOLUME I NUMBER 3 CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS IN MISSOURI BY R. H. Emberson u Assistant Professor of Rural Education UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA, MISSOURI October, 1913 1/ t to CONTENTS. Page Nature of Consolidation 3 Advantages of Consolidation 6 Objections to Consolidation 12 Consolidation in Missouri 15 How to Consolidate 16 Law for Consolidation .• • 18 Law for Joint High Schools 19 Law for Transportation 20 CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS IN MISSOURI INTRODUCTION In November, 1911, the University issued a bulletin on consolida- tion of rural schools. This second bulletin has been prepared to explain the new consolidation laws, to create sentiment in favor of the movement, and to suggest plans of procedure. All literature on the subject has been examined and that which is applicable to Missouri has been used. Much material has been collected by correspondence with experts upon consolidation in sev- eral states. The University of Missouri has established a Bureau of Consoli- dation to which letters upon any of the questions involved may be addressed. Plats and information about proposed plans may be sent to the Bureau if an opinion as to methods of procedure is desired. The University, the State Department of Education, the Normal Schools, and a number of county superintendents are all deeply interested in consolidation and will gladly give assistance whenever it is possible. Address all communications with the University to the Bureau of Consolidation, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. THE NATURE OF CONSOLIDATION The most important educational problem in America is that of the rural schools. The last generation has witnessed great advance- ment along educational lines but it has been confined to city schools, normal schools and universities. Little progress has been made in the country schools. These institutions have not felt the influence of the forward movement that has characterized the last two decades. There are some good country schools in v/hich earnest, capable men and women are doing excellent work but the great majority of them are not serving the community needs. It is useless to talk about restoring the old-fashioned country school. The large enrollment which was due to the attendance of grown boys and girls is a thing of the past. The social interest and coherence that once made these schools a center of influence is no longer possible. In order to put new life into country schools and to restore them to their former usefulness, it is necessary to have larger school units. This is possible under consolidation, a plan which has commended itself to thinking people and has been tried in many states. (3) 4 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN By consolidation is meant the combining of two or more dis- tricts or parts of districts, each having three directors, into one large district having six directors. It means the same business manage- ment applied in the rural schools that is applied in city schools. It means cooperation which is a principle that must be applied in the solution of the Rural Life Problem. The American farmer is independent; his mode of life has made him such. His task has been to clear forests, erect homes and to undergo hardship. The distance between rural homes has developed a spirit of self-reliance. But while the environment of the farmer has developed some noble characteristics, he has failed to realize the great advantage of cooperation which has contributed so much to modern enterprises found in the cities. The chief reason for the great development of the city as com- pared with the county is due to cooperation. The water plant, the lighting system, the paving and the sewerage could not be accom- plished by one individual working alone. Yet it is not difficult when the municipality as a whole puts its hand to the task. Consolidation means cooperation in rural school affairs. What is impossible for one district working alone, becomes an easy matter where three or four or five districts work together. There is only one principle upon which to work for consolida- tion of schools. That is, improved service. Cheapness is no argu- One of the log school houses still in use in Missouri, this environment that appeals to country children. There is nothing in CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS 5 ment. The school which gives the people the best service for the money spent is the best school. Farmers realize the importance of fertile soil, better barns and improved machinery but they have shown very little concern in the welfare of the rural school. They make liberal investments in land, stock and farm equipment and they will even borrow money for these things, while the school and those things that make for its efficiency are neglected. Poor buildings, poor equipment, poor ar- rangement and unsanitary conditions in the school are continued year after year. Country people need to realize that a poor school is very dear at any price. Only when the school is run at the highest rate of speed, only when every day counts for something in the life of its pupils is the institution doing work that is really worth while. Country schools are maintained on very low taxes. The number of children enrolled in the city schools of Missouri is not as large as the number enrolled in the country schools, yet the city spends in buildings, equipment and teachers over four times as much for the education of its children as the country spends. The average annual salary for teachers in country schools is $302.01, while in cities it is $624.83. The