One Room and Consolidated
Country S c o o l s of lllinois

STANDARD

CONSOLIDATED

CIRCULAR No. 100

FIFTH EDITION
15

COLOR FOR WALLS
This is a good tint for the
walls of a school room.

COLOR FOR CEILING
This is a good tint for the
border and ceiling of a
school room.

The One Room and Consolidated
C o u n t r y Schools
of Illinois

FRANCIS G. BLAIR
Superintendent of Public Instruction
U. J. Hoffman, Assistant
W . S. Booth, Assistant
State Supervisors of Country, Village and City
Elementary Schools

CIRCULAR No. 97
FIFTH EDITION

CONTENTS
Introduction
Standardization of Schools
Plan for Standardization
Requirements for a Standard One-room School.
Suggestions in Detail
The Yard
The House
Furnishings and Supplies
School Organization
The Teacher
Superior One-room School
Requirements
Making a. Superior School
What Has Been Done
Map of Standard Schools
Tabulation of Standard Schools
One-room School Houses
Plan for a Good One-room School House
Plan for S e a t i n g . . . . .
The Fuel Room
:
Tinting the Walls
Lighting
Plan for a Less Expensive House
Improving Old Buildings
Inexpensive Cloak Rooms
Consolidated Schools
How to Consolidate Several Districts
;
The Rollo Consolidated School
The Harlem Consolidated School
The John Swaney Consolidated School
The New Milford Consolidated School
The Kishwaukee Consolidated School
Township High Schools
Sanitary School Rooms
The Law Governing
Minimum Requirements for
Heating and Ventilation
Room Heaters and Ventilators..
Basement Furnaces
Steam Heating
Lighting
Seating
Water Supply
Toilets
Safety Against Fire

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5
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9
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21
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23
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23
...
23
25
31
32
34
36
36
. . . 36
43
47
50
52
55
57
57
59
—
59
. . . . . . 59
67
,
69
71
72
73
75
80

INTRODUCTION.
Among the duties of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction are enumerated the following:
To supervise all the common and public schools in the State.
To counsel and confer, in such manner as he may deem best, with experienced and practical teachers as to the best manner of conducting common
schools.
To advise and assist county superintendents of schools, addressing to
them, from time to time, circular letters relating to the best manner of
conducting schools, constructing school houses, furnishing the same, and
examining and procuring competent teachers.
To make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry into
efficient and uniform effect the provisions of this Act, and of all laws for
establishing and maintaining free schools in the State.
To be the legal adviser of school officers, and, when requested by any
school officer, to give his opinion in writing upon any question arising under
the school -laws of the State.
To prepare, with the advice of the State Board of Health, the State Architect and the State Fire Marshal, for school directors and boards of education, specifications for the minimum requirements for the heating, ventilation,
lighting, seating, water supply, toilets and safety against fire which will
conserve the health and safety of the children attending the public schools.

In the discharge of these large general duties it is necessary for
the Department of Public Instruction to be equipped with experts
who can advise, direct and assist school officers in the establishment,
management and administration of every form of public instruction.
No part of these large duties is more imperative than that which
relates to the country and village schools. There are 10,632 oneroom country schools in Illinois and 370 village schools with a course
of study of nine, ten or eleven years. In order that a campaign
for the improvement of these schools might be energetically and
intelligently carried on, U. J. Hoffman, for twelve years county
superintendent of La Salle county, was appointed in 1906. W. S.
Booth, superintendent of the Mt. Carmel schools, was appointed in
1912. These two men will devote their time to the country and
village schools. Their plan is to work through the county superintendents. Three diplomas are offered by the State Department to
schools which meet its requirements for a standard and a superior
country school and for a standard village school.
Already 2471 country schools have met the requirements for a
standard school and 14 for a superior school and have received the
diploma. Seventy-seven graded schools have met the requirements
of standardization.
In order to bring before school officers and
school teachers the details of this plan a circular has been prepared
setting forth the conditions which must be met before the diploma
of the Department of Public Instruction will be given.
This circular has been prepared mainly by U. J. Hoffman and W. S. Booth.
It ought to be used by the county superintendents with school
officers and in their teachers' meetings. Each teacher in the country
and village schools should have a copy for frequent consultation.

Superintendent of Public Instruction.

STANDARDIZATION OF SCHOOLS.
PLAN FOR STANDARDIZATION.

When the superintendent of a county wishes the assistance of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in creating a greater public interest in the
improvement of the country schools one of the State Supervisors will spend
from one to three days with him visiting the schools.
The county superintendent should plan a definite itinerary, notifying the
board of directors of the hour when the school will be visited, and invite
the board or as many of its members as can do so to be present. At the
same time the board should be supplied with a copy of this circular and
their attention invited to the requirements for a standard school.
It should be the aim to visit some schools in all sections of the county,
and only those in* which there is a good prospect of getting the necessary
improvements made, and those which are up to the standard in the essentials.
The schools will be inspected by the supervisor and if the requirements
are met a diploma will be awarded and a standard plate placed above the
door on the outside. Those which are found lacking in some of the essentials will be told what improvements need to be made.
When these requirements are met the diploma and plate will be sent to the county superintendent.
The office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction will be pleased to
assist at school officers' or other meetings, whose purpose is to advance
the progress of the country schools.
After a county has been visited by the State Supervisor the county superintendent will be authorized to check up schools and recommend them for
standardization.

The Door Plate.

The aim is to require only those things which are necessary to a good
school, but it must be a good school. Evidences of neglect, want of interest
and inefiicient teaching will prevent the issuance of the diploma.
The
essentials, however, rather than minor details, will determine the matter.
For a more complete statement of the requirements a reading of the treatment of each topic following the list of requirements is invited.

TYPES OF THE ILLINOIS ONE-ROOM SCHOOL BUILDING

District No. 55.

District No. 44.

Modified Form of State Plan.

Carroll County.

Logan County.

District No. 155.

Christian County.

District No. 51.

Moultrie County.

Modified Form of State Plan—Provides Outside Door to Basement.

Davis School.

Jackson County,

REQUIREMENTS FOR A STANDARD ONE-ROOM SCHOOL.
SANITARY CONDITIONS.

In heating, ventilation, lighting, seating, water supply, toilets and safety
against fire, the school house and equipment must meet the requirements
of the law. See page 57.
THE YARD.
1. Ample play ground.
2. Good approaches to door and outhouses.
3. Convenient and serviceable fuel houses.
THE SCHOOL HOUSE.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
only

House well built, in good repair, including paint.
Good tight foundation.
Attractive interior decorations.
Clean floors, walls and furniture.
Good black boards, some suitable for small children.
Two good cloak rooms. The one for girls should have one entrance
and that from school room.
FURNISHINGS AND SUPPLIES.

10. Two good pictures.
(See State Course.)
11. Good teacher's desk.
12. Good bookcase.
13. Good collection of juvenile books suitable as aids to school work as
well as general reading.
14. Set of good up-to-date maps.
15. Good globe.
16. Suitable dictionaries.
17. Thermometer.
,
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

School classified to do the work of the State Course of Study.
Classification and daily register well kept.
Definite program of study.
Program of recitation.
Pupils' reading circle.
At least seven months' continuous term.
Attendance regular.
Discipline: Instruction and spirit of the school good.
THE TEACHER.

26. Education:
Equivalent of a high school course.
27. Salary not less than $40 per month.
28. Ranked by the County Superintendent as a good or superior teacher
in a scale of poor, fair, good, superior.
29. Must meet the County Superintendent's requirements for professional
interest and growth.

9
SUGGESTIONS IN DETAIL.
The Yard.

1. The playground should not be less than one-half acre.
It should
consist principally of an open level space. The trees and shrubbery should
be around the border of the lot. It should be well drained so that water will
not collect in low places.
2. There should be a concrete walk from the school house door to the
gate and to the well. Concrete walks to the toilets are not required except
where water or mud make them necssary.

3. The coal house should be attached to the school house and entered
from the school room. When this is not feasible it should be near the
school house but not in front of it where it spoils the looks of the premises.
It should be so built and painted as not to detract from the attractiveness
of the house and grounds.
The House.

4. The house must be in good repair on the outside, well and attractively
painted.
5. There must be a good foundation that will help to keep the floor warm
in cold weather.
The only holes in it should be those intended for the
ventilation under the floor and these should be closed in cold weather.
Newspapers stuffed into the openings will close them effectively.
6. The interior should be properly decorated as specified on page 23
under "Tinting the Walls". If the walls are papered a plain paper should
be used, never a dark color nor a figured paper.
When paint is used a
"flat paint", not a glossy one, should be used.
7. When sweeping, a preparation should be used which prevents the dust
from rising. When dusting a cloth moistened with water or oil should be
used. Dust must not be allowed to settle on the furniture nor in the corners
of the room and the halls. When desks have become soiled and marred,
the tops should be planed, revarnished or cleaned as may appear most
feasible.

10
8. Blackboard should be, preferably, of slate, though other good material
may be used.
Some Of the blackboard should reach within twenty-six
inches of the floor for the use of the small children.
* •
9. It is not well that thirty children should live six hours each day in one
room, with no place where there may be privacy for the girls. To have the
shoes and clothing in the same room is not conducive to training in habits
of housekeeping. The vestibule as a place for the clothing is objectionable
in many ways. When a new house is built there is no reason why two
separate cloak rooms may not be provided. In old buildings it is usually
easy to provide cloak rooms. (See page 34.)
Furnishings and Supplies.

10. There should be two good pictures adapted to schools. These should
be worthy of a good frame and glass. Advertisements and trashy pictures
should find no place on school room walls.
11. The teachers* desks should contain compartments which can be
locked and one of them should be suitable to contain records.
12. The best book cases for schools are those known as sectional cases.
As many sections as are needed may be bought and another may be added
when needed.
Too often the bookcase is the receptacle for all kinds of
useless material.
It should contain books only and they should be systematically and tastefully arranged.
#
13. The books should be selected with three objects in view: jfirst, to
secure books which are suited to the age and advancement of the' pupils;
some for every grade. They should be interesting and have a wholesome
influence upon the reader.
Second, books which are supplemental to the
school studies. There should be books on geography, history, nature study
and classical juvenile literature. Third, books of reference, such as a good
set of cyclopedia written especially for school use. The encyclopedias of
many volumes written for scholars should not be bought except for high
schools.
14. The maps should be modern. Those more than ten years old are of
little value. Every school should have a map of the United States, of the
State, and of the continents. At the present time, it would be well not to
buy maps of Europe and Asia.
15. A good twelve' or sixteen inch suspended globe, together with the
maps found in the geography and history texts, and those recommended in
13, make a good working outfit.
16. Better service will be obtained from two or more copies each of two
grades of dictionaries—common and high school grades—than from the
large edition costing about twelve dollars. Besides those for common use,
each should have his own dictionary suitable to his advancement.
17. A thermometer is an essential. The sensations of the teacher cannot be depended upon to regulate the temperature.
She may be very
warmly dressed and keep the room too cool for the children. She may be
so thinly dressed that the room will be kept too warm for the children. The
thermometer should be hung as near the floor as the shoulders of the
seated children and the temperature maintained at from 68 to 72 degrees.
School Organization.

18. The one-room school, containing as it does pupils of all ages and all
stages of advancement, must be organized into a harmonious working body.
Organization requires the grouping of pupils, the allotment of time, the assignment of duties so that both pupil and teacher may work to the best
advantage.
The State Course of Study provides the plan of organization. It divides
the work of the course into eight years, or grades, and each grade into
classes. If all classes of the eight grades were present the divisions would
oe so numerous that the teacher could not do justice to all.

11
The most successful scheme to secure fewer classes and yet do the least
injustice to any is known as alternation. The work is so arranged that
two grades may work together doing the allotted work of two years. But
the year's work is done in the reverse order from the year before. In this
way the classes required for three years of the course are dropped out, with
little detriment to the children.
The State Course of Study c6ntains a
detailed statement of the plan of alternation.
19. If the school is actually organized a record of that organization can
be easily made.
The record also serves a good purpose in this, that it
gives the teacher a clearer idea of just what the organization is. There are
two forms which are in general use which answer the purpose well. If the
record is complete it is not only a history of what has been done, it is such
a description of the school that a new teacher can take up the work where
it left off.
By this means a school once started does not end. Vacations
come, but the school still exists and goes on.
20. There should be a definite time for a class to prepare its lessons.
Such a program is outlined in the State Course of Study. Not to have a
definite time to" prepare each lesson will give the teacher endless trouble.
If the pupil is kept at work at his desk the problem of discipline during
school hours will be solved.
21. Care should be taken to properly divide the time for recitation. Some
recitations require less time than others, The State Course of Study contains a sample program.
22. The first aim of the school is to give proficiency in the school arts.
The child should learn to read, to write, to spell, and to figure, to speak
and write the English language effectively, and to secure a fair knowledge
of the world in which he lives and of the history of his country. It is the
first duty of the teacher to see that these things are well learned. The
habits of continuous application and accuracy formed by doing this work
well will be quite as useful as will be the knowledge gained. This hard
and sometimes irksome work must be done or the school is not the greatest
success possible.
The knowledge and the skill obtained from the mastery of the school
subjects constitute the elements of an efficient mental equipment. They are
the tools with which the pupil can work out a successful career. They are,
however, of little value unless a good use is made of them and the disposition to use them is established. In addition to giving the pupil a mastery
of the school subjects the school should exert a strong influence in creating
in the pupil a good point of view, a right attitude towards life and its work.
Probably the strongest influence that can be brought to bear upon the child
to turn his thoughts and purposes to the living of a right life is found in the
reading of good books. Through reading he becomes interested in what has
been done and what may be done to make life better. His aspirations are
awakened, his ambition aroused, and he seeks to realize in his own life work
and conduct the things in which he has become interested.
Good books
become his teachers and have the same influence upon the growth of his
character that does the companionship of worthy people. To supply this
need the Illinois Pupils' Reading Circle has been organized. A small library
of books, selected from its list, may be made of great benefit to the children.
P. A. Kendall, Naperville, Illinois, is the manager and will give promptly
any information desired.
A list of 250 books has been selected from which a choice may be made.
Diplomas are granted free of cost for the reading of six books.
A record of reading is furnished which goes with the pupil through every
grade and at the end of his course will give an accurate account of his reading during his school life.
,
The teacher is the leader of the Circle, decides when a book has been
satisfactorily read and makes a record of it in the pupil's book. The county
superintendent is the county manager and grants the diplomas to the successful readers.

