CENTRALIZATION

SECTION 4726 — GENERAL CODE.

A rural board of education may submit the question of centralization, and, upon the petition of not less than one-fourth of the qualified electors of such rural district, or upon the order of the county board of education, must submit such question to the vote of the qualified electors of such rural district at a general election or a special election called for that purpose. If more votes are cast in favor of centralization than against it, at such election, such rural board of education shall proceed at once to the centralization of the schools of the rural district, and if necessary, purchase a site or sites and erect a suitable building or buildings thereon. If, at such election, more votes are cast against the proposition of centralization than for it, the question shall not again be submitted to the electors of such rural district for a period of two years, except upon the petition of at least forty per cent of the electors of such district. (104 v. 133)

SECTION 4726-1.

In townships in which there are one or more school districts, the qualified electors of such school districts may vote on the question of centralizing the schools of said township districts, or of special school districts therein, without interfering with the existing school district organization until the result of the election shall have been determined. If at such election in any township a majority of all the votes cast shall be in favor of centralizing the schools in said township, the probate judge of the county shall create a new board of education for the said township, without delay, by selecting from the several boards of education thus consolidated, five suitable persons, giving each former district its fair representation in such selection, which such five persons so selected shall constitute the board of education for said township until the first township election thereafter; at such first township election thereafter the electors of such township shall elect two members of the board of education for two years, and three members to serve for three years, and at the proper elections thereafter their successors shall be elected for four years. If a majority of the electors in said township vote against said centralization at the time above designated, then the several school districts in said townships shall proceed as though no election had been held. (106 v. 442.)

Schools can be centralized according to the provisions of the above sections only. If procedure is had under section 4726, the question of

a bond issue may be submitted at the same time the vote is taken on centralization. But if centralization be effected by the provisions of 4726-1 the questions of centralization and of a bond issue must be submitted separately and the election on the bond issue must be subsequent to that of centralization.

DECENTRALIZATION.

SECTION 4727.

When the schools of a rural school district have been centralized such centralization shall not be discontinued within three years, and then only by petition and election, as provided in section 4726. If at such election more votes are cast against centralization than for it, the division into subdistricts as they existed prior to centralization shall thereby be re-established. Nothing in this or the foregoing sections, namely, sections 4726 and 4726-1, shall prevent a county board of education upon the petition of twothirds of the qualified electors of the territory petitioning for a transfer, from transferring territory to or from a centralized school district, the same as to or from a district not centralized.

There is no case on record when the schools were decentralized pursuant to the provisions of the above section.

CONSOLIDATION

SECTION 7730.

The board of education of any rural or village school district may suspend temporarily or permanently any or all schools in such village or rural district because of disadvantageous location or any other cause. Whenever the average daily attendance of any school in the school district for the preceding year has been below ten the county board of education shall direct the suspension, and thereupon the board of education of the village or rural district shall suspend such school. Whenever any school is suspended the board of education of the district shall provide for the transfer of the pupils residing within the territory of the suspended school to other schools. If the suspended school be in a village school district the board of education of the district may, or if in a rural school district shall provide for the pupils of legal school age who reside in the territory of the suspended school conveyance to a public school within such school district or in an adjoining school district. Notice of such suspension shall be posted in five conspicuous places within such village or rural school district by the board of education within ten days after the resolution providing for such suspension is adopted. Wherever such suspension is had on the direction of the county board of education, then upon the direction of such county board, and in other

cases upon the finding of the board of education ordering such suspension that such school ought to be re-established, such school shall be re-established. If at any time it appears that the average daily attendance of enrolled pupils residing within the territory of the suspended schools as it was prior to such suspension is twelve or more then, upon a petition asking for re-establishment signed by a majority of the voters of the said territory, the board of education shall re-establish such school.

Consolidation of schools is effected by procedure in accordance with the provisions of the above section (7730). The question of centralization is not voted upon but the question of a bond issue is submitted to the people for the purpose of securing funds to purchase a site or erect a school building or both.

THE ONE-TEACHER SCHOOL INADEQUATE.

The one-room school is antiquated and can not meet the demands of modern rural society. The one-room school may be a good one-teacher school, but no one-teacher school can be classified as a good school because of its many limitations. There are too many classes; there is no specialized work; there is insufficient time for the study of pupils that the work may be adapted to individual needs. Taking into consideration their aptitudes, capabilities, interests, and needs, all will not require the same scale, receive the same value, and become possessed with the same. ability; but all should have opportunity to develop their capacities in such a way as to fit them to perform their part in society in the most efficient manner possible. In the one-room school the teacher has but little time and opportunity to supervise study that the child may be better able to