annual expenditure per child enrolled in the country school is $10.38, while in the city school it is $24.16. The average levy for school purposes in the country is 53.2 cents on the $100.00 valuation, while in the city it is 98.6 cents. This shows that the cities are spending very much more money for the maintenance of their schools than the country is spending and this is the chief reason why the schools in the city have made so much more progress during the last twenty years than the country schools have made. People in the town want good schools and are willing to pay for them. The country child, however, is entitled to as good opportunity to secure an education as that afforded the city child. A consolidated school in which a good high school is maintained will cost more than a one-room school, but it will give country children much better advantages — it will give them a "square deal." It might be possible to run consolidated schools as cheaply as one-room schools but they would be poor and unsatisfactory. No community should boast of a cheap school; it should not be satisfied with anything but the best. The question should be, "How well has the money been spent?" When the advantages of consolidated schools are once under- stood, more people will favor the plan. In many sections of the state the people will vote for better schools if the matter is brought forcibly to their attention and made clear. The friends of consolida- g UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN tion should make the proposition plain and simple and the agitation, should be for good schools and not for cheap schools. ADVANTAGES OF CONSOLIDATION The friends of good schools often desire a statement of the ad- vantages to be gained by consolidation. In this bulletin an attempt has been made to bring together results that have followed from actual cases of consolidation and thus to give practical suggestions to those interested in the proposition. I. It Educates the Child at Home. Through consolidation country boys and girls are furnished a good education from the pri- mary grades through the high school, without sending them away from home. Where the plan is adopted it is not necessary to send boys and girls who have completed the common school course to town and to board them in a strange home, in order to give them high school advantages; neither is it necessary to leave the farm and to move to town for this purpose. Consolidation gives boys and girls in the rural districts equal advantages with children in cities and towns. It gives them the advantages of good graded schools and of a high school. They spend the day under the supervision of well trained teachers working with their neighbors and friends. At the close of the school day they return to their own homes where they assist in the chores and the evening is spent studying under parental care and oversight. In consolidated districts where a high school is maintained, the course of study can be so arranged as to give a good course in agri- culture, domestic science and manual training. This tends to keep boys and girls on the farm instead of encouraging them to leave it and to go to town. They are kept in touch with the open country where three-fourths of them will spend their lives. This is one of the best advantages of the plan. Under the present system only five per cent of country children are able to get the advantages of a high school by leaving home and going to the city. By consolidation these advantages would be brought to every boy and girl within the consolidated district. II. Health Is Improved. The health of the pupils is better guarded when they are conveyed from their homes to the school in comfortable vehicles, warm and dry, than when they have to travel through mud and snow a mile or two and sit all day with wet feet and soggy clothing as they often do under present conditions. Pupils are under the care of responsible persons from the time they leave home in the morning until they return at night. This tends to prevent difficulties on the way home such as loitering, quarrelling, 8 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN etc. Children are protected from those offences against decency and good morals so common on the road to and from school — conditions well understood by everyone who has given the matter serious con- sideration. III. The Economy of the Plan. There are, on an average, three pupils every year finishing work in each country school. If four dis- tricts should combine this would make the number twelve. If it cost $200.00 per year to pay the board, tuition, and other necessary ex- penses of each of these pupils to attend a high school in town (a moderate estimate), the total cost would amount to $2400.00. A good teacher can be secured to give these pupils two years high school training for $900.00 a year, which would make a net saving of $1500.00. In case two teachers should be employed, it is safe to say that the amount spent by the district for high school training in city schools would pay the salary of the teachers and janitor service and there would be a good balance remaining. Under this system the rich and the poor would have nearly equal advantages in securing a high school education. What is now the privilege of the few would become equally the opportunity of all. It gives an opportunity to the promising, ambitious boy or girl regard- Manual training is provided in many rural high schools. This is one of the advantages of consolidation as it makes such work possible. CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS 9 less of wealth; and in return the State is undoubtedly richer because of the