12
23. To be a legal school the term must consist of at least seven months.
To be considered a standard school this term must be continuous and taught
by the same teacher, unless the change is made for cause. A five months'
term taught by a well paid teacher and a two months' term taught by a
poorly paid teacher cannot be recognized as a seven months' continuous
term.

An Important Moment—Passing from Mother to Teacher.

24. The attendance must be regular, averaging at least 90 per cent.
25. The discipline and spirit of the school must be rated by the county
superintendent as "good" or "superior" in a scale of fair, good, superior.
The Teacher.
26. Education:
The teacher's schooling must be that afforded by a fouryear course in a recognized high school. If not a graduate of such a school,
successful experience for three years may be taken as the equivalent.
27. The salary of the teacher must be at least $40 per month.
28. The teacher's character, skill and success must be ranked by the
county superintendent as good or superior in the scale of poor, fair, good,
superior.
29. Professional interest and growth must meet the requirements of the
county superintendent for the renewal of certificates.

A SUPERIOR ONE-ROOM SCHOOL.
Many school officers have expressed themselves in favor of having not only
the essentials of a good school, they want their school to be as nearly right
as it can be made. To encourage this laudable desire a diploma is now
offered to a superior one-room school.
A standard school is a good school having the necessary equipment and
being taught in a house which is well adapted to the purpose and in a
sanitary condition.
A superior one-room school is one taught by a teacher of superior qualifications and with the highest efficiency, in a house that is as nearly perfect

13
in all the essentials as possible and furnished with everything needed. The
community must show the interest that the claim of such a school implies.
AWARDING THE DIPLOMA.
The awarding of this diploma should be made to serve to arouse the
interest of the surrounding territory. It is suggested that all the schools,
the school directors and the people within reach of the school be invited
to be present, that a suitable program be provided to entertain the visitors.
If desired, the Superintendent of Public Instruction will be present and
award the diploma.
Such an occasion should result in several standard
and superior schools in the vicinity.

The Door Plate.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUPERIOR ONE-ROOM SCHOOL.
In addition to the requirements for a standard school a superior school
must have the following:
1. At least one acre of school yard, neatly fenced, covered with a good
sod and planted with trees, shrubs and flowers, concrete walks to the entrance and to the closets.
2. A well or cistern equipped with a sanitary drinking fountain within
doors.
3. Besides the school room, there shall be a basement, work and play
room, a cloak room for each of the sexes and a library room.

The Ben F. Funk School, McLean County.

4. TJie
for each
supply of
versity of

library shall contain at least eighty juvenile books, ten suitable
grade, a good school encyclopedia, suitable dictionaries and a
the bulletins published by the National Government and the-UniIllinois useful in the school and in the community.

14
5. The pupils must be enrolled in the Illinois Pupils' Reading Circle and
pursue the course of reading under the direction of the teacher and county
superintendent.
6. A manual training bench and tools, equipment for sewing and for
instruction in elementary agriculture. These subjects shall be taught to
pupils prepared to receive such instruction.
' . .
7. There must be in operation a Parent-Teachers' club which secures
the hearty co-operation of the parents with the school.
8. When the teacher, under whose administration the school was recognized as "Superior" ceases to teach the school, it must be re-inspected to
remain so recognized.
9. The teacher must hold a first grade elementary school certificate
which is granted only to graduates of recognized normal schools or to those
who have an equivalent preparation.
From the foregoing it is clear that before a school can be recognized as
"Superior" it must be taught in a house in every respect suitable to the best
work, must be equipped with everything necessary, must be taught by a
teacher of superior qualifications and skill, the course of study must be well

The Hedghpeth Superior School.

Warren County.

done by the pupils, the people of the district must co-operate to make the
school superior in every respect. The work of the teacher, the pupils and
the ; patrons is of first importance, the house and equipment are secondary.
Before asking for inspection with a view to being recognized as a
Superior School, the school should be thoroughly inspected by the county
superintendent to make sure that all the requirements have been met.
* J f i n h i s J u d ^ n e n t the school is up to requirements, he should arrange with
* e ^ u p « e r m t e n d e n t o f P u b l i c Instruction for a date for the inspection by one
of the Supervisors of Country Schools.
*J1 ** m H t s T11?, a P P r o v a l a date should be arranged with the State Superintendent for dedicatory exercises.

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MAKING A SUPERIOR SCHOOL.
A good example of a community making its school superior is that of
Mt. Pleasant District 29, Macon County. They had a school house about
as good as any of the neighboring districts. It was as good as it had been

Front View of Mt. Pleasant School.

for thirty years. But this is not an ordinary community, which thinks for
these reasons it is good enough now. Mt. Pleasant District thought "We
have everything better than we had thirty years ago, our children shall have
a better school than our fathers had, and than we had".
They set about
finding out what was the best at the present time. They decided that the
plan for a house offered by the Superintendent of Public Instruction must
be all right. They found that the cost was not beyond their reach. Having

Rear View of Mt. Pleasant School.

built the house they said, "Now we want a school in keeping with the house".
They then thought they were entitled to the title Superior. A representative from the State office was invited to inspect the school. He was not
satisfied with the size of the yard, the grading and the walks. While the
school work was good as far as it went, it was not superior nor did it go
far enough. There was no shop work for the boys and no housework for

16
the girls. The library was not superior. The attractiveness of the room
was not as good as it could be made. There was no patrons' club cooperating with the school.

The Old Mt. Pleasant School.
In little more than a year they sent for the State inspector again. This
time he gave his unqualified approval. A day was set for the dedication by
the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Although the weather was as
unfavorable as it could be yet a good time was had and everybody convinced that it is worth while, not only for the children, but for the community as well, to do so important a thing as nearly right as possible.
The illustrations show that the plan is a slightly modified form of the
State plan.
The tower is left off.
Dummy windows are placed in the
blank wall.
They have an acre of ground and it has been properly planted
with trees and shrubs.
COST OF MT. PLEASANT SCHOOL.
The following is an itemized statement of the cost of the house kept by
the clerk of the board:
Digging basement
$ 6.00 Oil (3 gals.)
2.25
One carload gravel and 6 wagon
Turpentine
.20
loads
40.50 Ready mixed paint.
24.70
Blue prints and specifications
25.00 Insurance (5 y r s . ) . . .
64.35
Lawyer's written
opinion for
bonds
5.00
Total paid out, cost of bldg
$1,819.65
Bonds (five)
125.00
1.25 Amount of donated labor
Tiling basement (labor)
15.30 Value of lumber from old school
Sand
house
75.00
6.50
Cement—232 sacks
81.20 Value of slate, boards and lightTile—380 5-in
;
ning rods, from old school house
25.00
10.26
Stone for porch pillars ( f o u r ) . . . .
12.35
Brick (5145)
59.83
$2,044.65
Plaster—37 sacks
19.42
Fixtures.
Lime (3 bbls. and 20 sacks)
9.60
Plaster Paris—V2 sack
.30 Furnace . . . . . .
$ 165.00
Lath
.:
;..;;.
26.50
29.43
Lumber
703.59 Slate blackboards and dictionary
Hardware
101.40
87.51 Desks (30)
New lightning rods
... .
10 00
11.05 Recitation benches (two)
Tie irons for cement
23 30
11.23 Window shades
Cement and brick work
'*
14*55
175.67 Window guards
Carpenter work
263.98 Freight on desks and fixtures'..'.'. 10^59
Plastering
Total
$2,398.92
63.00
Painting (labor)
'.'..'.".'. 55.ei Cement value of building
walks
100 00
Board for painters.
59'.69
13.50 Fencing yard and digging vaults.
White lead, 200 l b s . .
15.00
Oil (15 gals.)
Total cost of building and yard.$2,558.61
9.00

17
STANDARDIZATION OF SCHOOLS.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
Alfred Bayliss, Superintendent of Public Instruction, from 1899 to 1907,
awarded diplomas to school rooms which met the specifications which he set
forth.
Several counties availed themselves of this device to stimulate
an interest in improvement.
The present Superintendent of Public Instruction modified this plan by
making the specifications more detailed and placing the inspection under
the supervision of two of his assistants.
The Supervisor of Country
Schools prepared a pamphlet on "The One-room Country Schools" which
attempted a detailed discussion of the problem of bettering these schools.
They spend much of their time visiting country schools with county superintendents making clear to them what are regarded as the essentials of a
standard one-room school, and in aiding these officials to arouse an interest
in improving their schools. Wherever possible they meet the directors at
the school house.
Of the one hundred two counties ninety-seven have been visited.
The number of diplomas granted were as follows:
In 1909-10
163
In 1910-11
150
In 1911-12
.. 350
In 1912-13
1018
In 1914-15
881
Total

2562

Superior School, District No. 13, Moultrie County.

The number of standard schools does not give an adequate idea of the
improvements which have been made in the country schools. For every
school standardized at least three have made substantial improvements
along 'the lines suggested. Some have repaired the school house, have
painted the outside, decorated the interior, built concrete walks and improved the outbuildings. Many have installed sanitary heaters and ventila-

18
tors and placed the desks properly. Some have purchased new single desks
suitable for children of all ages. Most of the schools have secured libraries.
McHenry County is an example of this gradual improvement. When the
first inspection was made five years ago many of the best schools were
visited and only three were found which met all the requirements. During
a two and one-half days' visit in 1913 eighteen schools were inspected and
thirteen received diplomas. The other five lacked only minor details. The
county superintendent says that this is typical of what is taking place all
over the county. His plan has been to get the directors to do one important
thing each year. In one or two years more most of the schools will meet
air the requirements.
This method of gradual, systematic improvement
partly explains the fact that more schools met the requirements this year
than did so in the three previous years.
Some of the counties have few standard schools now but if the county
superintendent will continue his efforts the number will increase greatly
in a few years. The fact that they do not reach the goal of standardization
is not evidence that the schools are all inferior.
The interest in school improvement aroused by the effort to standardize
the one-room schools resulted in the passage of the Sanitation Law by the
General Assembly in 1915. This law requires every school to meet the
physical requirements of a standard school. This will be accomplished by
the time schools open in 1917. Inestimable benefits will come to the one
million children enrolled in the schools of Illinois. A very small per cent
of these have had proper ventilation, seating and toilet facilities. The lighting and water supply has also been poor in many of the schools. Old houses
will be remodeled and when new ones are built they will meet the requirements of the sanitation law.
The effort made to standardize the schools has proved that it appeals
strongly to tiirectors. They welcome the efforts of the State and county
superintendents to make theirs the best school possible. They know that
these officials have no ulterior motives. They appreciate the recognition
which is given to their work in granting the diplomas and name plate. The
interest of pupils is awakened.
The ambition to have a school Which
merits recognition, results in better conduct and better school work. Teachers are influenced by the expectations of school officers and pupils, and are
encouraged to do their best. Parents note the chang.3 of attitude of the
children toward the school and toward the teachers. Their approval affects
both teachers and pupils and a good school_is more easily maintained.
In the future, the supposition is, that every school will have met the
requirements of the law, and in physical equipment will be up to the standard. To be recognized as a Standard School, it will then be necessary to
meet the requirements as to teachers, organization, equipment and successful work. Teachers or school officers who believe their school has met
the standard requirements should notify the county superintendent and upon
his invitation one of the Supervisors of Country Schools will make the
inspection.
We have every reason to expect that in a few years the schools of Illinois
will be as good as they can be made under present conditions. The Sanitation Law, the awakened interest in better schools, make the conditions much
more favorable than they have been.

J9

20

155
21
67
65
60
167
33
96
8 Carroll . . . .
58
9 Cass
10 C h a m p a i g n
201
127
11 C h r i s t i a n
92
12 C l a r k
94
13 C l a y
59
14 Clinton
118
15 Coles
102
16 Cook
90
17 C r a w f o r d
18 C u m b e r l a n d . . . 81
19 D e K a l b
130
20 D e W i t t
86
21 D o u g l a s
79
65
22 D u P a g e
23 E d g a r
125
24 E d w a r d s
45
25 E f f i n g h a m
70
119
26 F a y e t t e
27 F o r d
102
28 F r a n k l i n
80
29 F u l t o n
183
30 G a l l a t i n
53
85
31 G r e e n e
8'3
32 G r u n d y
78
33 H a m i l t o n
158
29
36 H e n d e r s o n . . . . 64
37 H e n r y
172
213
39 J a c k s o n
85
102
129
59
108
44 J o h n s o n
58
106
46 K a n k a k e e
130
47 K e n d a l l
67
48 K n o x
157
49 L a k e
76
241
66
52 L e e
149
3 Bond

2
1
1

14
1
10
32
4
27

1

1

64
24
23
15
12
1

2

69

1
1
2

19
10
52
50
31
1
4
7
5
10
47
2
36
9
6
48
5
14

5

!

4

2

1

20
34
92
1
6
8
6
25
73

2

20
35
26
3
26
84

....

1

"*i
i

4
2

1

No. of oneroom schools 1
No. of Stand- 1
ard schools
|
No. of Su1
perior schools |
No. of Stan'd 1
graded schools |
Per cent of
Stan, schools |

Illinois

No. of oneroom schools 1
No. of Standard schools 1
No. of Su1
perior schools
No. of Stan'd 1
graded schools |
Per cent of
Stan, schools |

STANDARD SCHOOLS BY COUNTIES.

