606 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of this will be to keep competent persons in the teachers' ranks instead of 

 their drifting into other more remunerative and more congenial occupations. 

 A fact that should not be lost sight of is, that many teachers of the rural 

 schools have had no educational advantages except those offered by the 

 same schools. It is safe to say that those who desire to teach in country 

 would take the advantage of the opportunity to take higher branches taught 

 in the central school, thereby improving the scholarship of the teaching force 

 very materially. It is asserted that the teacher makes the school. A noted 

 educator says: "The teacher is the school." Admitting that there is much 

 truth in the statement, it is evident to all that she must have the means of 

 being a good school— in the form of the requisite number of pupils attend- 

 ing with reasonable regularity, a building supplied with appliances neces- 

 sary to promote the physical comfort of both teacher and pupils , and sufficient 

 apparatus, etc. 



6. Consolidation or centralization would eliminate or close the schools 

 having an attendance too small to do good work. There are ten schools in 

 Scott county in which the daily attendance is less than ten; one of these 

 having an average of four, another five, and still another six. The classes 

 in such schools are so small it is very difficult to keep the children interested. 

 The spirit of pleasant rivalry and competition among pupils in the same 

 class, so helpful to the teacher in keeing up interest in the lessons, is almost 

 entirely wanting. 



7. Additional Branches— High school work, keep country population 

 from drifting to cities. Such school would be social center. Lectures, en- 

 tertainments. 



8. Reduction of expenses — Reports from the States where this plan of 

 centralization is in operation in many localities show a reduction in cost. 



It is my opinion that the expenditures would not be changed materially. 

 But the reduction of expenses is not the main object of the plan. Better 

 educational facilities are desired. It is by consolidation of small schools 

 principally that economy of the expenditure of school money can be effected. 

 With your permission I shall offer a few statistics of explanation. The sec- 

 retaries' reports last year show the following: 



SOME STRIKING FIGURES. 



Blue Grass, No. ^, average daily attendance, 10; tuition, $4 80; Blue Grass, 

 No. 6, average daily attendance 5}i; tuition, $9.04. Allen's Grove, No. 3, 

 average daily attendance, 5; tuition, $6.90. Butler, No. 8, average daily 

 attendance, 4; tuition, $9.44. Le Claire, No. 2, average daily attendance, 

 6; tuition, $6.66. Le Claire, No. 4; average daily attendance, 8; tuition, $5. 

 Le Claire, No. 6, average daily attendance, 7; tuition, $5.71. Liberty, No. 

 9, average daily attendance, 10; tuition, $3.94. Princeton, No. 8, average 

 daily attendance, 8; tuition, $4.66. Sheridan, No. 1, average daily attend- 

 ance, 8; tuition, $5.25. Sheridan, No. 3, average daily attendance, 10; 

 tuition, $4.41. 



