LeMars Sentinel, May 6, 1919
MUCH FOR THE SCHOOLS
Many Important Acts Passed by Legislature
The Thirty-eighth general assembly along with its constructive work in a
passage of the road law, motor vehicle law, the housing law and such
outstanding measures also did much for the schools. The important
school laws adopted during the session just imposed are summarized as
follows:
County board of education provided for in bill by Senator Newberry, of
Clayton county, to select text books, discuss on boundary lines and
advise with county superintendent.
The Smith bill amending the present school consolidation law, clearing
of the law and cutting out much of the red tape which has hindered
consolidation.
Increasing state aid to consolidated schools in a bill by Representative
Holloway of Fremont county, from $100,000 to $150,000 per annum.
Provision for part time education for minors at work between the ages of
14 and 16, provided in the bill by Senator Stoddard, of Woodbury county.
Appropriation bill by Representative Weaver, of Polk county, for the
promotion of vocational education in Iowa.
Fixing minimum teacher's wage in a bill by Senator Fellows, of Allamakee
county.
Making English the medium of instruction in all secular subjects in all
schools, a bill by Representative Dean, of Osceola county.
The bill by Representative Powers, of Crawford county, providing for a
course in civics and patriotism in the public and private schools.
Requiring the closing of schools where the average attendance for a term
has fallen below five pupils, by Representative Klaus, of Delaware
county.
A bill by Durbin, of Mills county, fixing eight months of school as the
minimum in any county in the state.
The maximum levy for the support of the general school fund was
increased from $40 to $60 per person of school age. Bradley, of
Poweshiek, was the author of this measure.
A bill by representative Gunderson, of Pocahontas county, increasing the
maximum levy for the support of the general fund in consolidated
distr4icts form $50 to $65.
A bill by Representative LeValley, of Franklin county, increasing
appropriation for normal training high schools.
A bill by Locklin, of Cherokee, which provides that school house sites
revert to the owners of adjoining property only on payment of the
marketable value of surrounding lands, and not at original purchase
price.
A bill by Morrow, of Van Buren county, authorizing that county
superintendents may appoint deputies at a minimum salary of $750.
A bill by Senator Brookhart, of Washington county, increasing allowance
for traveling expenses of county superintendents from $250 to $400
annually.
The county board of education bill is considered one of the important
measures of the session. The county superintendent is a member ex
officio. There are six members of the board elected by representatives
of the various school corporations. The duties of the board are to
select text books in counties having county uniformity, the passing on
boundary lines of proposed consolidated districts in case of appeal from
the decision of the county superintendent and to advise with the county
superintendent on matters referred to him.
A bill omitted in the above summary was passed authorizing the
appropriation of $50,000 annually for and to schools in mining
communities. This was done to bring these schools up to standard. As
first proposed, the measure would have put a small tax on the coal mined
to go in the school fund, but the mine operators procured the amendment
to this to provide for an out and out appropriation.
The part time schools authorized in the Stoddard bill must be provided
where there are fifteen or more minors between the ages of 14 and 16
having work permits. They may be established in districts where there
are less than fifteen such minors. The pupil must attend eight hours
per week during the working hours for the time the public schools are in
session each year. The parents and employers are responsible and
subject to a fine for the absence of the minor who breaks the provisions
of the law. Federal funds will be available for one-half the expense of
such schools which meet the requirements necessary.
The state board of vocational education which has been pioneering in the
work of starting vocational schools in Iowa is provided with $90,000 per
year as state aid the next two years. The entire federal allotment
coming to the state the next two years is $152,735.31. This federal aid
must be met dollar for dollar by state or local funds or by a
combination of both.
The teacher's minimum wage law, as analyzed by the state department of
public instruction, is as follows:
The teacher's minimum wage law by Senator Fellows, of Allamakee county,
provides for a general advancement of teachers' salaries in the state,
affecting all contracts made subsequent to July 4, 1919. The minimum
salary that may be paid per month is based upon preparation,
certification and experience.