Illinois

53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60'
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77

Livingston . . . .
Logan
Macon
Macoupin
Madison
Marion
Marshall .;
Mason
Massac
McDonough . . .
McHenry
McLean
Menard
Mercer
Monroe
Montgomery . . .
Morgan
Moultrie
Ogle
Peoria
Perry
;...
Piatt
Pike
Pope
Pulaski

231 41
103 78 " * 2
116 63
2
"50
150 10
109 ! 10
121
8
72 36
66
85 | '50 "*i
40
1
41
136 | 44
120 1 42
231 | 187
48
7
102 16
50 10
58
134 1 4
94
75 10
3
157 71
124 63
58
65
89 15
146
2
63
2
27 10
21
89
4
79 R a n d o l p h
80
5
| 80 R i c h l a n d
79
4
1 81 R o c k I s l a n d
6
82 S a l i n e
75
140 71
82 28
58 84 S c h u y l e r
39
3
85 S c o t t
1 86 S h e l b y
153
2
61 18
87 S t a r k
88 S t . Clair
99 57
2
89 S t e p h e n s o n . . . . 125
109 57
43
91 U n i o n
68
9
170 33
93 W a b a s h i
43 19
115 27
3
95 W a s h i n g t o n .... 75
1
143
8
93
97 W h i t e
2
128 119
98 W h i t e s i d e
168
4
99 W i l l
86
100 W i l l i a m s o n
5
99
101 W i n n e b a g o
102 W o o d f o r d
| 101 98
"56

Total

1 ,613 2477
C

1

"li

1

'

8 ' *77

54

2
1
4
1

58

1

32
35
80

2
2

50

50

1
5
1
1
2
1

1

93

2
9

97

77

25

21
SCHOOL HOUSES.
Plans and Specifications for New One-Room School Houses and for
the Improvement of Old Houses, Which Meet the Requirements
• of the Sanitation Law and Standardization.
NEW SCHOOL HOUSES.
The schools are never good enough.
As society improves the schools
become inadequate and must be improved. The good school for yesterdayis a poor school for today. Many of the one-room school houses will be
replaced by new ones within a very few years. It should be the aim of all
to make these as good as possible. They will remain fifty or sixty years.
It costs no more to erect a house well suited to the purpose than to build
one of the old type. The plans and specifications herewith presented were
prepared by a competent architect with the assistance of those who have had
long experience in country school work.
One hundred or more of these houses have been built in the last few years.
The outside is not always the same and this is not essential. The lighting,
cloak rooms, fuel room, porch and entry, heating, ventilation, and seating
should be strictly followed.
Some have made the mistake of changing the
lighting, putting windows in front of the seated children. * This is highly
detrimental to the eyesight of the children and does no good whatever. Some
have thought to improve the plan by placing doors from the entry to the
cloakrooms. This makes proper conduct on the part of the children much
more difficult and gives the teacher much more trouble.
If directors will consult the county superintendent when they decide to
erect or improve a school house they will receive prompt and valuable
assistance.
This office will supply free of charge the blue prints to the directors who
will use them.

PLAN FOR A GOOD ONE-ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE.
In planning the one-room school building herein described great care has
been taken to meet all the requirements of a comfortable, sanitary, convenient school home for the children.
The architect has succeeded in
devising an exterior which is most pleasing. It suggests a home as well
as a school. A number of houses have been built after this plan and they
are fully up to expectation.
The house can be built of wood, brick, or
concrete blocks.
The specifications found on another page are for a house of wood. The
outside dimensions are 32 by 3 3 ^ feet. The school room is 23 by 31 feet.
The library room is 8 by 9 feet. One cloakroom is 4 ^ by 9 feet and one
6 by 9 feet, and the vestibule 6 by 9 feet.
The vestibule is intended for entrance only. There are to be no
hooks on the walls, but good pictures may be on the side walls, high enough
to be out of the reach of children. A wire mat should be on the porch
and in the vestibule a large foot mat. These will prevent carrying dirt into
the school room. Double doors should be placed both inside and out and
the upper half of both sets should be of glass, that the teacher may see what
is going on in the vestibule.

22
THE COAT ROOMS.
Separate coat rooms for boys and girls are essential.
Girls especially
need a place where they may be safe from molestation. The larger room
should be assigned to the girls. Above the door there should be a transom
which should be open at all times and the door should not reach the floor
within four inches. This will insure heating and ventilation of the coat
rooms. In each of these are large closets with shelves in which the lunch
pails may be kept. Coat hooks should be strong and well fastened to the
wall.
No entrance should be placed between the vestibule and the coat
rooms.
The only entrance to the coat rooms should be in view of the
teacher.
This arrangement greatly lessens the difficulty in discipline.

The boys who built the model of the Illinois district school house which was exhibited at the World Fairs at Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco,
California, and is now on exhibition at the Illinois State Fair.

THE LIBRARY ROOM
The library room is one of the most useful parts of the country school.
Book shelves should be built into the wall and doors with good locks should
be provided.
A good lock should also be placed on the entrance door.
There should be a table and a few chairs. An ordinary recitation bench
would answer as a couch in case a child needed to lie down. Little children
can be sent to this room to do hand work. Here they can move about and
.converse without disturbing the rest of the school. Occasionally a class of
older children may be allowed to use the room when they have work to
prepare that can be done best when they have freedom to converse. When
the school room is used for public meetings all the children's books can be
locked up in this room, where they can be had in the morning. If sewing
is taught this room becomes very convenient.
The partition between the school room and the library should extend
upward about seven feet.
The upper work should be lattice work. The
door should come only within six inches of the floor. This opening below
the door and the lattice work above will provide for the heating and ventilating of the library.
•
•' .

23
WHEN FACING THE HOUSE IN DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
It may face south, east or west, but preferably not north.
To avoid
facing north the end of the building may face the road and have the entrance
from the side.
PLAN. FOR SEATING.
In the floor plan on page 27 the middle row should be No. 6's, the row
to the left No. 5's, and to the left of that No. 4rs, to the right of the row
of 6's should be No. 3's, and to the right of this No. 2's. This arrangement
brings the little ones near to the teacher where she can easily look after
their needs. It separates the advanced from the intermediate pupils, a very
desirable condition.
The seats should be in line in front, but need not be in the rear.
Two seven-foot benches and the front seats afford enough recitat on seats.
They should be so placed that pupils and teacher may pass between them.
There should be no platform for the teacher's desk.
It is of no use
whatever, is in everybody's way and is a great draft on the teacher's
energy.
•
THE FUEL ROOM.
It is a great hardship for women teachers to have to carry coal from a
distant part of the yard. The fuel house very frequently does not protect
the contents from rain and snow. The fuel room should have a concrete
floor.
The door to the room should be close fitting so that dust does not
enter when coal is being placed in the fuel room. Both outside and inside
doors should be protected by planks which can be placed as the bin fills up
and can be removed when they are not needed.
This room should be
lined with heavy lumber, behind which should be building paper, so that
dust may not escape.
When building a new house the cost of this room is much less than a
separate coal house and the convenience of it is worth much.
Experience has shown that objections against having the fuel room connected with the building are groundless. All who have tried it say it is a
great improvement.
THE SCHOOL ROOM.
The school room is 23 by 31 feet and the ceiling is 13 feet high. It will
seat comfortably forty-five pupils. The floor plan shows thirty desks and
five backs, seating thirty pupils. Two more rows may be placed in the
rear and one in front, making forty-five desks. Every door is within plain
view of the teacher, as is the play ground at the rear of the building. The
house may be built larger and improve its appearance.
TINTING THE WALLS.
The walls of a school room should be tinted so as to afford the children
the best light and in such colors as are most restful to the eyes. To tint
all the surfaces, ceiling and walls the same color is always bad, especially
if the color is dark. It makes the room look like a cave. Paper should
not be placed on new walls. It will not stay on and is insanitary. Alabas*
tine or a similar preparation is the best. It is inexpensive, any one can
apply it and it will stay. The proper colors can be easily obtained. Two
schemes are recommended, one in green and one in tan. The wainscoting
should be a chocolate brown, the walls up to the border should be a light
green, no darker than a robin's egg. The border and ceiling should be
a cream color.
When tan is the prevailing color the wainscoting should be brown, the
walls tan, rthe border and ceiling a light cream. If paint is used it should
have no gloss.

24
The colors recommended give the room a homelike, cheerful look, and
make the light more favorable than any other colors. A dark ceiling greatly
darkens the room.
It absorbs the light instead of spreading it over the

Perspective of modern one-room school.house.

room.
When a room is ceiled with hard pine the walls may be left the
natural color, but the ceiling should be painted a light yellow.

25
THE LIGHTING.
When possible the light should come from the north or east. In this room
it comes almost wholly from the left of the pupil. That which comes from

i
i
i

LEFT-.END

ELEVATION

11

rone e-Af>

26
the rear is so high that it casts no shadow on the pupil's work. AH windows (except north windows) should he provided with heavy white or light
yellow tint shades.

~jfU

27
Light should never be admitted from in front of the children.
window is very injurious.

FIRST

FLOOR

PLAN

Even one

28

-PbuMj^aario/i'- FLA/^T *

29

* TboHPATion - ?"L Ais. WITH BASEMENT.

BILL OF MATERIALS
Illinois District School,
Excavation—
Trench, 142'x2'x4'
4 Piers, 2'x2'x4'.
Chimney pier, I'x4'x6'.
32'x35'xl'.
Brickwork—
141 5' 9" wall, 5' deep.
1 flue, 1.5'x4'x26' high.
4 piers, 13"xl3"x5'.
6 yds. sand.
5.5 bbl. lime.
5.5 bbl. cement.

85 cu. yds.

11.2 M.

30
Flag Pole Base—
Concrete, 2'x2'xl'.
4 cu. ft.
Chimney Cap—
Stone, 4'xl.5'x4".
Ventilating Grates in Foundation—
5 vents, 6"x9", cast iron.
Flue Lining—
12"xl2"x20' high, or 8" iron pipe or sewer tile.
Woodwork—
Girders, 6 pes., 6"xl0"xl2'.
Sills, 6 pes. 2"x8"x20'.
Sills, 8 pes., 2"x8"xl6'.
Floor joists, 59 pes., 2"x8"xl2'.
Floor joists, 13 pes., 2"x8"xl0'.
Studs> 108 pes., 2"x4"xl4'.
Wall plates, 8 pes., 2"x4"xl6'.
Wall plates, 4 pes., 2"x4"xl8\
Wall plates, 4 pes., 2"x4"xl2\
Ceiling joists, 25 pes., 2"x6"x24'.
Ceiling joists, 34 pes., 2"x4"xl0'.
Rafters, 52 pes., 2"x8"xl6'.
Rafters, 26 pes.., 2"x4"xl4'.
Rafters, 5 pes., 2"x4"xl6'.
For cripples, 40 studs, 2"x4"xl2'.
Roof sheathing, 1,100 sq. ft., I"x4".
Roof braces, 26 boards, I"x4"xl6'.
Roof shingles, 13,000.
Boxing, 2,040'xl".
Siding, 2,500'x4".
Flooring, 1,450 ft., I"x4".
Cornice placier, 225 ft., I"x4" wainscoting.
Wainscoting, 860 sq. ft.
Lining for fuel room, 250 sq. ft. flooring.
Cornice crown mould, 234 ft. 4" wd.
Finish lumber, base, corner-boards, frieze, ridge-boards and steps, 655 ft.
Doors in Frames—
Outside double doors, 4'8"x7'xl%" G. P. Tr. 16", 5 lights.
Inside double doors, .4'8"x7'xl%" G. P.'Tr. 16",. 5 lights.
4 doors, 2'8"x7'xl%".
1 door, 2'6"x7'xl%".
1 door, l'6"x7'xl%".
Outside fuel door, 2'8"x7'xl%".
Windows and Frames—
Group of 6 windows, box frames, 2 L. 38"x38".
2 windows, plain frames, 1 L. 32"x36".
2 windows, plain frames, double folding sash, 1 L. 16"x44" hinged outside.
2 windows, plain frames, single sash, hinged outside, 1 L. 10"x44".
1 flag pole 30' long, 5"x5" and 3"x3", W. I. holder.
Lath, 5,100.
Plastering—
9 bbl. lime.
6 yds. sand.
f5 bu. hair.
Sheet metal, hardware, painting, desks, paper hanging, decorating walls
and ceiling, heater, ventilating register, fresh air duct, blackboards, walks.
It is impossible to state exactly what the cost of this building will be, for

31
the price of both material and labor differs in different localities. Without
the basement the cost will probably vary from $1,350 to $1,650. The basement
will probably cost from $250 to $300.
Note:—For actual cost of a building built according to this plan, see
page 18.
A LESS EXPENSIVE HOUSE.
In some districts the assessed value of the property is so low that it
will be impossible to raise the money by taxation to build so expensive a
house as the Illinois district school. For such a less expensive plan is
suggested.
The foundation 28 by 32 feet; the school room 23 by 26 feet 6 inches;
the library, 7 feet by 8 feet 8 inches; the coat rooms, vestibule and the
fuel room each 4 by 7 feet. The room will seat 35 children.

A Less Expensive House—Perspective.
It provides all the conveniences of the more expensive house, but is
smaller and plain in appearance. The cost of building will be from $1,000
to $1,200, depending upon the price of material and labor in different
localities.
If a district desires this house with a more attractive front, the entrance
to the model house may be used, leaving off the tower. With glass doors
both within and without this makes a very attractive entrance.
The floor plan represents the house facing south.
When it faces west
or north, the windows should be where the small windows are shown. When
it faces east, the windows should be where the blank wall is shown. North
light is the best and next best is east. The children should face so that the
light comes from the left and the rear.
A better arrangement is to place the library room where the fuel room
is and the fuel room where the library now is. The stove should then be
placed near the fuel room.

32

A Less Expensive House.—Floor Plan.
REPAIRING AND IMPROVING OLD BUILDINGS.
Most of the country school houses built forty years ago are usually of the
type shown in figure 1. The timbers are still sound and districts do not
like to discard the old and build new houses. A house of this type can
be repaired and improved at small cost.
The house then will be good
for a generation.
Figure 1 shows the school house that is found in many places.
It has
no vestibule nor coat rooms. There are windows on both sides and often
at the ends, sometimes the windows are on four sides, making it impossible
for a child to sit without facing the light. This is useless and injurious to
the children. The desks are double.
The improvement suggested does away with the platform and the double
desks. It provides a vestibule and two coat rooms in front, a fuel room and
library at the side.
The lighting is from the left and the rear and is
perfect.
The library and fuel room can be placed similar to that in the cheaper
plan of the Illinois district school and the lighting arranged in the same way.

33
In repairing old buildings a good foundation should be provided.
The
ventilators in the walls should be closed in winter.
It will save a ton of
coal and add greatly to the comfort of the children.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

34
INEXPENSIVE CLOAKROOMS, ENTRY, AND FUEL HOUSE.
Many country school houses consist of four walls only, the door opens
directly into the school room and the children's wraps are hung on the wall.
Such a house can be made fairly comfortable by erecting matched ceiling

£
o
o

(8
JO

o
£.
O

c
Q.

partitions as shown above. The walls enclosing the entry should extend to
the ceiling, but the cloakroom walls should extend upward only six and a
half feet.
They should be raised six inches from the floor so as to allow
the air to circulate freely.
The double chimney should be placed in the
entry and the heater in one of the corners or near the cloakroom.