citizenship of superior quality and efficiency. The argument to be stressed, however, is not decreased expenses but improved service. IV. Social Advantages of Consolidation. Consolidation tends toward a more healthy spirit in the school and in the community. The outdoor games, the debating clubs, literary societies, musical organizations and contests with other schools all tend to create a school spirit which is not possible under the present one-room sys- tem. Pride and public interest in the school are quickened and con- fidence and enthusiasm are inspired. These results are possible only when a large number of persons are brought together as consolida- tion brings them. The new law requires consolidated schools to have an auditorium which is used for literary societies, debating clubs, musical entertainments, lectures and farmers' institutes. This ar- rangement affords a common meeting place, a community center, not only for the consolidated district but for a much larger section. These things are worth considering if country life is to be made permanent and satisfying. It is natural for young people to love society and to be interested in all social events. A community which gives attention only to hard, driving work, which makes no pro- vision for good, wholesome recreation for the young people need not be surprised if it finds them drifting into the cities where the glare of electric lights and the glamour of pool halls and cheap theaters are in sharp contrast to the barren social life in many country communities. V. Better Attendance. When children are conveyed to school, the problem of truancy and tardiness is pratically solved. In a recent investigation made of 275 rural schools located in different sections of the state, it was estimated that the enrollment in the first and second grades, the first two years of school work, was 2071, while in the seventh and eighth grades, or the last two years of school work, it was 1175. This is a great waste. Country people would not think of permitting such a waste in their corn crop, their cattle or their hogs, yet they are contented to let these conditions continue in their schools. Consolidation improves attendance. In some instances it has been known to increase from fifty to nearly one hundred per cent. VI. Better Teaching. In case the school is centralized and all the pupils are brought together and classified, the improved condi- tions cause greater enthusiasm on the part of teachers and greater interest in their work. They feel the effect of cooperation and pro- fessional contact which is a marked contrast to that of one teacher working alone with no companionship but that of children. "LQ UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN Under consolidation, the school is graded. The teacher has fewer daily recitations which affords more time for preparation and longer recitation periods. If the grade work is continued in the original one-room build- ings (the "ward schools"), there is still some system of organization and cooperation, and all of the "ward schools" will be attempting to do the same line of work in order to meet the requirements of the high school. The high school will influence each teacher and each school to do the best possible. It will increase attendance in the "ward schools" and will more than double the number of pupils completing the eighth grade and entering high school. It will be possible for the principal of the central high school to meet the teachers of the "ward schools" for the purpose of planning the work, arranging examinations and graduations, and considering other things of a professional nature. Consolidation tends to lengthen the tenure of position. One of the evils of the rural school system of Missouri is the frequent change of teachers. It is seldom that a teacher remains in one school long enough to become thoroughly acquainted with conditions. The report of the State Superintendent of Public Schools for 1912 shows that there are 9868 teachers in the rural schools of Missouri, and of this number 6716 or over 68 per cent who are teaching their first year in their present position. Consolidated schools will attract teachers of training and experience and they will be retained longer in their positions. VII. Better Equipment. Consolidation will bring about more commodious schoolhouses and better equipment. In a centralized school there can be many more accommodations because it will not be necessary to duplicate the apparatus for each separate school. This would insure a much better and larger equipment for the school as a whole. There would also be greater interest taken in the im- provement of the grounds and the improvement and care of the building. VIII. Other Advantages. The consolidated country school is the ideal place to get boys and girls interested in the school garden, in poultry management, dairying, domestic science, agriculture, and manual training. It makes the farm the ideal place in which to bring up children. It affords them the culture necessary for good citizen- ship; it affords the vocational training necessary to success in life; it broadens and brightens country life and brings about the closest cooperation between the school and the home. -J2 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN OBJECTIONS TO CONSOLIDATION A large number of objections to consolidation are made, especially iby those who have never tried the plan. A careful investigation ■shows that where the plan has been tried the people are overwhelm- ingly in favor of it. Only in cases where there is some natural disad- vantage as a large stream of water flowing through the district or some •other