isome tax on 



when it was 

 [ricultural de- 

 purchased a 

 d about four 

 )r 1700. This 

 be ideal for 

 isses. It is a 

 increte block 

 with concrete 



ny school day 

 ind farm boys 

 r time. Some 

 g house con- 

 painting and 

 y, overhauling 

 a four-wheel 

 )eriods of the 

 en and sopho- 



il test or study- 

 d animal hus- 

 to their class 

 ive production 



equipped to 

 , but this year 

 demand for 

 the board was 



ructor and the 



icultural teach- 



:ach industrial 



Iture, but his 



all his time. 



y who farmed 



t to Iowa State 



ng college he 



in a machine 



artment of the 

 a three-year 

 n that is com- 

 jffered boys in 



opportunities 

 ages that par- 

 reciate. They 

 hat their chil- 

 ;ar high school 

 aol buses take 



. A. RECORD 



a 



T 



■i: 



i 



y > ▼ 



x' ' 



the students to and from school and 

 eliminates loitering about town that 

 often occurs when students drive into 

 school. 



Reynolds was organized as a four- 

 year high school in the fall of 1931 

 and its attendance at that time was 

 around 75 to 80. It was housed with 

 the grade school in a building erected 

 in 1877. In 1934, when a $16,000 

 auditorium and gym was built as a new 

 unit in back of the old school, the en- 

 rollment had climbed to nearly 120. 

 In 1935, the high school used the 

 second floor and one room in the old 

 school building, the stage in the new 

 gym, a room at the north end of the 

 stage, and the basement under the 

 stage. 



As enrollment continued to move 

 upward it became necessary in, 1937 to 



A STORY OF PROGRESS 

 IN RURAL EDUCATION 



build a $50,000 addition to the new 

 auditorium and gym. This gave the 

 high school a complete and modern 

 building. In 1938, enrollment was 

 over 170 and the faculty was composed 

 of eight teachers as compared with 

 four in 1935. 



Increase in enrollment during this 

 period of growth came largely from 

 non-high territory so that it was not 

 surprising that in 1940, these districts 

 petitioned to come into the Reynolds 



district and were accepted. These non- 

 high students had been coming to the 

 Reynolds school so that the people 

 felt at home in the newly enlarged dis- 

 trict. 



Have school costs increased in the 

 Reynolds system? The answer is yes. 

 However, it is interesting to note that 

 the increase in per capita cost from 

 1933 to 1943 is not as great as the in- 

 crease in the cost of things farmers 

 buy during the same period. In addi- 

 tion, the taxpayer is getting consider- 

 ably more for his money now than he 

 did in 1943. Reynolds has a new 

 school building completely equipped 

 to offer courses in homemaking, com- 

 mercial studies and other subjects, not 

 to mention the shop and classroom 

 facilities in the former sale barn. The 

 faculty has been increased from 4 to 

 12 teachers. 



It must also be remembered that 

 school costs in Reynolds were at rock 

 bottom in 1933. Since that time 

 teachers salaries' and transportation 

 costs have increased. The school began 

 to operate buses in 1934. However, 

 the school's financial condition is good. 

 The $16,000 bonds on the auditorium 

 and gym have been paid off and $8000 

 has been paid off on the $50,000 build- 

 ing' bonds. 



One of the best proofs that the 

 Reynolds school is serving the people 

 is the fact that farmers have purchased 

 land when they could in the district in 

 order to assure their children of a good 

 schooling. 



One of the few criticisms offered by 

 the people is that a rental fee is charged 

 for the use of school auditorium and 

 gym for community meetings. The 

 rental rates have been in accord- 

 ance with the amount of light and 

 heat used. At the present time 

 the school board is working on a plan 

 to make the building available at a 

 more reasonable rate. 



Four of the five board members of 



Miss BettY Anne McMillan, instrucior in 

 homemaking, supervises the work oi Jean 

 Carlson, daughter oi Ernest Carlson. Mer- 

 cer County Farm Bureau member. 



the Reynolds district are Farm Bureau 

 members. OflFicers and board members 

 are Charles P. Dunlap, president; R. C. 

 Wait, secretary: George A. DeBord, 

 Everett Gustafson, and C. S. Tittering- 

 ton. 



The people of the district have done 

 a good job in the selection of their 

 principal, Fred 

 Bridgfprd, who was 

 hired in 1924. As 

 one parent with 

 children in school 

 said. "Mr. Bridgford 

 had a vision and 

 also understanding 

 of human nature as 

 well as understand- 

 ing of the kind of 

 a school that was 

 needed. He also is 

 a good business man." Perhaps one 

 of the reasons that Bridgford under- 

 stands the needs of rural students is 

 that he has a farm background and 

 (Continued on page 2i) 



Wendell Riexinger, Rock Island county 

 iann boy. makes a soil test. Working on 



APRIL 1944 



a tractor motor ore Willard Long, in- 

 structor. Bob Bsstian. and Bob White. Bob 



Parks, son of Mn. WUl Porks, of the lAA 

 school committee, works a drill press. 