CO

en

District No. 135.

District No. 136.

Rollo Consolidated School.

East Paw Paw.

District No. 137.

36

CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS.
Rollo School—Harlem School—John Swaney School—Milford—
Kishwaukee.
Although there is no law authorizing the transportation of pupils at public
expense, consolidation of small districts has made a beginning in Illinois.
County superintendents report twenty-three consolidated schools. Borne of
these are the union of two country districts and now employ one or two
1
teachers.
Some are the union of one or more country districts with a
village district, the work done being the same as that of the usual village
school.
The attempt is here made to give the facts about the five consolidated
schools which meet the expectations of those who favor consolidation. It is
hoped that these facts may be of assistance to those who are studying the
problem.
HOW TO CONSOLIDATE SEVERAL DISTRICTS.
There are three methods by which the consolidation of several districts
may be begun:
First method: As provided by paragraph 2, section 46 of the general
school law. A majority of the legal voters of each district may petition the
board or boards of trustees to consolidate the districts named in the petition.
Sections 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58 and 60 of the general school law give clear
' and specific directions for the necessary'steps.
Second method:
As provided by paragraph 4„ section 46 of the general
school law. Two-thirds of the legal voters of the districts or parts of districts within the territory described in the petition may petition the board
or boards of trustees. This method must be used when part of a district
is desired in the consolidation.
When part of a district is taken the remainder must contain not fewer than ten families.
Third method:
As provided by section 48 of the general school law.
1
Twenty-five legal voters of each of the districts to be consolidated may
petition the board of education or board of trustees to call a special election.
This method is preferred when a country district wishes to unite with a
city district.
The city can submit the question at an election and the
country district may secure a majority of the legal votes by petition, or may
hold an election.
The petitions being filed and notice being given, as provided by law, the
case is in the hands of the trustees and their duty is to decide it for the
best interests of the schools.
Those favoring or those opposing the proposition may appeal the case
to the county superintendent of schools, should the decision of the trustees
be contrary to their wishes.

ROLLO CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL, DEKALB COUNTY.
Assessed valuation of consolidated district
$570,903.00
Total revenue of consolidated district
3,874.75
Rate of tax for all school purposes
$2.45 on $100
Total revenue before consolidation
3,174.98
Average rate of tax before consolidation
$ .60 on $100
Cost of new school building
,
29,978.81
Number of teachers employed
6
Number of teachers employed before consolidation
8
Number of pupils enrolled in consolidated school
112
Combined enrollment in old schools
86
Means by which children get to school—The district furnishes
wagons during the winter.
Each one comes with his or her
own rig at other times.

37
The following account of what the Rollo consolidated school is
doing was reported by the Principal—S. H. Dadisman, Rollo, Illinois.
HISTORICAL.
This school is located at Rollo, Illinois, near the- center of Paw Paw township in DeKalb County.
The consolidated school movement began about
four years ago. Last winter after several meetings were held, petitions

Teachers' Home, Rollo.

High School Manual Training Class—Rollo.

were signed and a board of directors, George S. Hyde, Pres.; H. H. Bullis,
Sec, and C. S. Firkins, were elected to represent the seven districts and the

38
two half districts. They went to work and with the help of the county
superintendent, W. W. Coultas, the $28,000 school house is the result.
The building is built of buff brick with terra cotta cornice. It is 84 by 67
feet.
The basement consists of a boys' and girls' play room each 24 by
30 feet, and a domestic science and a manual training room each 23 by 34
feet.
These rooms are well equipped for classes of twelve students each.
The new sewing machines and the white Vitralite tops on the tables make
the domestic science room the most attractive room in the building.
The first floor consists of two class rooms each 23 by 30 feet, and an
assembly hall 32 by 56 feet. This hall with its stage, curtains, piano, program, clock, 280 opera chairs and artistic decorations is a model for any
rural community.

Class In. Domestic Science—Rollo.

The second floor consists of two class rooms 23 by 30 feet; and four high
school recitation rooms, two of which are 16 by 17 and two are 16 by 21 feet.
The desks in all of the class rooms are the adjustable sanitary steel desks
and chairs. The recitation rooms have movable armed chairs so that the
class tables can be used in them. The laboratory is 19 feet 6 inches by 32
feet with 6 regular college microscopes, laboratory tables and complete
chemical and biological apparatus. Tt also contains equipment for the agriculture work.
The library room is 17 by 25 feet with the tables, office desk and 7 sectional bookcases. The library has nearly 1,000 volumes in it.
Werner's
Encyclopedia Britannica, in 31 volumes, and the 1913 edition of Webster's
International Dictionary are some of the books.
The total cost of the entire equipment is about $3,000. The inside finish
is of No. 1 oak with the walls beautifully decorated.
The blackboards are genuine slate. The outside ventilators with hot air
system make the heating system satisfactory.
The generator for the
gasoline is in the basement.

39
There are ten acres of school grounds. One and a fourth acres are in
orchard of apples, peaches, pears, quinces for class work. One and a half
acres is used for the school gardens of the different classes. Each child

Class J u d g i n g Horse by Score Card—Rollo.

will take care of his or her own garden under the direction of the teacher.
One acre is in Alfalfa for the purpose of getting it in shape to start an

Class In Gardening—Rollo.

40
experimental plot for next year. A base ball diamond, the children's play
ground and four lawn tennis courts occupy the ground around the house
and the rest is taken up in experimental plots.
These plots are carried

Horticultural Class at Work—Rollo.

on in connection with class work. A $6,000 house was recently completed
on the campus for the teachers to feel at home as they all board here.

,41
INDUSTRIAL AND SOCIAL WORK.
The high school starts with the seventh year, giving the seventh and
eighth year pupils a chance to come in touch with the high school teachers.
Besides these two years a full four years' course is given.

Intermediate Grades—Rollo.

In the domestic science room the children are taught
make their own clothes. In the manual training class the
to make things that are useful.
Drawings are submitted
the approval of the teacher, before the boy starts to work.

Primary Room at Work—Rollo.

to cook and to
boys are taught
until they meet
He is then per-

42

Drinking at the Bubbling Fountain—:RoIIo

The Rollo Schoor District.

43
mitted to take some of the things home such as turkey trough, hog trough,
poultry brooder, flower stand, book rack, book case, milking stool, drawing
table and seed tester.
The literary society meets every two weeks on Friday night. A grange
is soon to be organized. The school is the social center of the community.
The children and parents too take ideas from here and turn them into
dollars. As an example one father has sold his scrub stock and is replacing
them with pure breeds.
Almost every farmer in the township will test
his seed corn.
In the general agriculture course a model farm is taken, fenced and
farmed, giving the children a chance to work out the local conditions. The
necessary buildings are then planned. The mathematics are correlated with
this course, giving the children a chance to work from a practical standpoint. Note books are kept as if it were real farming.
In working out the industrial system the pupils bring a card each week
signed by their parents stating the number of hours they worked and what
they did each day, as 15 minutes milking or 10' minutes doing the dishes.
The teachers are sometimes found of an evening and on Saturdays on the
boy's farm helping him work his agriculture problems.
A $1,000 brick church is replacing the old wooden church. Things are
changing.

HARLEM CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL, ROUTE 9, ROCKFORD,
ILLINOIS.
Assessed valuation of consolidated district
$489,266
Total revenue of consolidated district
5,500
Rate of tax for all school purposes
$1.16 on $100
Total revenue, before consolidation
1,600
Average rate of tax before consolidation
$ .95 on $100
Cost of new school building
17,700
Number of teachers employed
7
Number of teachers employed before consolidation
4
Number of pupils enrolled in consolidation school
100
Combined enrollment in old schools
62
Means by which children get to school—Trolley car, 5c round trip
or private conveyance.
INDUSTRIAL WORK.
The following account of w h a t the H a r l e m consolidated school is
d o i n g w a s r e p o r t e d by t h e P r i n c i p a l , Clifford C. B u r n s , Rockford,
Illinois, R. R. No. 9 :
The work that we have done in agriculture since the school has been
occupied (since March, 1911), is as follows:
One quarter of agronomy, a
study of corn, the small grains and alfalfa, including methods of preparation
of soil, planting, cultivating, harvesting, selection, care, judging and grading
of seed, germination tests.
One semester to stock judging and feeding. A study of the chief types
and breeds of farm animals.
Score cards were used in every case and

44
actual fudging of animals done on surrounding farms.
Important topics!
in feeding: were assigned with references, and discussed in class.
;
One quarter of dairying was done using Farrington and Woll's "The ;
Testing of Milk and Its Products."
The work was largely a laboratory

Harlem Consolidated School, near Rockford, Winnebago County,

course in which milk, cream, buttermilk, whey, butter, cheese and a few
other conditions and products tested.
The lactometer was used and a
study of certified milk made.

Meeting of Farmers.

Harlem School.

One quarter of plant propagation and fruit raising was given.
Under
plant propagation the various methods by which plants are propagated were
explained, demonstrated and in budding and grafting outings the actual
practice required.

45
In the discussions on fruit raising some of the topics receiving attention
were the handling of the farm orchard, soil management, ordering, setting
orchard, pruning and spraying.
Next year a course in soils is to be given and a quarter probably to farm
management. With these two exceptions the work has actually been given
as outlined.
In manual training the 6th and 7th grades received two 45-minute periods
per week.
The 8th grade received 3 quarters of mechanical drawing, 45
minutes per day and one quarter of shop wood work 80 minutes per day.
The high school pupils have had one semester of mechanical drawing
and one semester of wood work.

Harlem School Garden.

A course in forge work is being contemplated by the board of education
and possibly later a course in concrete or carpentry.
In domestic arts our teacher has been following the syllabus gotten out
about a year and a half ago in this State.
Under recreation, cultural exercises and social activities, I will mention
the following:
This school has been host to the eastern half of the county for two years
in a Play Festival. This was first begun in this school and carried out and
has since covered the entire county in two other festivals. This year a
county Field Day was held for the winners of each of the three festivals to
compete.
The festivals consist of play hours for different groups in the
forenoon and a field meet in the afternoon.
A kite tournament was successfully given this year.
Folk dances have been taught during the last year here and the first year
of organization physical culture, given. A large number of games have been
taught and the team games emphasized.
A school band of about 18 pieces has been successfully organized.
Band
concerts have furnished a large number of social functions.
Last fall the first plowing match in the county was organized in connection with our community fair.
These two features are now organized
under a permanent association to promote recreation, plowing, individual
farm exhibits, and a display of the children's home gardens which has
been the phase of the work particularly emphasized here.

4(]

The Harlem School District.
H A R L E M CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL SOCIAL CALENDAR.
ADMISSION F R E E .
Oct. 31. Hallowe'en P r o g r a m , sponsored by H o m e E c o n o m i c s Club. B a s k e t
Social.
Nov. 14. Mass Meeting of F a i r Association. P r o g r a m a n d Social.
Dec. 12. Social Concert and Supper sponsored by Band.
J a n . 16. Social Concert and Supper sponsored by Band.
F e b . 13. Social Concert and Supper sponsored by Band.
Mar. 13. Social Concert and Supper sponsored by Band.
May 16. Play F e s t i v a l N. E. Division a t South Beloit.
J u n e 13. School Picnic.
J u n e 15. School Play. (Admission.)
J u n e 17. Graduation.
" T H E SCHOOL A SOCIAL C E N T E R . "

47

JOHN SWANEY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL, McNABB, PUTNAM
COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Assessed valuation of consolidated district
$318,794
Total revenue of consolidated district
6,119
Rate of tax for all school purposes.
$1.92 on $100
Total revenue before consolidation
1,986
Average rate of tax before consolidation
$1.44 on $100
Cost of school building
14,000
Number of teachers employed in consolidated district
6
Number of teachers employed before consolidation
3
Number of pupils enrolled in consolidated district
...
118
Combined enrollment in old schools
60
Means by which pupils get to school—Private conveyance or walk.

The John Swaney Consolidated School.
GENERAL STATEMENT.
The John Swaney Consolidated School was established in 1906. The consolidated district comprises three ordinary school districts extending in a
general east and west direction, and the school is situated near the center
of this territory.
It stands in the open country, being two and one-half
miles from McNabb, the nearest village.

48
i Far from considering this feature a drawback, the community points to
it with pride, for it had the courage to undertake without a precedent what
it has successfully demonstrated: that culture, refinement and a rich community life can be developed through education in the country.
Our
country children pass through the high school without having the notion
unconsciously developed within them that the £ood things of life are to
be sought only in town.

The John Swaney School District.

The high school is the only four-year recognized high school in the county
at the present time.
It is fully accredited at the University of Illinois.
The Harvard entrance examinations were passed in a most creditable manner by one of its graduates. Seventeen of its alumni are today attending
colleges or universities. The principal is a graduate of the State Agricultural College, and graduation from a normal school is the minimum requirement for the other teachers.
EQUIPMENT.
The schoolis housed in a two-and-a-half story brick building,'> containing
four recitation rooms, two laboratories, an auditorium, a library and office
'room, manual training room, girls' play room, furnace roomj toilets and
cloak rooms. The entire building is lighted with gasoline gas^ and the lab-

49
oratories are supplied from the same source. The building is heatPrt with
steam and provided with an air-pressure system to B i i ^ ^ t o ? ^ ^
The various departments, such as chemistry, physics, agriculture domp."

Z^l^trT

g SraPhy

*°

'^

amPly

*«« *«*£££

The school library contains about 1,200 bound volumes
In ariditi™
? u r J B ^ U C fi^g '"! m a d e ° f a U b u l l e t i n s r e c e i v e d Pertaining^ to
a »

Play Ground at the John Swaney Consolidated School.
The school building is located on a twenty-four acre campus which provides ample facilities for play grounds, school gardens, etc. The teachers
live together m the "Cottage", a building adjoining the school grounds A
stable with room for twenty-four horses helps to solve the problem of
v-'vjii v cyance.
ORGANIZATION.
The eight grades are divided,
grades the alternating system is
Four years' work is given in
m th^e high school. Thirty-five
teachers handle the grade pupils
High school work.
In addition

four grades to a room. In the four upper
used.
agriculture and two in domestic science
credits are required for graduation. Two
and three teachers give their full time to
a special music teacher is employed.