considerable obstacle has there been any objection made that is worth while. Investigation shows that less than three per cent •of the people in consolidated districts favor a return to the old sys- tem. Some of the objections are the following: I. Abandonment of Old Buildings. One of the most frequently mentioned objections and one that often causes districts to hesitate to make a trial of consolidation, is the necessity of abandoning the •old buildings and erecting a new one. The answer to this objection is a plan that has been tried in many places. If the school buildings are too good to be abandoned, ;the people should vote upon consolidation with the understanding that the old buildings are to be used. Two or three of the best build- ings could be moved to the place selected for the site of the consoli- dated school. One could be used for the elementary grades, one for the advanced grades and one for the high school work. It is better, however, to erect a modern building, where all grades can be taught. II. Increased Expense. Many patrons oppose the plan on ac- count of the increased expense. In the campaign for consolidation in Missouri there are really but two objections to meet; one is trans- portation, the other is the expense — the latter in fact includes the former. The following statistics taken from reports of some of the counties in this State show the conditions of some of the rural schools and the advantages that would be gained by sonsolidation: 'Two schools have a daily attendance of 11 and 26 respectively; teach- ers' salaries $30.00 and $50.00 respectively. By consolidation one -teacher could do the work of the two schools and there would be a saving of $30.00 per month or $240.00 for eight months. Four schools 'have a daily attendance of 22, 30, 10 and 13 respectively, total attend- ance, 75. Teachers' salaries $50.00, $75.00, $55.00 and $50.00, total .$230. Two teachers could do the work thus saving $130.00 per month or $1040.00 for eight months. Other examples might be given but these are enough to show that consolidation would not always in- •crease the expense. If the children in the four schools mentioned should be provided with transportation, there would still be money ■saved. It should be remembered, however, that the greatest gain would be in the spirit, interest, and efficiency of the school work. CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS 13 It is possible under consolidation to employ cheap teachers, to •crowd the rooms, to run a poor high school or none at all and by this means show a considerable saving in the cost. While this plan would please a few, still it will not be adopted by the great majority of patrons in Missouri. Men may be indifferent and hard to arouse concerning the improvement of educational conditions for their children; still, very few will deliberately adopt a plan simply because it is cheap. The chief characteristic of the consolidated school is its effi- ciency — its improved service; and improvement whether in pigs, cat- tle, crops, or schools means an expenditure of time and money. A late report of the State Superintendent of Education shows that there are nearly eight thousand non-resident pupils in the high schools of this State. Putting the tuition of each pupil at $3.00 per month and supposing that one-half of them board in town, it is a conservative estimate to place the tuition and board of these country students, for eight months, at $650,000. If this money were spent in rural high schools, it would be sufficient to employ good, well-trained teachers, pay janitor bills, and other expenses; and then provide transportation for all pupils of the consolidated district. If rural high schools should be established throughout the State, it is altogether probable that the number of country students attending high schools would be doubled at once. III. Objection to Giving Up Local Organization.— There are some who claim that if the local board is abolished and the affairs of the consolidated district are put into the hands of six men chosen as directors, that all kinds of calamities will follow. They say that there will be discrimination against the locality in which they live and that they will have no voice in the management of the consoli- dated school. There are two good answers. One is that where consolidation has been tried — in thirty-five states, and in some states for over twenty years — no complaint of this nature has ever been made. The other answer is that consolidated rural school of Missouri would probably be composed of three, four, or five districts uniting, with an aggregate enumeration of 200 pupils. All cities have a board of directors which handles great problems, large expenditures, some- times amounting to millions of dollars, and scores of ward schools and handles them with great efficiency. For instance, Kansas City has 79 schools, 1043 teachers and 37,937 pupils. The board is composed of six members, one member for about 13 schools, 174 teachers and 6323 pupils. St. Louis has 114 schools, 2165 teachers and 88,002 pupils. The board is composed of 12 members, one member for about 9 schools, 180 teachers and 7333 24 UNIVERSITY OP MISSOURI BULLETIN pupils. If the boards of these two cities can look after the interests; of this number of schools, teachers and pupils to the general satis- faction of all concerned, it does seem reasonable to suppose that a board of six intelligent farmers could take care of a consolidated district of three, four or five teachers and two hundred pupils, in a fair and impartial manner. IV. Dirt Roads. Some argue that consolidation will not be pos- sible in Missouri until