lAA REPORTS ON ITS STATEWIDE STUDY OF 



REND IN SCHOOL DISTRICT 



By JOHN K. COX 



REORGANIZATION 



IN ORDER to get a better idea of 

 what school reorganization is taking 

 place over the state, lAA depart- 

 ment of rural schools relations office 

 has selected a number of counties at 

 random and written to the county 

 superintendents for information re- 

 garding recent reorganization in their 

 counties. A number of encouraging 

 replies have been received to date and 

 we are expecting additional ones in the 

 near future. In addition we would 

 welcome information from any county 

 superintendent not thus far contacted 

 by the department or from any other 

 person who can tell us about reorgani- 

 zations that are taking place locally. 



Piatt County 



From Piatt county Superintendent 

 Mcintosh reports that there have oeen 

 7 reorganizations of school districts 

 within the last two years around the 

 centers of Deland, Mansfield, Ham- 

 mond, White Heath, Cisco, LaPlace, 

 and East Union. Twenty-one districts 

 were eliminated in these reorginiza- 

 tions affecting 650 pupils. Most of 

 these reorganizations took place under 

 the new law requiring an election to be 

 held in each district affected, and a 

 favorable vote in each district before 

 reorganization is affected. Superintend- 

 ent Mcintosh thinks that there is a pos- 

 sibility for a reduction of taxes in most 

 cases, depending upon what additional 

 services the local people want their 

 school to provide. He states that the 

 general attitude of the people affected 

 is very favorable, that the children en- 

 joy being in the larger groups, and that 

 parents like the transportation of their 

 children, and getting them to and from 

 school even in bad weather without 

 exposure to the elements. He adds 

 that there is a possibility of future re- 

 organizations, that six districts voted 

 May 19 on whether to unite with the 

 Cisco grade school and that a discus- 

 sion meeting had been held at Atwood 



relative to reorganization. He says he 

 does not urge the districts but that the 

 voters get a chai^ce to ask questions ind 

 are impressed with the idea that theirs 

 is the. final answer. Under those con- 

 ditions, he says, the vote is usually 

 favorable and the new district starts 

 with no ill feeling. 



Superintendent Mcintosh further 

 says, "What we must keep before the 

 people is that no plan works itself. Be- 

 cause you have effected a consolidation 

 doesn't mean that now you can forget 

 all about your schools. Consolidated 

 schools have their problems. There 

 needs to be men and women on the 

 board who will study the conditions in 



their district, who will insist on getting 

 good teachers, who are willing to sup- 

 ply the teachers and the pupils with 

 the equipment and supplies necessary 

 to have a good school, they must in- 

 sist on getting good service from the 

 teachers, and insist on fair treatment 

 for all pupils whether they come from 

 the families of the rich or poor. 



"Consolidations furnish the possibil- 

 ities for enriched courses, for better 

 prepared and trained teachers, and for 

 larger social contacts. Whether a dis- 

 trict realizes these possibilities depends 

 upon the district and the board." 



In answer to the question of "What 

 reorganization of school districts have 



NUMBER OF FARMS AND CHILDEN ON FARMS IN ILLINOIS, 1900-1940 

 115 , 00 O 



2SO,000 

 225 ,000 

 200,000 



ns . 000 



ISO, 000 



125, 000 



100 , 000 

 75, OOO 



I900 



1910 



1920 



1930 



I940 



The decrease in number oi form* i* only one of the contributing causes of the decreased 

 number of children on the farms. Decrease in the birth rate and the tendency of older 

 people to remain on the farms are other causes. The number of children on farms is 



not available before 1920. 



12 



L A. A. RECORD 



