EDUCATIOXAL EXTERPRISEt^ 355 



tioii in the case of all new and replaced heating sys- 

 tems ; for the use of school buildings and grounds as 

 community centers and for entertainment; for the 

 instruction of school officials by experts of the State 

 department of public instruction and for the payment 

 of the tuition of rural school pupils desiring to at- 

 tend high-schools outside the district and for their 

 transportation thereto. 



The educational leaders of the State recognize that 

 the fundamental defect in the Michigan rural school 

 situation is the small district, which involves gross 

 inequalities in taxable resources as compared with 

 urban districts^, and hence inadequate provision of 

 whatever is essential in a progressive effective school 

 system. There are counties in vdiich the township 

 valuations run as high as nearly $14,000 for a child 

 of school age resident therein, and others in which 

 such valuations fall as low as $600. Obviously such 

 a situation involves great divergence in the tax rate 

 and limits the income availal)le for school purposes 

 so that equality of educational opportunity is im- 

 possible. The remedy is in a larger school district 

 and hence enlarged unit of taxation. While town- 

 ship school districts are permitted, there is no pro- 

 vision for a county district. Apparently there must 

 be either compulsory consolidation of present small 

 school districts, or a general state tax for the support 

 of schools, in addition to the proceeds of the present 

 primary school interest fund, the latter being dis- 

 tributed among the districts in quotas related to re- 