the state has some system of macadamized roads. This argument can be answered in a few words. Iowa and Illinois have consolidated schools and are transporting the children over dirt roads. In the John Swaney School, Putnam County, Illi- nois, where the soil is as black and as deep as can be found, the school vehicles pass over dirt roads and yet there is no complaint made along this line. The dirt roads of Missouri are bad enough and should be im- proved. There is no argument against that fact, but when milk, but- ter, coal, feed and the mail are delivered daily over these roads there seems no good reason why children could not be conveyed to school over them. V. Careless Drivers. Many seem to think that careless drivers will be employed who will not attend to the comforts of the children. Where this plan has been tried it has been satisfactory. Drivers are required to sign a contract to start at a certain hour and to deliver the children at school on time. The driver is required to furnish a good safe team and a wagon fitted with seats and a good cover. He gives bond for the faithful performance of his duty. VI. Cost of Transportation. The cost per pupil for transporta- tion ranges from $1.00 to $3.00 per month. In some localities no transportation is provided by the public, but each family makes its own arrangement. It has been true in nearly every consolidated dis- trict where the schools have been centralizd, that the saving in teach- ers' salaries (a smaller number of teachers being needed) will nearly or quite meet the expense of transportation. In many cases, large boys who attend the high school are employed to drive the convey- ance. As they desire to be in school and often would use a horse or team for their own convenience, they can be employed to do this work at very reasonable wages. No complaint has come from this arrangement where it has been tried. VII. Selfishness. Some patrons who live in large, wealthy dis- tricts object to consolidation on the ground that their district would do more for the consolidated school than the small, weak districts. The same argument might be used by the large land owners and wealthy people of any district, yet no one would hardly propose that the poor man's child should stop school at the end of the third, CONSOLIDATION OP SCHOOLS 15 fourth, or fifth year because its father did not pay as much tax as some others. No, when it comes to education the American people as a rule are very democratic; they believe in giving every child an equal opportunity. Again, considering its ability to pay the levy the poor district might do much more in proportion to its valuation than the wealthy one. As this objection is founded upon selfishness pure and simple, it is necessary to get the one using it to see that as a citizen he owes some duty to his neighbors and to his country. VIII. Other Objections. The assertion has been made that when children from different homes are conveyed in the same wagon, there will be great danger of spreading contagious diseases. Ohio has a large number of consolidated schools. The former State Superintendent of Public Schools speaking upon that subject says: ""I can truthfully say that the experience of Ohio for the past fifteen years has shown that there is no valid ground for this objection." There is less danger in a wagon than in a poorly ventilated and over- heated school room. There are other objections made such as children will be away from home longer, they will be required to eat cold lunch, many teachers will be thrown out of employment, etc. These are not real objections but simply excuses made by those opposed to consolida- tion. In concluding the objections, it is worth while to state again that the greatest objection is the increased expense. It should be fcorne in mind, however, that there can be no substantial improve- ment of schools or anything else without expenditure of money. CONSOLIDATION IN MISSOURI Consolidation in Missouri began in 1902. Four districts united in organizing what is known as the Ruskin High School near Hick- man Mills in Jackson County. The grade work is continued in the four original one-room buildings. The eighth grade work and four years of high school work are done in the central or high school building. There are four teachers in the "ward schools" — one for each building — and three in the high school. The enumeration of the con- solidated district is 243; the enrollment in the four "ward schools" is 172 and in the high school 40. The salary of the principal of the high school is $100.00 per month; of the two assistants $65.00 each; of the "ward school" teach- ers $50.00 each. The amount spent for school purposes the last year was $4781.94, the levy being sixty cents on the one hundred dollar on the assessed valuation of $625,000. 16 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN Raskin High School, Jackson County, Missouri, situated in the open country. Missouri needs one hundred schools of this type. There were eleven graduates from the common school course this year and six from the high school. This school represents a type of rural consolidation where the high school is located in the open country and the grade work is done in the original buildings. Elmer, Macon County, is a type of consolidation where a village is used as a center and all the work is done in a central building. No arrangement is made for transportation. The children come from the 'three original districts, some a distance of three miles, but no complaint is made and the people are pleased with the plan. There are a number of schools in the State that have been formed by one or more districts or parts