INDUSTRIAL WORK.
The work in agriculture has to do with the judging and feeding of all
classes; of live stock. A study of crops, soils, horticulture, farm buildings
B
and farm management.
'
'The household science courses include studies in foods and cooking
clothing, sewing, care and planning of the home.
Manual training, with special emphasis on its relation to farming is
;
A
8
taught to the freshmen.
;
' s

50
A special music teacher is employed who devotes full time to this phase
of education.
Private lessons in piano are given to over forty pupils
without one cent of expense to them.
In addition, a very live choral
society is maintained under the direction of this teacher.
The musical
instruction in the lower grades is also ably supervised by her.
Two literary societies include in their membership the pupils of the
entire school.
Programs are given on alternate Friday afternoons, the
entire school assembling.
Athletics are enthusiastically supported.
The athletic association has
charge of the text-book and stationery supplies and thereby maintains itself
in a flourishing financial condition.

RECENT CONSOLIDATIONS IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
The following accounts of the New Milford and the Kishwaukee
Consolidated Schools are reproduced from the Annual Eeport of
County Superintendent Abbie Jewett Craig:
NEW MILFORD CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL.
The year 1914 brought forth two more consolidated schools in Winnebago
County, the New Milford and the Kishwaukee.
The New Milford district
was formed by uniting three districts, numbers 107, 109 and 110, lying
wholly in New Milford township. The Kishwaukee district is comprised
of what was district number 202, New Milford township, union with Ogle
County; number 203, union with Ogle County; and number 158, lying wholly
in Ogle County.

New Milford Consolidated School.

51
The organization of these districts was effected by the township treasurers of the interested districts granting the petitions signed by a majority
of the legal voters—men and women—in each district at their spring
session the first Monday in April.

High School Room, New Milford Consolidated School.

Primary Room, New Milford Consolidated School.

52
E a c h n e w consolidated district contains 12y2 s q u a r e miles of. t e r r i t o r y .
R e c o r d s in t h e county clerk's office show t h e •following s t a t i s t i c s for t h e
y e a r 1913:
'
Valuation.
Levy.
Rate.
District No. 107
$102,695.00
$ 500.00
$ .49
District No. 109. . . •
123,345.00
550.00
.45
District No. 110
53,293.00
480.00
.91
Total
$279,333.00
$1,530.00
Av. .61%
F o r t h e y e a r 1914—District No. 123 (consolidated), valuation, $278,125;
levy, $2,200; r a t e , $.81.
Bonds w e r e issued a m o u n t i n g to $7,500 to run 15 y e a r s , payable in a n n u a l
i n s t a l l m e n t s of $500 each, commencing August 1, 1916.
During t h e s u m m e r a brick veneer school building, 35 by 55 feet and two
stories high w a s put up on t h e site of school building No. 109. T h e interior
c o n t a i n s four rooms besides convenient hallways and a b a s e m e n t .
The
g r a d e s occupy t h e first floor, the high school h a s t h e second floor. T h e building is h e a t e d with a furnace and has a gas p l a n t for lighting.
The grounds
w e r e enlarged and a b a r n w a s built to a c c o m m o d a t e t h e pupils' h o r s e s .
October 28 t h e building w a s ready for occupancy.
T h e school will give four y e a r s ' high school w o r k c o m m e n c i n g w i t h two
y e a r s ' w o r k this year. At t h e opening of school fifty pupils w e r e enrolled
in t h e g r a d e s and sixteen in t h e high school.
Of t h i s n u m b e r t w e l v e a r e
tuition pupils.
Other pupils entered later in t h e year.
At t h i s d a t e
t h e r e a r e fifteen pupils doing first-year high school w o r k and two doing
second-year.
T h r e e t e a c h e r s a r e employed this y e a r : Mr. Reed Williams,
p r i n c i p a l ; Mrs. Alma Norton, g r a m m a r g r a d e s ; Mrs. MacKinney, p r i m a r y
grades.
O t h e r s will be employed as needed.
T h e p r e s e n t board of directors a r e :
W. H. Robinson, p r e s i d e n t ; T. W.
E v a n s , s e c r e t a r y ; S h e r m a n Corlett, director.
T H E K I S H W A U K E E CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL.
W i n n e b a g o County now h a s four consolidated schools.
The most recent
one is" t h e K i s h w a u k e e S c h o o l
Three districts w e r e united a n d t h e school
w a s dedicated November 19, 1915.
It h a s 49 pupils in t h e g r a d e s a n d 6
in t h e high school.
K I S H W A U K E E CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL BUILDING,
In size it is 42 by 52 feet. Concrete wall 8 feet high, 16 inches thick, and
tile wall veneered with brick 20 feet on top of concrete.
It r e s t s about 3 feet below t h e ground level.
T h e lower floor or b a s e m e n t consists of boiler room 14 by 16, two toilet
rooms with s h o w e r b a t h s and wash bowl in each, m a n u a l t r a i n i n g room
14 by 16. Gymnasium or auditorium 23 by 50, high balcony r u n n i n g t h e whole . ~
length, l a r g e enough to seat eighty people.
Fifteen feet 6 inches to t h e
ceiling.
Windows in gym a r e all screened, also lights.
B a s k e t s for basketball and floor marked off for same.
T h e second floor consists Of four class rooms a n d large w a r d r o b e , with
t e a c h e r s ' closets in each room.
T h e a t t i c is also a r r a n g e d for basketball and - t h e o t h e r g a m e s ; it is large
and light.
T h e building is Well lighted w i t h n o windows in front of children.
T h e P e r r y w a t e r system is used which supplies w a t e r for two d r i n k i n g ; ;
fountains and boiler and toilets and kitchen;
T^he k i t c h e n is directly over t h e boiler room 16 by 16 f e e t
1
T h e building is h e a t e d by t h e vapor s t e a m system, a n d h a s a m p l e capacity
to h e a t t h e building in coldest weather.
T h e building i s lighted w i t h an
a c e t y l e n e lighting plant.
T h e s e w a g e is t a k e n care of with a septic t a n k .
•:,::-:

53

K1SHWAUKEE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL BUILDING.

ADVANTAGES OF THE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL. :
In his dedicatory address Professor Newell D. Gilbert, of the
Northern Illinois State Normal School, thus stated the advantages
claimed for the consolidated school:
Personally, I regard the consolidated school as second to no other advance
step in the evolution of American education; also I regard it as nearer of
effective realization than any other movement of equal importance.
I do
not believe you farmers are holding a place of political and social influence
1
nearly commensurate with your numbers, your wealth, your intelligence,
or your force of character. So far as this may be true, it comes, I believe,
from living rather isolated, being educated in isolated one-room schools, so
that the farmer has lived and thought too much in individual, rather than
social terms.
The consolidated school offers a redemption from this situation, and at the
same time a great expansion and enrichment of every phase of rural life,
for: —
1. It offers a rallying point for the people of a neighborhood about the
greatest single idea in modern life, the education of children.
2. It stimulates an unlimited number of allied interests—entertainments,
lectures, and discussions on live themes, such as will set all reading, thinking; and it helps to make country life bright and attractive, comfortable
and profitable away beyond the power of the city to compete.
3: It means better teachers, in healthier rooms, with more books and
apparatus, with playground and gymnasium, with laboratory and shop—and
all used to carry out a course of study specifically adapted to make the most
and best of rural life.
, •

54
4. A rural community is so homogenous in occupation that the children
can work out on a practical scale at home what is taught at school, and
thus make their lessons part and parcel of their growing lives.
5. That gallery takes my eye; not with its grace, for it hasn't much; but
it is crowded to the spilling point with splendidly capable young men.
This consolidated school might readily hold them united in things to be
done here—things industrial, political, educational, social, religious. In this
comradeship of effort they would learn organization and leadership, fulfilling the fondest dreams of their elders and bearing Kishwaukee influence far.
6. Into this group will come other young men from the normal school and
university, with the best treasures of these institutions, to be leaders in
their ways.
7. In the acceptance of leadership from without will come your greatest
difficulty and, in all possibility, your greatest single gain; for on the wisdom
of your choice of teachers, on your ability to listen to them with neither too
great prejudice nor too ready compliance, and to follow right leading, all
else will hinge.
In view of all I have said, you will readily believe that I am glad to be
here tonight; to meet you, the people of this Kishwaukee school; to see
your sons and your daughters about you, so noble in measureless power, so
beautiful in the inexpressible graces of young life. It is splendid that you
have among you a great dreamer, and that you have the heart to honor
him in the giving and acceptance of this excellent portrait, a symbol, I take
it, of what you hope, a pledge of what you purpose. I have not, I am sure,
gone beyond his dreams in what I have said; I shrewdly suspect that I am
barely started. You have put your hand to a big task in a fine way. You
will recall the word of the Great Teacher touching one who puts his hand
to the plow and looks back.

Basement Plan, Kishwaukee Consolidated School.

VALUATION.
District values, 1913, for what is now Kishwaukee consolidated district,
number 202, were:
Valuation.
Levy.
Rate.
District number 202
$ 51,327 $ 800
$1.56
District number 158.. •.
,
67,094
425
.64
District number 203
52,565
600
.86

55
District values, 1914:
District number 202 (consolidated).

Valuation.
.$194,872

Levy.
$3,600

Rate.
$1.85

Plan for Main Floor of Klshwaukee Consolidated School.

TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOLS.
Two causes have worked together to retard the consolidation of small
districts in Illinois. No law permitting the payment of public funds for
the conveyance of children to and from distant schools and the prevalence
of roads unfit for hauling large loads during many weeks in the school
year. Yet the desire for better schooling has led the people to devise
means by the establishment of so-called township high schools. By this
means they can keep their children in the elementary school near home
until they have reached the age of fourteen.
At this age it is not so
great a problem to get them to a high school six or eight miles away.
The first township high school was established by special charter at
Princeton in 1867. The general township high school law was passed in
1872.
Under this law seventy high schools have been established. A
special act was passed in 1905, under which two schools have been established.
In forty-four years 73 high schools, including more territory than
the usual school district, were established. The cause of this slow progress
was the fact that the territory had to be a township. It was difficult to
get a majority of the people to vote favorably except when the center of
population was near the center of the township.
In 1911 a law was passed which enabled any community to establish
a high school, regardless of township or county lines.
Under this act,
up to the present, 120 high schools have been established. These high
school districts contain from 30 sections to 130 sections of land. Most
of the schools are established in villages and cities, but some are in the
open country.
The large amount of taxable property enables the districts to erect good
buildings, provide excellent equipment, employ competent teachers, and
maintain courses of study to meet the needs of all. Courses in agriculture,
manual training and domestic arts are the rule. These schools serve as
social centers and much is done to further the social, educational and industrial interests of the people outside, as well as within, the school.

56

EXPLANATION*.' T O W N S H I P HIGH
SCHOOLS

Location of Township Hlgti Schools.

57
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS WITH DETAIL SUGGESTIONS.
SANITARY SCHOOLROOMS.
At the last session of the Legislature the school law was so
amended as to require the heating, ventilation, lighting, seating,
water supply, toilets, and safety against fire to.be such as to conserve the health and safety of the children attending the public
schools.
The penalty for not complying with these provisions is
the withholding of the State distributive fund from the district
until it has complied with the law.
Attention is called to the fact that in the case of new or remodeled buildings the law goes into effect at once. But for buildings already in use the penalties cannot be enforced until March
1, 1917.
School officers are advised to begin at once and do what can
best be done now.
By March 1, 1917, they will be able to meet all
the requirements of the law.
THE LAW.
DUTY OP THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
SECTION 3, PARAGRAPH 13.
The duty of the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be to prepare,
with the advice of the State Board of Health, the State Architect and the
State Fire Marshal, for school directors and boards of education specifications for the minimum requirements for the heating, ventilation, lighting,
seating, water supply, toilets and safety against fire which will conserve
the health and safety of the children attending the public schools.
DUTY OF THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
SECTION 15, PARAGRAPHS 20, 21 and 22.
Approve Plans.—The duty of the county superintendent of schools shall
be to inspect the plans and specifications for the heating, ventilation, lighting, seating, water supply, toilets and safety against fire for public schoolrooms and buildings submitted to him by boards of education or boards of
directors, and to approve all those which comply substantially with the
specifications prepared and published by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction.
Inspect Buildings.—-To inspect all public schools under his supervision
and notify in writing before the first day of April the board of school
trustees or other boards exercising similar functions, whether the several
schools in their jurisdiction have or have not been kept as required by law.
Condemn Buildings.—To request the State Board of Health, the State
Fire Marshal, or the State Architect to inspect public school buildings
which appear to him to be unsafe, insanitary or unfit for occupancy. It
shall be the duty of these officials to inspect such buildings and to state
in writing in what particular they are unsafe, insanitary or unfit for occupancy. Upon the receipt of such statement the county superintendent of
schools shall condemn the building and notify in writing the board of
directors or board of education, stating specifically the reasons for such

58.
condemnation. He shall also notify in writing the board of school trustees
that the school so condemned is not kept as required by law.
Note.—To condemn a school building it is necessary to call only upon
one:
Upon the State Architect if the unfitness or danger is due to structure.
Upon the State Board of Health in matters of sanitation. Upon
the State Fire Marshal in case of great danger from fire.

Rear View Cross Roads School—Macon County.
DUTY OP THE TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES.
SECTION 35.
Withhold Funds.—When the board of trustees has had notice from the
county superintendent of schools that a district has not kept school as
required by law, the part of the distributive fund apportioned to such
district shall be withheld until the county superintendent has given notice
in writing that the requirements of the law have been complied with. The
amount withheld shall then be placed to the credit of such district: Provided, in cases where the schoolhouses were already in use for school
purposes July 1, 1915, and do not comply with the minimum requirements
for the health and safety of the pupils as set forth by the Superintendent of
Public Instruction, the distributive fund shall not be withheld until after
March 1, 1917.

Right Side Cross Roads School—Macon County.

59
DUTY OF BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND BOARDS OF EDUCATION.
SECTIONS 114-119.
Seven Months Term.—The board of directors shall have the following
additional duties:
To establish and keep in operation for at least seven months in each
year, and longer if practicable, a sufficient number of free schools for the
accommodation of all persons in the district over the age of 6 and under
21 years and to secure for all such persons the right and opportunity to
an equal education in such schools.
Submit Plans.—Before erecting or remodeling a public school building
the board of directors or the board of education in districts containing
fewer than one hundred thousand inhabitants shall submit the plans and
specifications respecting heating, ventilation, lighting, seating, water supply,
toilets and safety against fire to the county superintendent of schools for
his approval.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.
Prepared by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Section 3.—School Law.
HEATING AND VENTILATION.
No form of heater shall be used which does not provide for fresh air to be
taken into the room through the heater and foul air taken out of the room
through a foul air flue.
A room heater and ventilator is any form of furnace which stands lr*-;he
room and brings in air from the outside of the building and removes the
foul air from the room.

