nsomc tax on 



i when it was 

 gricultural dc- 

 purchascd a 

 .•d about four 

 or $700. This 

 I be ideal for 

 asses. It is a 

 oncrete block 

 , with concrete 



any school day 

 tiiid farm boys 

 ir time. Some 

 3^ house con- 

 .• painting and 

 ■y, overhauling 

 a four-wheel 

 periods of the 

 len and sopho- 



il test or study- 

 d animal hus- 

 to their class 

 ave production 



e<.|uipped to 

 1, but this year 

 t demand for 



the board wa.s 

 ructor and the 



icultural teach- 

 cach industrial 

 ulture, but his 

 all his time. 

 ly who farmed 

 t to Iowa State 

 ling college he 

 in a machine 



lartment of the 

 s a three-year 

 m that is com- 

 ofFcred boys in 



1 opportunities 

 tages that par- 

 >reciate. They 

 that their chil- 

 ear high school 

 ool buses take 



L A. RECORD 



1 



I 



I 



i 



•V 

 •■f 



i: 



4 

 J- 



J 



i 



the students to ami from school and 

 eliminates loitering about town that 

 olten occurs when students drive into 

 .school. 



Reynolds was organized as a loi:r- 

 ye.ir high school in the fall of 19.M 

 and lis atteiuLuue at th.it time w.is 

 around 7^ to HO. Ii was housed with 

 the grade si hool in ,i building ercUcd 

 in \S~~. In IVsf. wIkii a Slfi.dOO 

 aiuliiorium aiul gvni was built as a new 

 unit in back of the old school, the en- 

 rollment had climbed to nearly 120. 

 In \9:->'>. the high sihoul used the 

 second floor ami 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 mo\e 

 upwarii it became necessarv in iy3~ to 



A STORY OF PROGRESS 

 IN RURAL EDUCATION 



build a S50.000 addition to the new 

 auditorium and gym. This gave the 

 high school a complete and modern 

 building. In 19^S, enrollment was 

 over 170 and the faculty was composed 

 of eight teachers as compared with 

 four in \9}'>. 



Increase in enrollment during this 

 period of growth came largei\ from 

 non-high territory so tli.it it was not 

 surprising that in 1910. these districts 

 petitioned to come into the- Rcvnolds 



I til 



til 



district and were accepted. 1 hese nc)n- 

 high students had been coming to the 

 Reynolds school so that tiie people 

 tell at home in the newlv enlarged dis 

 trict. 



Have school costs increased in the 

 Revnolcis system,' Tiic answer is vcs 

 However, it is interesting to note that 

 liie increase in |xr capita ccist trom 

 19s3 to 19 l3 IS not as great as tile in 

 crease in tiie cost of things farmers 

 buy during the same period. In addi 

 tion. tile taxpayer is getting consider 

 ably more for his money now th.m lie 

 did in 19 IV Reynolds li.is a new 

 scli()ol building completely ecjuippeii 

 to offer courses in homemaking. coin 

 mercial studies and cither subjects, noi 

 to mention the shop and classroom 

 facilities in the former safe barn. The 

 faculty has been increased from 

 1 2 teachers. 



It must also be remembered 

 school costs in Reynolds were at rock 

 bottom in 1953. Since that time 

 teachers salaries' and transportation 

 costs have increased. 1 he school began 

 to operate buses in 193 4. However, 

 the school's financial condition is good 

 The SI6.000 bonds on the auditorium 

 and gym have been paid off and SKOOO 

 has been paid off on the S'^O.OOO build 

 ing bonds. 



(3ne of tlie best proofs that tin 

 Reynolds school is serving the peo|Mc 

 IS file fact that farmers have purcliasec) 

 land when they could in the district in 

 order to assure their ;hildren of a l:ooc! 

 scliooling. 



One of the tew criticisms offered b\ 

 the people is that a rental fee is chargeci 

 tor tile Use c)f school auciitorium and 

 gym for community meetings TIk 

 rental rates have been in accord 

 anee with the amount of light and 

 heat used. At tiie present time 

 tile sihool board is working on a plan 

 III make tlie building axailabie at .i 

 more re.isoiiable rate 



l'()ur of tile tive iMt.ird members of 



Miss Betty Anne McMillan, instructor in 

 homemaking, supervises the work oi Jean 

 Carlson, ciaughler of Ernest Carlson, Mer- 

 cer County Farm Bureau member. 



the RcMiolcis district are |-"arm Bureau 

 nieinbers. Officers and board nieinbtrs 

 are ( harles P Hunlap, president ; R. ( 

 Wait, secretary; Cieorge A HeHord. 

 r.verett Cuistafscin. miA ( S I iitering 

 Ion. 



The people of the district have done 

 a good |ob in the selection of their 

 principal. I- r e d 

 Bridgford. w ho w .ts 

 hired 111 I9J I As 

 one parent with 

 cliildren in school 

 viid. .\lr Bndgtord 

 liad a \isic)n and 

 also uiiiiersiaiidiiig 

 of human n.ilufe as 

 well as undcrsiand 

 mg of the kind of 

 .1 sehool that was 

 needed He also is 

 a good busiiH-ss ir,.in ' Perh.ips one 

 of tile rc.isons tlial Br'.lglcird under 

 stands the needs ol rural students is 

 ih.u lie li.is .1 l.irm l\ic kgrouiiil an.l 

 '( ot;.V'.;,,y ,... /.;;•; •-, , 



Wendell Riexinger, Hock Island county a tractor motor are Willard Long, in- Parks, son of Mrs. Will Parks, of the lAA 

 farm boy, makes a soil test. Working on structor. Bob Bestian, and Bob White. Bob school committee, works a drill press. 



APRIL, 1944 c 