of districts voting to become a. part of another district. Some of these are doing high school work,, but they were not organized under the law providing for consolida- tion. There is not a consolidated school in Missouri where all the grade and high school work is centralized in a building located in the open country. This is the next move in the educational advance- ment of the State. HOW TO CONSOLIDATE. Before attempting any movement for consolidation, those inter- ested in the matter should make a careful study of the two laws, one- CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS \J providing for consolidation and the other for joint high schools and' decide which plan they prefer. The important points of both laws- are given on pages 18 and 19. In case a community chooses to consolidate, the method of pro- cedure is very simple, which is to secure a petition of twenty-five qualified voters in the community affected, stating that they desire to form a consolidated district; the petition should then be filed with the county superintendent of public schools. The county superin- tendent will then visit the community and in conference with the cit- izens affected, will proceed to lay out the consolidated district, make a plat of the same, post notices of election and call the meeting to- order or deputize someone to act in his place. Before circulating a petition, it should be borne in mind that the proposed consolidated district must contain at least twelve square miles of territory, or, have at least an enumeration of two hundred children of school age. In making this estimate, the proposed con- solidated district must not include within its territory any town or city which has by the last enumeration two hundred children of school age. Procedure. After the notices are posted, it is time to arrange for public meetings. The aim of these meetings is to show the ad- vantages of consolidation and to answer objections. It may be best first to hold a meeting of those who are in favor of the measure in order to decide upon a campaign. There should be a meeting in each district or part of district affected and a strong effort should be made to get as many as possible to attend. Men, women and children should be urged to be present. It often happens that boys and girls who are ready to enter a high school are the first to see the advan- tages of consolidation and not infrequently women become strong supporters of the measure before the men are aroused. Good speak- ers who are interested in consolidation should be secured for these meetings. A whirlwind campaign should be carried on. By a little effort some public spirited citizen or citizens may be induced to donate a suitable site for the central building. Not less- than five acres can, according to law, be considered for this purpose. Some generous gifts have been made to public schools in the way of campus, library and other equipment, and others will be made when the matter is properly presented. There should be a strong organization for the purpose of push- ing the campaign. There should be a local committee of three for each district or part of district affected to push the campaign. There should be an executive committee composed of some one from each comprised in the proposed consolidated district. The executive comr 18 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN mittee should meet often. There will be questions arising and im- portant matters to be considered which the friends of the proposition should know. All facts should be made as clear as possible. Some- times people vote against consolidation because the law and the facts have not been made clear. The valuation of the proposed consolidated district, the number of teachers that will probably be needed, the length of the school term and the levy necessary for maintaining the school should all be considered; there should be no room for any misunderstanding on any of these points. There should be a mass meeting of all the •districts or parts of districts affected just before the date for voting. This will give an opportunity to clear up anything that may not be understood and to answer all objections that may have been made. LAW ON CONSOLIDATION Some important provisions of the law on consolidation are the following: A petition signed by twenty-five qualified voters of the -community shall be filed with the county superintendent. It then becomes his duty to investigate the needs of the community and to ■determine the boundary lines of the proposed consolidated district. The district must contain at least twelve square miles of territory or have an enumeration of at least two hundred children of school age. No district shall be formed which shall include within its ter- ritory any town or city district enumerating two hundred children of school age. The county superintendent shall call a special meeting of the qualified voters of the proposed consolidated district. He shall make the call by posting within the proposed district ten notices in public places, stating the time, place and purpose of meeting. The notice shall be given fifteen days before the date set for the meeting. The superintendent shall also post five plats of the proposed district fif- teen days prior to the time of the meeting. These plats and notices shall be posted within thirty days after the filing of the petition. The superintendent shall file a copy of petition and of plat with the county clerk and shall send or take one plat to the special meeting. The meeting shall be called to order by the county superintendent of schools or some one deputized by him to call the meeting to order. The meeting