Left Side Cross Roads School—Macon County.

ROOM HEATERS AND VENTILATORS.
No. 1.—When room heaters are used the stove shall be of suitable size to
heat the room in all parts during coldest weather, to a temperature of 70
degrees F. without keeping too hot a fire.

60
No. 2.—The stove shall be surrounded by a h e a t proof j a c k e t a t least five
feet high.
Two k i n d s of room h e a t e r s may be used.
First, one in which
t h e j a c k e t extends to the floor, provided t h a t provision be m a d e to a d m i t
a i r to t h e stove from both outside of the building a n d from within t h e
room.
Second, one in which t h e jacket does not extend to t h e floor but
t h e construction is such t h a t t h e entering air from t h e outside cannot s p r e a d
over t h e floor.
No. 3.—In t h e first kind t h e damper within t h e fresh air i n t a k e shall be
so c o n s t r u c t e d t h a t w h e n t h e outside air is admitted, t h e opening from
w i t h i n t h e room is closed and when t h e outside opening is closed, t h e
opening from within t h e room is open.
W h e n t h e d a m p e r is p a r t l y closed,
t h e air is a d m i t t e d to t h e furnace from both sources.
No. 4.—The cross-sectional a r e a of the opening into t h e foul air vent
shall be equal to t h a t of t h e cross-sectional a r e a of t h e fresh air opening.
No. 5.—All classrooms shall have at least 16 s q u a r e feet of floor space
and n o t less t h a n 200 cubic feet of air space p e r pupil..
F R E S H AIR DUCTS AND V E N T P I P E S .
T h e following dimensions a r e recommended generally by e x p e r t s :
A: W h e n t h e foul air is t a k e n out through t h e s m o k e flue*.
—Cubic F e e t in Room—8,000 or 8,000 to 12,000 to
less
12,000
16,000
sq. m.
Cross-sectional
than .
Cross-sectional
c h i m n e y not
Cross-sectional
not less t h a n

sq. in.

sq. in.

192

256

400

144

216

320

144

216

320

a r e a of smoke flue not less
a r e a of foul air vent into
less t h a n
a r e a of fresh air intake
'
•....'.

B. W h e n t h e foul a i r is t a k e n out t h r o u g h a flue s e p a r a t e from t h e
s m o k e flue:
—Cubic F e e t in Room—
8,000 or 8,000 to 12,000 to
less
12,000
16,000
sq. in.
Cross-sectional a r e a of smoke flue not
than
Cross-sectional a r e a of foul air vent
n o t less t h a n
Cross-sectional
a r e a of fresh air intake
less t h a n
T h e cross-sectional a r e a of t h e vent
openings specified above.

sq. in.

sq. in.

81

144

216

192

256

288

less
flue
not
192
256
288
flue shall be a t l e a s t equal to t h e

JACKETS.
T h e j a c k e t shall be of heavy galvanized or black iron or other m a t e r i a l
equally d u r a b l e . I t shall h a v e an inner lining of c o r r u g a t e d tin or o t h e r
equally d u r a b l e m a t e r i a l covering t h e p a r t w h e r e t h e g r e a t e s t h e a t comes
from t h e stove. Between t h e inner sheet and t h e outside j a c k e t t h e r e shall
be sheet asbestos.
SUGGESTIONS.
H E A T E R S AND VENTILATORS ON T H E M A R K E T .
T h e r e a r e m a n y room h e a t e r s 'on the m a r k e t .
S o m e n o doubt a r e
better than others.
Directors should use their best j u d g m e n t in t h e selec-

61
tion. They should, however, make sure that the stove is large enough to
heat the room, that it is made of durable material, that doors and draft
openings are capable of being closed so well that fire can be kept over

Single Flue Ventilation

62
night.
They should also require that the law is complied with regarding
ample provisions for ventilation, both in the intake and outlet of air.
Sheet iron ventilating shafts through the roof should not be purchased.
They will not last nor do they render satisfactory service. The same is true
of sheet iron ventilating pipes from the floor into the chimney. When
heaters are installed, only chimney ventilation should be accepted. When
the heaters now in use which were installed with sheet iron pipes need
repairs, a chimney should be built which provides for ventilation.
IMPORTANCE OF CHIMNEYS.
The difference between the several kinds of room heaters is not so much
a matter of construction as it is of durability of materials. Whether they
do the work satisfactorily is dependent upon their proper installation.
The chimney is a very important matter.
A single flue chimney if of the proper size and height in proportion to
size is satisfactory. The evil to provide against is the falling of soot to the
bottom of the ventilating shaft. A device such as illustrated on page 61
Will do the work.
A single flue chimney, with a smoke pipe through it, as shown on page 68,
is the most satisfactory.
A "double flue chimney, the smoke flue of which is made of chimney
lining as shown on pages 63, 64, will work satisfactorily.
IMPORTANCE OF TIGHT FLOORS AND CEILINGS.
It must be borne in mind that no room heater and Ventilator can do
satisfactory work if the floor is not tight and when the foundation is so
open that it is as cold under the house as it is outside.
Every school
house should have a tight foundation with no holes except for the ventilation of the space under the house. These should be closed up in winter.
A room heater warms the floor by heating all the air in the room. As the
cold air remains on the floor while the warm air rises to the top, if the cold
air comes in so fast that it cannot move to the stove fast enough to be
heated, a layer of cold air remains on the floor while at the ceiling it may
register one hundred degrees. The ceiling also must be tight or the warm
air will escape into the attic.
Before installing a heater, see to it that
the foundation, floor, windows and ceiling are tight.
INSIST UPON A GUARANTEE.
When buying a heater, insist upon a contract and guarantee that the
heater will heat and ventilate the room in a satisfactory manner. If the
salesman undertakes to give you satisfactory results when the condition of
the chimney, floor and ceiling are such as to make satisfaction impossible,
let the loss be his rather than that of the district.
LIST OF APPROVED HEATERS.
A list of heaters which are known to the Superintendent to meet the requirements of the law when properly installed will be furnished to county
superintendents.
If his opinion as to whether heaters not on this list
meet the requirements is desired, he will give it as soon as he is able to
learn the facts.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction does not recommend one kind
of heater as superior to another. He expresses his opinion after careful
investigation whether they meet the requirements of the law when properly
installed.

63
SPECIFICATIONS FOR JACKET.
If the district has a good cast iron stove such as are found in railroad
stations, the local tinner can make a jacket and a fresh air intake. If a
double flue chimney is provided the expense will be less and the service
will be just as satisfactory.
For the usual sized stove the jacket should be 40 inches in diameter and
60 inches high from the floor to the top. For a larger jacket, the dimensions
of the material should be increased accordingly. The walls of the jacket
should be not less than 8 nor more than 10 inches from the stove.
The
material necessary for such a jacket is as follows:
One sheet galvanized iron Sy2 ft. by 5 ft.
One sheet corrugated tin or sheet iron 2 ft. by 8 ft. for lining.
One sheet asbestos between lining and jacket.
One sheet galvanized iron, door, 2 by 4 ft.
Two bars iron 2 by 3-16 inches, 8.% ft. long, for rims inside of jacket at
the bottom and the top for reinforcement. One bar of iron 2 by 3-16 inches
QY2 ft. for reinforcement at the.middle of the jacket.
Two bars 2 by % inches, 5 ft. 2 inches long, for legs and reinforcement
at each side of door opening.
Two bars iron 2 by % inches, 5 ft. upright reinforcements at back of
jacket.

Construction of a Double Flue Chimney.
a. Foul Air Flue.
b. Chimney Tile.
c. Opening Into Foul Air Flue.
d. Door Which Controls Supply of Air to the Furnace.

64
Rivets should pass through the jacket and the rims, fastening all securely.
The rims should not he riveted at the joints at the door until after the
jacket is in the school room. Doors to some school houses are too narrow
to admit the jacket completed. Any tinner can make such a jacket.

Double Flue Chimney Ventilation.
a. Foul Air Escape,
e. Fresh Air Intake,
d. Door Which Controls Supply of Air to the Furnace.

•65

Heater With Jacket Not Reaching the Floor.

HOW TO INSTALL A HOME-MADE HEATER AND VENTILATOR.
The accompanying cuts show how the door controlling the supply of air
to the furnace should be placed to take in the air from the outside or from

66
within the room or from both, as may be desired. A hole is cut through the
wall and should be covered on the outside with a strong wire screen. The
opening should meet requirement No. 5 A or B. The furnace casing should
be 20 inches from the wall and the air duct from the wall to the casing, 20
inches.
When the door is open it closes the outside opening and opens
that from the inside.
The air is then all taken from the room. When
the door is closed the air is all taken from the outside. When the door is
part way open, the air comes from both outside and inside.
. WHY VENTILATION IS NEEDED.
The body needs clean, wholesome air as much as it does clean and
wholesome food. We breathe the air for two purposes. First, to get the
oxygen needed by the body. Second, to remove the worn out parts of the
body. Every breath of air coming from the body is unclean. It contains
water and organic matter which has come out of the system in the form of
vapor. It contains too much carbonic acid gas and may contain disease
germs. If this air is breathed again, there is not enough oxygen in it to be
good for the body and it contains the impurities from the previous breathing.
When the air has been breathed a second time, it becomes dangerous to
health. Thirty children in an ordinary school room breathe all the air in a
half hour, in an hour and a half the same air has passed through the lungs
of the children three times. Is not this about the most unclean practice
of people who mean to be clean?
It is most revolting, yet this is not
the worst. The injury to the children's health is what should concern us
most. Colds, catarrh, headaches, nervousness, languor, listlessness, aversion
to activity, lack of ruggedness are often due to bad ventilation. Children
in this condition of body and mind cannot make the progress in school work
which we expect of them.
The Best Way to Ventilate.—The best way to ventilate in cold weather
is to bring the outside air in through the heater, and to remove the foul
air from the floor. If clean air from the outside is brought through the
heater, it is warmed and rises to the top of the room. The foul air in the
room being colder sinks to the floor and the ventilating flue removes it from
the room. Thus a current of clean air is running in and a current of foul
air is running out, the children breathing health-giving instead of diseaseproducing air. The heaters and ventilators do the work if they are properly
placed in school houses properly built.
They will not do the work in
houses which are full of openings and no more fitted to keep out cold than
a tent.
WINDOW VENTILATION NEEDED.
When room heaters and basement furnaces supplying air from the outside
are used, window ventilation is needed much of the time.
Always at intermissions the windows should be opened and the air flushed
out. Five minutes is sufficient time.
A good device is a "window frame."
This is like a wire screen frame
about ten inches high which fits under the sash when raised, or above the
upper sash when lowered.
This should be covered with two thicknesses
of cheesecloth. It will let in air but will prevent wind blowing into the
room.
To get the best results from window frames they should be placed in above
the top sash on the side from which the wind blows and under the lower
sash on the side opposite from where the wind blows. Air will then come
in at the top of the room and mix with the warm air before it reaches the
children. Air will pass out at the bottom of the windows on the opposite
side.
This completely prevents drafts and cold floors from this source.
When the cheese cloth becomes soiled it can be removed and washed or it
may be renewed.
BASEMENT FURNACES.
No method of heating a one-room school is as good as* by a basement
furnace properly installed. No method is so bad as by basement furnaces
installed as they usually are. First, the basement should not be simply

67
a hole in the ground. It should be an excavation as large as the space enclosed by the walls and have a concrete floor. The coal room should be
tightly boarded up with close fitting door that no dust may escape into the
play room. In the coal room there should be a fire-proof ash bin which
will hold a wagon-load of ashes and when full the ashes should be hauled
away.
REQUIREMENTS FOR BASEMENT FURNACES.
No. 6.—When a basement furnace is used there shall be an intake for
fresh air from outside the building and also a cold air intake from inside
the schoolroom.
Dampers shall be provided which will make it'possible
to take all the air from one source or to take a part from both sources at
the same time.
The chains which regulate the dampers for the admission of air to the
furnace and those which control the drafts of the furnace, shall extend into
the schoolroom.
No. 7.—There shall be an entrance to the basement from within the
building as well as from without.
No. 8.—The floor of the basement shall be concrete or brick.
No. 9.—Warm air from the furnace shall be admitted into the room at
the wall at least six feet above the floor.
The opening into the foul air flue shall be at the floor level and the foul
air flue shall be so constructed that it will be heated by the smoke flue.
No. 10.—The return cold air opening from the room as well as the opening from the outside shall be at the same wall as the warm air inlet and
shall be two inches above the floor level. The grating over this opening
shall be leaned against the wall at an angle of 45 degrees. The openings
from the outside and the inside shall connect with the duct to the furnace.
The damper shall be constructed so as to close either opening and leave the
other open.
No. 11.—A foot warmer or warm air register shall be placed at the floor
level in the wall.
No warm or cold air register shall be placed in the
floor where it can be walked on or sweepings fall into it.
SUGGESTIONS FOR BASEMENT FURNACES.
Furnaces which have been installed without a fresh air intake and a foul
air outlet should have them reinstalled in compliance with requirements
9, 10, 11. The county superintendent should be consulted before changes
are made as provided by law. Sections 14-19.
A GOOD WAY TO INSTALL A FURNACE.
The following illustrations and the illustration of the furnace in the oneroom building on page 31 will give a clear idea of how to install a furnace
which will meet the requirements in Nos. 9, 10, 11. The most essential requisite is an ample supply of air to the furnace to be warmed and ample
facility for the warmed air to rise into the room. To secure these results
both ducts must be large enough and as nearly perpendicular as they may
be made.
The cold air to the furnace should go straight downward and
the warm air straight upward.
Long horizontal ducts should be avoided.
The air should come in and go out at the same wall.
This insures a
complete circuit of air for the warm air rises to the top of the room and
moves to the opposite side. The cold air moves from the opposite side,
back to'the wall where the ventilating shaft is situated.
Two rooms can be well heated with one large furnace.
But care must
be taken to make the ducts large enough and the ventilating duct in the
chimney should carry away as much air as the ducts from the outside can
bring in.
To heat all the rooms of a three or four-room building, all the
time, two furnaces should be installed.
To heat larger buildings a fan
should be installed to force the air through the furnaces.
SECTION BB.
The furnace is located two or three feet from the wall at the end of the
basement.
One short 20-inch pipe conducts the heated air into the

68
warm air duct, which is 21 by 29 inches and enters the room six or seven
feet above the floor. This warm air duct extends to the basement floor.
Here there is a 12 by 18 short pipe connecting with the base of the furnace
casing. In the warm air duct at the entrance of the warm air pipe is a
damper. When this is let down all the air entering the room passes over
the stove in the furnace casing. When it is raised, cooler air rises from
below and is mixed with the warmer air from the top of the furnace. Care
should be taken to make it impossible to draw the damper clear up and
closing the opening from the top of the furnace, as this would cause the
stove to be overheated.

