PROGRESS is a pleasant word. It is 

 best explained by the expression: 

 "Now we're getting somewhere." 



And as far as rural roads and schools 

 are concerned, progress and Hardin coun- 

 ty may be on the verge of becoming 

 synonymous. 



It is an attractive land of rolling 

 wooded hills tucked away on the Ohio 

 river border of southern Illinois far 

 from the influence of large cities. 



It is not an exciting, bustling center of 

 trade and industry. In fact, you would- 

 n't be far wrong if you said nothing ex- 

 citing ever happens in Hardin county. 



At least not since 10 years ago this 

 spring when the angry Ohio spewed its 

 dirty water across the main streets and 

 drove the people from their homes. 



But don't get the idea that the rest 

 of Illinois has passed it by, leaving Har- 

 din county in a Rip Van Winklesque 

 Sleepy Hollow. 



In fact it is already eight years ahead 

 of the rest of the state in consolidating 

 its road districts into a single adminis- 

 trative unit with a single county road and 

 bridge levy for its road district (rural) 

 roads. 



No other county in the state can 

 boast of such progress in road adminis- 

 tration. G)unties with more than 20 

 separate road districts are the rule in 

 Illinois rather than the exception. La 

 Salle county, for example, has 37 sepa- 

 rate administrative units for its rural 

 roads. 



What has consolidation of all its road 

 districts into one accomplished for Har- 

 din county? 



Today it is the only county in the 

 state free of road district debt, no minor 



accomplishment in these days. Besides 

 it is no longer levying the maximum 

 road and bridge rate. Its all-weather 

 roads are better and there are more 

 of them. But good roads take time. 

 During the war years the county has 

 been accumulating valuable road equip- 

 ment. Now the prospect of better roads 

 looks even brighter. 



Again, Hardin county is ready to do 

 battle with tradition, local pride, and 

 the dead hand of the past. This time 

 it would do something about the schools 

 which are woven interminably with the 

 roads in the county's social and educa- 

 tional fabric. 



Plagued by lack of teachers, dwindling 

 pupils, and insufficient funds, the Har- 

 din County School Survey Committee has, 

 after more than a year's study, taken the 

 bull by the horns and tentatively recom- 

 mended the pooling of educational facil- 

 ities and management under one county 

 school board. 



To progressive-minded folks in the 

 county the recommendations look good. 

 To the outsider they look simple of ac- 

 complishment. Actually consolidation in 

 Hardin county is no less difficult than 

 it would be in any other Illinois county. 

 In fact, it might be more troublesome. 



But the county is fortunate in having 

 good men on its school survey commit- 

 tee. Chairman Harry Porter, editor of 

 the Hardin County Independent at Eliza- 



bethtown, insists that the county's school 

 tax funds be pooled to give rural chil- 

 dren the same educational opportunities 

 offered city children. He will not be 

 budged from this viewpoint. "Good 

 education," he says, "must be available 

 to all American children regardless of 

 town, city, county or state boundary 

 lines." Virtually the entire committee 

 concurs in this opinion. 



Fortunate too is Hardin county that it 

 has a county superintendent of schools, 

 C. L. Flynn, who is an ardent champion 

 of consolidation. Flynn is an outspoken 

 advocate of the committee's reconunenda- 

 tions. 



The committee recommended in its re- 

 port that the county operate seven ele- 

 mentary schools (kindergarten through 

 sixth grade), two junior high (grades 

 7, 8, and 9), and one senior high school 

 (grades 10, 11, and 12); and that the 

 county establish a system of school bus 

 routes to be maintained under state su- 

 pervision and from state aid funds. The 

 routes to be so planned "that no child 

 will be denied educational advantages 

 because of distance from school." 



Courses in agriculture, home econom- 

 ics, vocational education, shop work, 

 art, and music are recommended in the 

 committee's tentative report; also that a 

 health program be instituted, that a lunch 

 and recreational program and good li- 



(Continued on Page 26) 



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