shall then elect a chairman and secretary and proceed in accordance with section 10865, Revised Statutes, 1909. If a ma- jority vote in favor of the proposition it is carried. The meeting should then proceed to elect six directors, two for three years, two for two years and two for one year. Directors must be elected by ballot, one at a time. CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS 19 Transportation may be voted on at the special meeting, if notice of the same is given. It requires two-thirds of the votes cast on transportation to carry the proposition. If transportation is not pro- vided it shall then be the duty of the board to maintain an elemen- tary school within two and one-half miles by the nearest traveled road of the home of each child of school age within the school dis- trict. If transportation is not provided, a consolidated district may de- cide by a majority vote at any annual or special meeting to have the seventh and eighth grade work done at the central high school build- ing. This work may be discontinued at the central high school build- ing by a majority vote taken at any annual or special meeting. Whenever a consolidated district shall have secured a site of not less than five acres and shall have erected a building thereon suitable for a central school and containing one large assembly room and shall have installed a modern system of heating and ventilating, the Scate shall pay one-fourth of the cost of the building and equipment, provided the amount which the State pays does not exceed two thousand dollars (.$2000.00). When a consolidated district has provided an adequate building, the State shall grant a special aid of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per year for each square mile, or fraction thereof, of territory included in the consolidated district provided the district maintains an improved high school of the third class and gives an approved course in agri- culture for one year, but no district shall receive more than eight hundred dollars ($800.00) under the provisions of this section. The full text of the consolidation law of 1913 may be secured by writing the Honorable Wm. P. Evans, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jefferson City, Missouri. JOINT HIGH SCHOOL Section 10852, p. 62, of the School Laws of Missouri provides for the establishment of Joint High Schools. The difference between this class of schools and consolidated schools should be clearly under- stood. The two are often confused; sometimes when a plan for consolidation is submitted, the misunderstanding due to the confu- sion of the two plans, contributes in a large measure to the defeat of the proposition. The section referred to provides that when any district will fur- nish, heat, and keep in order a room or rooms for high school pur- poses, then any three or more districts may unite with it for the pur- pose of maintaining a joint high school. The section further pro- vides that not over twenty per cent of the teachers' funds shall be set aside for this purpose. This law is not equitable; it places the 20 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN burden on one district to build, equip, and keep up a room or rooms to be used for high school purposes. Again, it requires the other districts which unite with it to set aside only one-fifth of the teach- ers' fund for the maintenance of the high school. The average rural district does not pay more than $50.00 per month; one fifth would be $10.00 per month; there would be only $30.00 per month coming from these three districts to be used for high school instruction. Any one can see that this arrangement is not fair. In the last twenty years there has been only two joint high schools established in Mis- souri. The law should be repealed or so modified that it would be equitable. TRANSPORTATION The School Law of Missouri provides for the transportation of pupils. Whenever it is deemed advisable by the school board or when the board is petitioned by ten taxpayers, the question must be submitted to the qualified voters at the annual or a special meeting. The proposition must be carried by a two-thirds vote of the tax- payers, p. 9, School Laws of Missouri, 1911. Only pupils living more than one-half mile from the school build- ing can be provided with transportation. The board has power to make all needful rules and regulations for the transportation of pupils and must require a reasonable bond from every person employed for that purpose. When transportation is provided at public expense, the district should provide the wagon and hire the driver who furnishes the team. The number of drivers will depend on the number of children. In some districts common wagons are used fitted up with water tight curtains. Some schools use the ordinary wagon box with seats ar- ranged along the sides and with a water-proof cover and side cur- tains. Some use wagons with springs like the dray wagons or those used for express purposes, while others. use wagons which look very much like a bus. The kind of wagon needed can easily be deter- mined by the district, and will depend largely upon the amount of money to be invested for this purpose. THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN EXTENSION SERIES EDITED BY SAMUEL D. GROMER Published by UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Columbia, Missouri Issued Quarterly Entered at the postofflce at Columbia, Mis- souri, as second-class matter, April 9, 1913, under Act of August 24, 1912. Copies of the University of Missouri Bulletin, Extension Series, may be obtained from the Secretary of University Extension, Colum- bia, Missouri. 15.000