Tipton Conservative, Tipton, Iowa, Thursday, March 17, 1966
Transcribed by Sharon Elijah, January 28, 2021
LAST OF RURAL SCHOOLS
The day of the non-high school district in Cedar county will come to a close at the end of the present school year. There have been more than 125 of these districts in Cedar county. Today there are 5. After April 1 there will be none.
These school districts supported the famous one-room rural schoolhouses. Prior to World War II a majority of rural children attended these schools. The rapid advance of school consolidation has eliminated most of the small districts.
At the present time only one such district, Sunbury, is operating a school in Cedar county. The 10 students are taught by Mrs. Mearl Christian of Rochester. The district — on a third try — voted last fall to merge with the Durant Community school district. The merger is effective July 1.
There are 4 districts that are now sending students to high school districts on a tuition basis. They are: Linn township, which voted March 22 on a plan to merge with Lisbon where the tuition students are not attending school.
Rochester No. 6, located in the south part of Rochester township, will be merged with the Wilton Junction school district. Members of the board of education of the district have indicated to the county school board that they wish to join the Wilton Junction district. There appears to be no opposition to the plan.
Pioneer and Evergreen. These rural districts in the northeast part of the county have not taken any action about a vote on a merger. As a result they will be assigned to the Lincoln Community school district where they are now sending their tuition pupils.
The assignment of rural schools to high school districts will be made at the April 6 meeting of the county board of education.
The law which brings about these mergers reads that if any non-high school district is not part of a high school district by April 1, or is not included in a reorganization petition filed on or before that date, the area shall be attached by the county board of education to such a district, or districts, to become effective July 1 — providing the attachment has the approval of the state board of public instruction.
However, any district or part of district attached by the county board—with the approval of the state board, has the right of appeal to a court within 20 days.
In addition, any area included in a reorganization petition filed on or before April 1 and not becoming a part of a 12-grade district because of failure of the merger to carry or by reason of judicial proceedings, shall be attached to a district by the county board.
