Good ScUooli IMPORTANT TO 

 FARM PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS 



THE future of their rural schools is a 

 matter of prime importance to the 

 farm people of Illinois and their school 

 officials. That would be the obvious 

 conclusion if you attended the schools 

 conference during the lAA convention 

 in Chicago, Nov. 28. 



Presided over by lAA board director 

 Homer Curtiss of Jo Daviess county, the 

 conference attracted approximately 275 

 persons, including leaders in education, 

 agriculture, politics and women's organ- 

 izations. 



Special phases of the school problem 

 were discussed by three members of the 

 lAA staff. L. H. Simerl, director of the 

 department of research and taxation, 

 talked on "New Legislation Affecting 

 Schools," John K. Cox, director of rural 

 school relations, discussed "Pupil Trans- 

 portation Problems," and Paul Mathias, 

 lAA secretary, addressed the group on 

 "Compulsory vs. Voluntary Reorganiza- 

 tion." 



A lively discussion followed in which 

 many persons in the audience partici- 

 pated. The questions asked were prin- 

 cipally concerned with the implications 

 of the County School Survey Act. 



The discussion, however, covered a 

 wide range of school subjects, some of 

 which included comparative transporta- 

 tion costs in various parts of the state, 

 responsibility for school bus accidents, 

 the relative cost of school consolidation, 

 and teachers' salaries. 



George Frazier, state representative 

 from Clark county, asked that a vote be 

 taken in the group to get its attitude to- 

 ward the minimum salary for teachers 

 bill. Some were opposed but a majority 

 favored it. 



Noble Puffer, superintendent of Cook 

 county schools, commented on the costs 

 of consolidation, saying: "I do not 

 think that we should kid ourselves that 

 consolidated schools are going to cost us 

 less. I think farming at the present time 

 costs more, but your returns are greater. 

 We cannot put a dollars and cents re- 

 turn on schools but it (consolidation) 

 gives us a better return for our money." 



Mr. Leigh of Marshall county asked 

 Director Cox if the state school survey 

 bill prevented four or five school dis- 

 tricts from going ahead with their own 

 consolidation. 



"No, it does not," Cox answered. 

 "There are some things a district should 

 consider. In the first place, you should 



have an assessed valuation which will 

 provide the school adequate financial 

 support on a reasonable tax rate. In the 

 second place, you need a reasonable num- 

 ber of pupils. In the third place, the 

 school should be in the main located 

 near a community center wherever pos- 

 sible. That community center may be 

 in a strictly rural area, however. If you 

 have an idea of going ahead, it would 

 be a good idea to discuss it with your 

 school survey committee and your coun- 

 ty superintendent." 



Robert Ring of the office of the state 

 superintendent of public instruction 

 complimented the numerous groups in 

 Illinois which have contributed to the 

 improvement of rural education and paid 

 particular tribute to the State lAA School 



Committee. He also voiced his ap- 

 proval of local control over school af- 

 fairs. 



Other school officials in attendance 

 included the following county superin- 

 tendents: McCoy, Kane county; Dickey, 

 DeWitt; Morgan, DuPage; Clark, Ken- 

 dall; Hall, Kankakee; Mrs. Endres, Mc- 

 Henry; Mrs. Andresco, Grundy; Bot- 

 tino. Will, and Asst. Supt. Spickerman 

 representing La Salle county. 



Others present included: Mrs. Stan- 

 ley Castle, state president of Home Bu- 

 reau; Paul S. Conklin, president of the 

 State Association of County Superin- 

 tendents of Schools; and Mrs. Anita 

 Connor, educational chairman of the 

 league of women voters. 



34 



L A. A. RECORD 