First, a teacher who has completed a four year college course and who is
the holder of state certificate shall receive a minimum wage of $100 per
month. After two years of successful teaching experience in the public
schools the salary paid shall not be less than $120 per month.
Second, a teacher who has completed a two year course in education above
a four year high school course in a state normal school and who shall be
holder of a state certificate or who shall be the holder of a state
certificate issued upon examination shall receive a minimum wage of $80
per month. After two years of successful teaching experience, the
minimum shall be $100 per month.
Third, a graduate from a normal training high school course who has had
less than one year of experience shall receive a minimum wage of $65 per
month. A graduate from a normal training high school course who shall
have had one year of successful teaching experience and a teacher
holding a first grade uniform county certificate shall receive a minimum
wage of $75 per month until a successful experience of two years in the
public schools shall have been established. Thereafter the minimum wage
shall by $80 per month.
Fourth, the holder of a second grade uniform county certificate shall
receive a minimum wage of $60 per month until a successful experience of
one year in the public school shall have been established. Thereafter
minimum wage shall be $65 per month.
The Dean bill requiring that English be the medium of instruction in all
secular subjects taught in public or private schools below the ninth
grade does not prevent the teaching of foreign language as such as a
part of the high school course.
The Powers bill requires that all schools, public and private, must
teach American citizenship, a course in which is to be outlined by the
state superintendent of public instruction. All public and private high
schools maintaining a three year course of instruction may offer a
minimum of two semester in American history and civics and such schools
which maintain a four year course shall offer in addition one semester
in social problems and economics. The state superintendent must prepare
outlines for the teachers of these subjects.
Under the Klaus bill requiring schools which do not have an average
attendance of five to close, the board of that corporation must provide
transportation for the pupils and pay tuition for them in an adjoining
school.
Under the LeValley bill, the state appropriation for distribution to
normal training schools was increased from $125,000 to $150,000
annually. The state superintendent explains this will make it possible
to designate several more high schools for the normal training course
designed especially for the training of teachers for rural schools.
History of Plymouth County Country Schools
In September 1924 a total of 5,417 pupils were enrolled in the Plymouth County, Iowa, public schools. Of this number 2,553 boys and girls were enrolled in the county’s 145 open rural schools. The remaining 2,864 students were enrolled in the county’s five village schools, three consolidated schools and six town high schools. Ten rural school buildings which had been open in previous years had been closed because of lack of students, and more rural schools closed from year to year because the district could not meet the required enrollment of seven resident pupils.
Records in the Plymouth County Superintendent’s office show that in 1924 and successive years, all public schools operated for nine school months or 36 weeks. This, however, was not true of all rural schools prior to 1924. Older boys and girls frequently attended only during the winter months, after the fall crops were harvested, and then they remained in school only until spring work was started. During these winter months, they would review for the state eighth grade examinations which they may have failed on or two preceding years. During the early years, rural pupils were usually considered to be in the grade designated by the reader which they were using. However, legislation later enacted required boys and girls to attend elementary school until they had completed the eighth grade or were 16 years of age. Later legislation also provided that rural school districts pay the high school tuition for rural eighth grade boys and girls. Many rural boards of education also, of their own volition, paid tuition for eighth grade pupils to attend town schools. Compulsory transportation for pupils living over two miles from school also became a part of the Iowa law.
In the early 1900’s, many rural teachers had very little education beyond the eighth grade. They were, however, required to be at least 17 years of age and to pass a state examination to secure a county teacher’s certificate. When normal training courses were established in Iowa high schools, young women desirous of teaching took these courses and received their high school normal training certificates. Iowa laws now require all teachers to be high school graduates and have at least two years of college training. Nearly all elementary teachers presently employed in Plymouth County have four years of college.
In 1950, the General Assembly of Iowa amended and revised Chapters 275 and 276 of the Iowa Code to read as follows:
“The county board of education in each county of the state shall initiate detailed studies and surveys of the school districts within the county and territory adjacent thereto for the purpose of promoting such reorganization of districts by unions, mergers, reorganizations or centralizations as will effect more economical operation and the attainment of high standards of education in the schools.”