FIGURE AA.
In this figure we are facing the rear of the room.
Here is shown the
opening into the vent flue 21 by 29 inches and the return air register, opening
12 by 20 inches, the grating covering this is raised two inches above the floor
at the lower edge and leaned against the wall. The ends should be closed.
This admits air from the room to the furnace. The manner in which it is
placed prevents walking over it and sweepings from falling into it.
FIGURE CC.
The fresh air entrance is at the window.
The window sash also acts
as the damper. When shut it admits the air from the room above. When
drawn open it shuts off the air from above and admits it from the outside.
A duct 30 by 21 inches extends from the floor above to the basement floor. A
duct 30 by 20 inches extends from the downward duct to the base of the

69
furnace casing. This may be placed below the floor if the drainage will
permit. If it is not under ground, it should be boxed in so that the sheet
iron will not be bent by children standing upon it.
There should be a
window opposite the outside window to light this corner of the basement.
Figure CC shows the construction of the cold air duct.
A ten inch pipe leads from the top of the furnace to the foot warmer.
If the warm air fails to come up through the foot warmer, it may be made
to do so by drawing up the mixing damper in the warm-air duct.
THE SMOKE FLUE.
The smoke flue is a 10 inch or may be 12 inch cast iron pipe extending up
through the large brick chimney. This is made up of three-foot sections like
sewer tile and is easily installed while building the chimney. Every joint
should be anchored to the brick wall so as to hold it in place. All the heat
escaping through the smoke pipe of the furnace is utilized in warming
the ventilating flue. This makes a rising column of air certain, drawing
the foul air put of the room. The inside measurement of the chimney is
20 by 29 inches. When iron is used a large flue for smoke is essential as
soot is likely to collect on the sides in such quantity as to choke the flue.
This chimney is the best for a basement furnace. When a room heater
is used the dimensions should be as specified in No. 5.
Sewer tile may be used instead of the cast iron pipe if the smoke flue
from the floor of the basement where the smoke enters to the floor of the
room is made of briek. The sewer tile may then rest on this and extend
upward to the mouth of the chimney. The brick base is necessary to receive the strong heat when it enters. This would crack the sewer tile.
But when the heat has ascended two or three feet it is not strong enough
to crack the tile.
A double chimney with a brick wall between the smoke flue and the
ventilating shaft is not satisfactory. The ventilating shaft is not sufficiently
warmed to secure good ventilation. If a double chimney is to be used, the
smoke flue should consist of chimney lining. This is so thin that much heat
goes through to the ventilating shaft.
But to make sure it will not be
cracked by the intense heat, smoke should enter a short brick flue as required when sewer tile is used. Such a double chimney is shown in the
illustrations, of room heaters, page 63.
CHIMNEY INSIDE THE BUILDING.
A chimney inside the building gives the best service in a cold climate.
If it is necessary to build the chimney outside, the warm air duct may
be built alongside of it the same as shown in Figure A. But in this case
there should be three thicknesses of asbestos paper between the brick and
the metal duct which reaches from the furnace to the air entrance in the
wall. This will prevent the absorption of the heat by the cold brick. When
the warm air duct is built inside the room it need not be lined with metal,
but the inside walls of the flue should be plastered smoothly so as to prevent friction.
The same is .true of the inside of the ventilating shaft.
A SURE FAILURE.
Any attempt to run the ventilating flue into the attic, expecting that a
ventilator in the roof or an open window will carry the foul air out, is sure
to fail.
The cold air will come down most of the time.

REQUIREMENTS FOR STEAM HEATING.
No. 12.—The Fan System.—When the fan system of ventilation is used,
the warm air flues shall have a cross-sectional area of not less than nine
square inches for each occupant of the room. The vent flues shall have
a cross-sectional area of not less than ten square inches for each occupant
of the room.
No. 13.—The Gravity System.—Where the gravity system of ventilation
is used the warm air flues shall have a cross-sectional area of not less than
16 square inches and the vent flues 14 square inches for each occupant of
the room.

70
No. 14.—Air Passed Through Radiators.—When fresh air is taken directly
into the room and passed through the radiators, the combined cross-sectional
area of all the openings shall be not less than nine square inches and that
of the vent flue not less than 10 square inches for each occupant of the
room.
No. 15.—When the methods mentioned in Nos. 13 and 14 are used, each
foul air flue shall be provided with a radiator of at least nine square feet
of radiating surface.
No. 16.—Moistening the Air.—In all systems of heating ample provision
shall be made to moisten the heated air.
SUGGESTIONS.
The Fan or Plenum System is of two forms:
In one the air is forced
through radiating coils into the rooms at such a temperature and quantity
as to heat the room. In the other, radiators are placed in the rooms and
the purpose is that these shall furnish the heat necessary to warm the air
while tempered air is forced into the room for ventilating purposes.
This
method is preferred in buildings of more than eight rooms.
Ventilation
is possible in all kinds of weather since cold as well as warm air can be
forced into the rooms.
The Gravity System: This system depends upon the movement of air of
unequal temperature.
Steam coils are placed in the flues which lead into the rooms. The outside air is admitted to these coils and when warmed it rises into the room.
Steam coils or aspirators are placed in the vent shafts.
These warm the
air which then rises and passes to the outside.
This system supplies tempered air from the outside while the room is
heated by direct radiation within the room.
It gives fair satisfaction
when properly installed in smaller buildings and when the difference of
temperature between the outside air and the room air is at least 40 degrees.
Window ventilation is necessary when the outside and inside air are about
the same temperature.
The fan system should deliver at least 30 cubic feet of air per minute for
each person to occupy the room. The gravity system should deliver 30
cubic feet of air per pupil per minute when the temperature of the outside
air is 30 degrees.
The Radiator System:
In this system the foul air flue contains a steam
coil to cause an upward current. Openings are made into the walls at the
lower part of the room radiators. A device is used to prevent the cold air
from spreading over the floor and to force it up through the radiators to
warm it before it spreads over the room.
This system, usually called the "direct-indirect system," is in use in quite
a number of schools in the State. In many installations not enough air is
admitted.
Radiators which fully meet the requirements can be secured.
Whenever this system or the gravity system is in use, county superintendents should insist upon these being supplemented by window frame
ventilation.
School rooms should never be heated with steam or hot water without
making provision for ventilation.
Because it is satisfactory in homes
occupied by few people is not evidence that it will answer for school rooms
occupied by forty or fifty people.
In school rooms heated in this way
where the defect cannot be remedied, superintendents should insist upon
unobjectionable window ventilation.
To supply the school with moist air is as necessary as to supply it with
clean air. In both the fan and the gravity systems a jet of steam should
be allowed to escape above the radiating coils in the fresh air room. Warm
air systems should provide ample evaporating pans so placed as to secure
rapid and abundant evaporation.
A humidifier is made which utilizes the return steam from the radiators
to heat water in the fresh air room causing the vapor to mix with the air

71
entering the room.
It may, also, be attached to radiators in the room.
A noiseless valve attached to the radiator may also be procured.
REQUIREMENTS FOR LIGHTING.
No. 17.—There shall be no windows in the wall which the seated school
children face. The walls shall be a soft light tint, gray, tan or green. The
ceiling shall be a very light tint.
No. 18.—In New Buildings,—In school buildings hereafter erected the
windows shall be at the left of the seated pupils.
Windows at the back of the room are* permissible, but shall be at least
six feet from the floor.
No. 19.—The windows at the left shall be set with the least possible
space between them* and shall be not less than three feet nor more than
four feet from the floor.
No. 20.—The glass surface in study rooms shall not be less than one-fifth
of the floor space. When the light is from the north only or when trees
are near by, it shall be not less than one-fourth of the floor surface.
No. 21.—All windows shall be provided with good adjustable shades.
No. 22.—In Old Buildings.—In buildings in use before July 1, 1915, all
windows in the wall which the seated pupils face shall be permanently
walled up, so that no light may enter from that direction.
No. 23.—If there are full length windows on the right of the seated
children, the lower sash shall be shaded so as to completely shut out the
light from that part. If this makes the light insufficient additional windows
shall be provided at the left.
SUGGESTIONS.
The lighting of school houses is a matter of far greater importance than
people generally are aware of. The amount of reading and writing which
children do in school today is quite unknown to their parents. The use of
print is especially hard on the eyes of the young. The eye strain which
results from bad lighting is the cause of many ills the cause of which few
except the physician or the oculist know.
Light from in front is especially injurious.
It shines directly into the
eye while the child is looking at the printed page, causing eye strain.
Though he may be able to shut it out by bending his head down or holding
the book between the eye and the light, yet when he takes his eyes off
the book the light flashes into them, causing a sudden readjustment of the
muscles.
Light from both sides from in front of the child is quite as bad, for he is
not able to escape from light coming directly into his eyes.
The light
coming from both sides and crossing in the eye causes eye strain. All new
buildings should admit the light from the left only. In the case of buildings already in use the evils of cross lighting can be mitigated by shading
the lower sash of the windows on the right.
Most of the school rooms have not enough light. The window shades are
dark and when the sun shines in the teacher draws them at least half way
down. The next day is cloudy and she forgets to raise the shades. Nearly
always the north windows are shaded half way down. To mitigate this evil
the shades should be white or a cream color. These keep out the direct
rays of the sun but admit a great deal of light.
Shades at the north
windows are not needed at all except on a sunshiny day when the ground
is covered with snow.
WINDOW SHADES.
Overhead light is the best light. For this reason windows should come
as near the ceiling as possible. Also the windows should not come below
the eyes of the children when they are seated.
If shades are hung at the top of the window they shut out the best light.
Yet if hung at the bottom so as to be drawn upward to exclude the rays of
the sun, so much of the light is shut out that the children suffer.
A shade which can be adjusted to any part of the window gives the best
service.
If roller shades are used the best arrangement is to have two

72
rollers at a window. . One of these should be hung at the bottom and the
shade be long enough to reach the middle of the window. The other should
be hung at the middle of the window and be long enough to reach the
top when unrolled. Both rollers may be hung at the middle of the window,
one rolling the shades upward and the other downward.
White shades
are strongly recommended.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SEATING.
No. 24.—Each schoolroom shall be furnished with single desks and seats
which are of the proper size and adjustment for the pupils who are to occupy
them.
School boards should require dealers to guarantee that the seat
board shall be in proper position and remain so, slanting neither upward
nor downward in such a way as to cause discomfort. *
No. 25.—One-room Schools.-^-One-room schools, which pupils of all ages
attend, shall be furnished with desks of five sizes* as follows:
No. 6 single desks, seats 11 to 12 inches from floor, desks 21 to 22 inches
from floor, distance from edge of desk to back of seat 9 inches, for children
not less than 42 inches tall, usually 6 or 7 years old.
No. 5 single desks, seats 12 to 13 inches from floor, desks 22 to 23 inches
from floor, distance from edge of desk to back of seat, 9 to 10 inches, for
children not less than 45 inches tall, usually 8 or 9 years old.
No. 4 single desks, seats 13 to 14 inches from floor, desks 23 to 25 inches
from floor, distance from edge of desk to back of seat, 10 to 11 inches, for
children not less than 48 inches tall, usually 10 or 11 years old.
No. 3 single desks, seats 14 to 15 inches from floor, desks 25 to 27 inches
from floor, distance from edge of desk to back of seat, 11 to 12 inches, for
children not less than 51 inches tall, usually 12 or 13 years old.
No. 2 single desks, seats 16 to 17 inches from floor, desks 27 to 29 inches
from floor, distance from edge of desk to back of seat, 12 to 13 inches,
for children not less than 55 inches tall, usually 14 or 16 years old.
For children exceptionally large the front or back seat of a row should
be placed to suit. In all cases pupils shall be comfortably seated.
No. 26.-—Where adjustable desks only are used in one-room schools there
shall be three sizes, capable of being adjusted as above as to height of
seat and desk.
Adjustment shall be made at least twice a year for the
needs of the growing children.
No. 27.—Desks the same size shall be placed in rows from front to back
of room. If it is necessary to place two sizes of desks in the same row
the front part of the row should end with a "rear" of the same size. This
"rear" should be followed with a "front" of the size which is to continue
the row.
No. 28.—There shall be an aisle next the walls not less than 24 inches
in width, and aisles between rows of desks shall be not less than 18 inches
in width.
No. 29.—Graded Schools.—In graded schools if stationary desks are used,
if one grade occupies the room, there shall be not less than two sizes of
single desks suitable for all the pupils in the room, as specified in requirement No. 25. When more than one grade is seated in a room, there shall
be as many sizes of desks as are necessary to properly seat all pupils.
No. 30.—-When adjustable desks are used, they shall be so adjusted that
the heels of the child shall rest on the floor when the child's back touches
the back of his seat. The desk shall be adjusted so that when the child
sits erect in his seat, the forearm resting on the desk as in writing, the
shoulder of the writing arm shall not be higher than the other shoulder.
When stationary desks are used the pupils shall occupy desks Which meet
these requirements.
The distances the desks are from the backs of the seats shall be the
same as given in requirement No. 25. At least one row of adjustable desks
in each room is strongly recommended.
No 31.—Floor, desks, furniture, and walls shall be kept clean.
Desks
shall be washed and revarnished when necessary. Floor shall be scrubbed
when necessary.
When sweeping, a sweeping compound shall be used,
and dusting shall be done with a moist cloth.

