"With many noteworthy exceptions, it may be said that in 

 a given school district there are too many people who support 

 the school in their community in a half-hearted way. They do 

 not appreciate as fully as they should what it costs in time, 

 money, effort, and good will to make the school of vital signifi- 

 cance in life of the community. 



"In such districts there are usually a few who greatly de- 

 sire to improve the local school, but they meet with so many 

 discouragements, and are so frequently outvoted in their 

 efforts to bring the school to the higher level that they often 

 weary in well doing." 



The improvement which is being rapidly made in the rural 

 schools of Wisconsin shows that the patrons of the schools as 

 well as school men are dissatisfied with the present condition 

 of the schools. The rural school was created at a time when 

 the roads were bad and the means of transportation poor. The 

 school of that day necessarily served a small number people in 

 order that it be accessible to the children ; but with the develop- 

 ment of the farms, the roads, and means of transportation, 

 there has come a demand on the part of country people for 

 schools which will more adequately meet the needs of present 

 day conditions. Especially urgent is the demand for high 

 school advantages for country children. This demand will pro- 

 bably be met in two ways : first, by improving some of the 

 rural schools as they now are; second, by the consolidation 

 of the smaller and weaker schools. In the consolidated school 

 it is probable the high school will be established. 



Ways of Improving the Country School 



More Money. The country school lacks financial sup- 

 port. This is due in part to the low value of farm property 

 and in part to a low rate of taxation in rural districts 

 for school purposes. More money is needed to maintain the 

 rural schools, and to provide high school advantages for all 

 the boys and girls of the community. The time is not far dis- 

 tant when the people of rural communities instead of spending 

 their money to send their children away to the cities to school 

 will develop the spirit of cooperation to such an extent that a 

 rural high school will stand in every rural community. 



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