In compliance with this law, the Plymouth County Board of Education, in cooperation with local school boards, instituted a reorganization of Plymouth County’s school districts. From 1954 to 1961, Plymouth County’s rural schools gradually closed and the area of said districts became a part of a community school district. The Plymouth County School System now consists of six public community school districts and three parochial schools with enrollments as follows:
School District --- Enrollment
Akron Community 654
Hinton Community 584
Kingsley-Pierson Community 746
LeMars Community 2560
Remsen-Union Community
Westfield Community 333
Total Public School Enrollment = 5409
Gehlen, LeMars 621
St. Catherine’s-St. Mary’s Elementary 400
St. Mary’s High School, Remsen 210
Total Parochial School Enrollment = 1231
Grand Total School Enrollment = 6640
Pending legislation would merge the six counties known as Area 12 into an Area School District. These counties are: Cherokee, Crawford, Ida, Monona, Plymouth and Woodbury. The Plymouth County Superintendent’s office was moved from the Plymouth County Court House on July 31, 1973, to the Central School building, LeMars. Following the retirement of County Superintendent Christine McCormick and Mrs. Mardros Kress, secretary, on August 31, 1973, Mr. E. V. Heacock, Kingsley, was employed as Plymouth County Superintendent of Schools on a part-time basis. Mrs. Linda Yagel serves as full-time secretary for the County Superintendent’s office and the Plymouth County Vocational Rehabilitation Director. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
[History text found in the Country School Classroom, Plymouth County Museum, Oct. 2006. There is no author’s name on these pages of history and there is no date of the actual writing of this information, although reason lends the date to be sometime after August 1973.]
SCHOOL DAYS
One of the most cherished childhood memories we have was listening to our granddad
tell us about his “school days” at the country school. Whenever
there were a lot of us “kids” around, we would always ask him to
tell us about it.
Now, after all these years, no amount of thought on my part will bring forth
the precise words to describe it to you the way he told it to us. His mannerism
and the pauses he made ----waiting, not for questions or answers ---but waiting
to watch our facial expressions.
“Going to school was the easiest part of our day, when we got home we
had so many ‘chores’ to do, we often wished we were back in school.”
Take a look at the picture of the schoolhouse ----would you believe all eight
grades were taught in this one room building (or two room building as in the
case of the Seney School.) The way he explained it to us ----the class to be
taught would sit up front, close to the teacher, and the others had to sit in
the rear and study until their time came.
“We had to walk to school, carry our lunch and buy our books,”
I remember him telling us. “We loved our teacher. Her name was Mrs. Jones
and she had a way of being both kind and stern, which was what our parents liked.”
He would tell us the day started with the flag raising ceremony, which none
of us ever missed and once in school the first words spoken in unison was the
Lord’s Prayer. Then the class to be taught sat in front and Mrs. Jones
would say, “Now I want the others to keep quiet and study --- do you understand?”
And the way she said it ---- we understood.
Now and then she would tell the class being taught, “I want you to pay
particular attention to this, it’s fundamental.” Whenever she said
that we all stopped studying and listened to that “fundamental part.”
“Soon it would be recess time and we all went out in the school yard
to play. The girls played on one side of the walk and the boys on the other.
When we were having the most fun, she would ring her bell to end the period
and I wish you could have seen us all rush to not be the last one in.”
“The next period was almost as good --- singing. Mrs. Jones could really
play the piano, but there were times when you could hardly hear it when the
girls tried to out-sing the boys. The Star Spangled Banner was our favorite
with My Country Tis of Thee being the contest favorite.”
“Our President’s picture with the flag was up front. On the walls
hung pictures of Washington and Lincoln and down low was a framed copy of the
Declaration of Independence, where we could read it. At the end of the day she
would let us ask questions. This one I will always remember, “Why are
some of the farms so much larger than others?” And she answered, “It’s
like the grades you get in school, they are not all the same.”
The country school produced a generation with faith in God, duty and loyalty
to country with pride and satisfaction over one’s accomplishments. We
may have lost more than the building with the passing of the Country School.
By Louis C. Williams, as copied from Grandma's scrapbook page