73
SUGGESTIONS FOR SEATING.
The importance of proper seating cannot be overestimated.
First as Affecting Health.—It has only recently been discovered that
many weaknesses of the system are due to spinal malformations, The nerves
supplying the vital organs come largely from the spinal cord and through
the spinal column between the vertebrae. When the spine is out of shape,
these nerves are compressed and their work interfered with.
Second as Affecting Success in Life.—A misshapen person is handicapped
in the contest for success in life.
A well formed body is the greatest
recommendation to a young man seeking to win a place in the world's work.
It is criminal negligence to compel growing children to sit six hours of the
day in school desks which deform their bddies.
Third as Affecting School Work.—Good order and good school work cannot be secured when children cannot sit still in comfort. Many a school is
hard to manage and the work is poor because the children have not comfortable seats.
SINGLE DESKS THE BEST.
A school board should buy no more double desks, even if the house is
already seated with double desks. If these cannot be discarded, the new ones
should be single. The double desks should be discarded as soon as possible
The saving in expense in buying double desks is so small as to be unworthy of consideration.
The advantage of single desks is very great.
Such, a school is easier to teach and the pupils find it easier to study and
to conduct themselves properly.
The requirement that each child shall occupy a desk by himself is justified
also purely by health reasons.
The probability of infection from colds,
sore eyes, itch and parasites is much greater when two occupy the same
desk.
Where rooms are furnished with double desks, the county superintendent
should insist upon only one child occupying a desk.
If all cannot be
seated in this way, he should require as many single desks as are necessary.
He should refuse to give his approval for the purchase of any more double
desks.
The Cost of Desks is Small.—The following is taken from the catalogues of
well known dealers in school furniture:
Sizes 6 and 5, each
Sizes 4 and 3, each.
Sizes 2 and 1, e a c h . . . .

PRICES.
........'.........

$1.65 to $2.25
1.75 to 2.50
1.85 to 2.50

Even the lowest prices will secure good desks. Thirty desks cost only
$52.50. Twenty desks cost only $45.00 There are but few districts which
cannot afford a full set of new single desks.
REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER SUPPLY.
No. 32.—Weils.—All dug, bored or drilled wells shall be made absolutely
safe from danger of contamination from privies.
The walls of the well
shall be constructed so as to prevent seepage from this source.
Where
there is any likelihood of sewage entering the well the privy vaults shall
be made water-tight.
Less than 100 feet distance from a privy is not a
safe location for a well. To prevent contamination from other sources the
well shall be covered with a concrete platform. This shall rest on a concrete wall surrounding the well, sunk at least two feet in the ground. A
concrete gutter should be provided to carry the waste water at least 10
feet away from the well.
The earth shall be BO banked about the well
as to make natural drainage and prevent puddles of water near the well.
No. 33.—Cisterns.—Where cisterns are used they shall be provided with
effective' filters and shall be completely covered. They shall be thoroughly
cleaned and the filtering material renewed at least once a year.

74
No. 34.—Water Containers.—Where drinking water is kept in the schoolroom it shall be kept in a clean container, provided with a cover and a
faucet.
No. 35.—Individual Cups.—The use of the common drinking cup is prohibited by law. When cups are necessary each person shall be provided
with his own cup. These shall be placed in a dust-proof case, which shall
be kept closed except when removing or replacing a cup. The cups shall
be kept clean.
No 36.—Bubbling Fountains.—Bubbling drinking fountains are strongly
recommended.
No fountain should be installed which enables the lips to
touch the opening of the water pipe.
No. 37.—Suspicious Water.—If, for any reason, water used in school rooms
appears to be unwholesome, samples shall be sent to the State Water
Survey, State University at Urbana for analysis.
SUGGESTIONS REGARDING WATER SUPPLY.
The school house well is looked upon as dangerous. There is no reason
why it should be so if the proper precaution is taken. The well should be
covered with a concrete top. This should rest on a concrete wall around
the well, sunk four feet into the ground. A drain trough or pipe should
convey the water to a point at least twenty feet from the well. Pools of
water should not be allowed to collect within twenty feet of the well.
When a well is impossible, a cistern should be provided. The best form
is a cistern of two compartments. The one should be ten feet deep and the
pump should be placed in this. The other should be built alongside and
four feet deep. At the bottom of this should be an opening into the other,
arranged so that the water which flows from the roof into the shallower one
shall percolate through a thickness of two feet of clean sand. If care is
exercised to clean these before
school opens and let the water
in only after the rain has washed
the roof, palatable and wholesome water will be available.
It was thought that the abolition of the common drinking cup
in the schools would secure
greater safety from contagious
diseases. Experience has shown
that the individual cups in the
care of the pupil is no improvement.
The children keep the
cups in their desks or pockets.
They use each other's cup, which
becomes contaminated and is
quite as dangerous as the common cup. If individual cups are
used, they should be kept in a
case with a door, each cup on
its own hook.
The teacher
should see to it that they are
scalded every few days.
The only effective way to safeguard the children against danger from the drinking cup is to
install a bubbling fountain. One
has been invented which meets
every requirement. Any school
Th
with a well or cistern can be ab® McQabe Sanitary Drinking Fountain.
SOlutely safe in t h i s respect.

Llnn &

McCabe, Martinsville. III.

When the water must be carried from a neighboring well it should not
be kept in an open bucket in the school room. Dust collects on the water,
which may be the worst contamination. A bubbling fountain attached to a
water can has been invented which is convenient and safei.

75
A water tank or cooler with a self-closing faucet should take the place
of the open water bucket if the water must be kept in the house and the
bubbling fountain cannot be at hand.

The McCabe Sanitary Drinking Fountain Hooked Onto an Ordinary Pump.

REQUIREMENTS FOR TOILETS.
No. 38.—Indoor Toilets.—When indoor toilets are provided those for the
different sexes shall be approached from different directions and if there is
a door between the two toilet rooms it shall be kept locked. The toilet
rooms shall be ventilated in such a way as to remove all odors and prevent
their spread to other parts of the building.
No. 39.—Outdoor Toilets.—There shall be at least two toilets, one for
each of the sexes. They shall, when possible, be at least 50 feet apart.
Under no condition shall they be less than 20 feet apart.
When the distance between the toilets is less than 50 feet, there shall be a tight-board
screen midway between them at least 20 feet long and six feet high. The
approaches shall be separate all the way.
No. 40.—The boys' toilet shall have a tight board screen at the front and
the side not less than five feet high. Behind this shall be a substantial
zinc lined urinal trough. The lower one shall be 16 inches from the ground
and the higher one 26 inches from the ground at the highest point. When
dry closets are used the urinal shall drain into a separate underground
receptacle.

76
No. 41.—The toilet buildings shall rest on a substantial brick or concrete
foundation to which they shall be securely bolted. The buildings shall be
well lighted and shall constitute an adequate protection against inclement
weather. There shall be at least two seats and not fewer than one seat,
for every twenty children using them.
One or more seats shall be 10
inches high, the rest 16 inches.
The vault shall be concrete or brick, so constructed as to prevent leakage
of sewage and so that it may be cleaned. Light shall be completely shut
out of the vault. The seats shall be provided with covers, securely hinged
in such a way as to close automatically.
The vault shall be ventilated
with a flue, with a cross-sectional area of not less than 64 square inches and
extending from the vault through the roof.
One of the chief aims is to
shut out flies which spread contagious diseases.
No. 42.—All toilets shall be kept clean and the walls free from objectionable language or pictures.
SUGGESTIONS REGARDING TOILETS.
There are a great many different forms of furnishings for indoor toilets.
The following points should receive careful attention:
WHEN WATER PRESSURE AND SEWERS ARE USED.
1. The surface exposed to soil should be porcelain or fire enamel. Even
these require constant cleaning by the janitor.
2. Each seat should flush independently and automatically.
3. The most satisfactory seats .
and urinals are those which provide for a current of air from
them into a ventilating shaft.
4. The room should also be
provided with a ventilator at
the top of the room.
5. Air should be admitted
from the outside in such a way
as not to blo„ in, for this tends
to carry the air from the toilet
room into other parts of the
building. This may be accomplished by placing under the
window sash a frame covered
with cheesecloth. This admits
air but prevents a strong current.
6. The floor and walls should
be of a material which will not
absorb water or moisture.
7. The urinal is the source of
most objectionable features. It
is very difficult to prevent the
presence of odors. If a sufficient number of seats can be provided which are so constructed
that the seats, when not in use,
rise to a perpendicular position
and expose the bowl, it is advisable to dispense with the urinals.
Antiseptic Tank or Chemical System for One-Room Schools.

ANTISEPTIC TANKS.
When antiseptic or chemical tanks are used the provisions mentioned in
the foregoing also apply. The form which provides drainage is most satisfactory.
It prevents the accumulation of soil and does not require its
removal.

77
DISPOSAL BY DRYING AND BURNING.
This method is satisfactory only when the means of ventilation are perfect and when the greatest care is exercised in its management. It is not
recommended.

INDOOR TOILETS FOR ONE-ROOM SCHOOLS.
There are many objections to toilets separate from the school building,
even when the best provisions are made for decency and health. The antiseptic or chemical tank which provides for drainage, makes it possible to
remove all these objections.
When a new house is built, room for toilets may be provided connecting
with the cloak rooms. When old buildings are in use, an addition may
be built to the house which provides entrances from the school room. The
cost will not be materially more than it is for building two outhouses and
concrete walks to them.
DOUBLE OUTHOUSES.
The summer of 1916 should record the abolition of every double privy
for the use of both sexes. Where the proper distance apart is impossible,
the tight screen and the completely separate approaches should be provided.
BOYS' CLOSET.
Experience has abundantly proved that if the boys are given a chance
their closet will be kept reasonably clean. When the seats only are provided it is impossible to keep them clean. When the urinal is in the same
room as the seats more care to keep the place clean is required than boys
are likely to take. When the urinal is outside very few go into the building,
and it is kept clean.
The urinal trough should not drain into the vault, for water from rain
will be carried in in such quantity as to defeat the purpose of the dust or
lime covering. A separate underground receptacle can be provided.

78
WATER-TIGHT VAULTS. DUST BIN.
Water-tight vaults are necessary to prevent the pollution of wells. The
dust bin should*be high enough so that there will be no temptation for boys
to make other uses of it. It should be covered with a substantially hinged
door so that the contents may be kept dry. If this is filled with dry road
dust it will last until spring. Sand must not be used.

CLEANING THE VAULTS.
The use of dust will make the contents of the vault comparatively inoffensive.
The vault, in most cases, will not need to be emptied except
just before the opening of school in the fall.
The contents will then be
dry and the work of its removal will not be disagreeable.

79
KEEPING OUT FLIES.
There is no greater source of disease than privy vaults exposed to file*,.
In parts of the State vjiere the hard pan is near the surface and drainage
is impossible, school houses and even home privies have no vaults at all.
There, also, typhoid fever is always present and often becomes epidemic.
Properly constructed vaults will make it possible to completely shut out
flies and so prevent them from carrying disease germs to the food of the
children. Typhoid fever will then be as rare as it is in parts of the State
where drainage is possible.
VENT FLUE.
The vent flue is a necessity. If the vault is tight enough to exclude flies
and the seat openings closed, there will be, while the closet is in use, a
draft of air out of the vault through the vent flue, securing the wholesomeness of the room.
COVERS.
The purpose of the covers for the seats is to keep out flies and to aid in
making the room as wholesome as possible. Great care should be taken in
their construction.
The board should have a cross piece to prevent its
splitting. The hinges should be strong and of brass that they may not rust
and become inoperative.
The cover board should extend back from the
opening at least six inches so as to give plenty of room. Against the wall
there should be a stop to prevent the lid from attaining or passing the
perpendicular.
It will then remain in position with little pressure and
will close as soon as the pressure is removed.
PLAN FOR OUTDOOR TOILET.
The plan offered and the bill of materials are for a larger house than is
generally required in country districts. When the school is small a house
5 by 6 feet is large enough. Twenty inches wide across the end will be
sufficient room for a dust box.

80
A water tight vault is strongly recommended.
No other should be used
except when the character of the soil affords good drainage and when there
is absolutely no danger that a well will be contaminated. When possible,
deep vaults should be drained and then need not be used, but slaked lime
will serve a good purpose.
SCREEN SCHOOLHOUSE DOOR AND WINDOWS.
Wire screens for doors and windows of school houses are of great service.
They lessen the chances for the spread of diseases by flies. They add
greatly to the comfort of the children and make it easier to do their school
work. When not needed they can be stored, and will last several years.
BILL OF MATERIALS FOR BOYS' CLOSET.
Shingles, 4 bundles.
-Matched siding, 220 sq. ft.
Rafters, 5, 2"x4"xl4\
Unmatched, 70 sq. ft.
Ridge, 1, 2"x4"xl0'.
Fence (matched lumber), 150 sq. ft.
Plate/ 2, 2"x4"xl6'.
Floor (toilet matched lumber), 50 sq. ft.
Wall Plate, 1, 2"x6"xl2'.
Partition, 30 sq. ft. % T. & G.
Studs, etc., 16, 2"x4"xl6'.
Dust box, 70 sq. ft. (matched).
Joists, 2, 2"x8"xl0'; 1, 2"x8"xl4'. Urinal trough, 2, I"xl2"xl2'.
Fence posts, 3, 4"x4"xl6'.
Ventilator, 2, I"x8"xl0'.
Stringer, 5, 2"x4"xl0'; 1, 2"x2"xl6\
2
2
2
1

MILL WORK.
seats and lids.
Concrete, 5 cu. yds.
windows and frames (glass 18"x24"). Nails.
windows and frames (glass 18"x24"). . Paint.
door and frame (2'6"x6'6").

SAFETY AGAINST FIRE.
THE LAW.
An Act to regulate the egress from public buildings provides that the doors
to the entrance of school buildings shall be so hinged as to open outward.
An Act relating to fire escapes provides that in school buildings of more
than two stories, at least one fire escape shall be provided, and that in
halls above the ground floors as many fire escapes shall be provided as the
corporate authorities may direct.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.
No. 43.—-New or Remodeled Buildings.—In school buildings hereafter
erected boilers shall be placed in fire-proof rooms.
No. 44.-H3oilers or furnaces shall not be placed under a stairway or
corridor through which the pupils must pass in leaving the building.
No. 45.—Outside doors within 20 feet of stairways shall be provided with
an appliance which will cause the door or doors to swing outward when
pressure is applied.
No. 46.—Smoke flues shall be lined with a good quality of chimney lining
or so constructed that should the mortar between the bricks fall out, fire
cannot escape through the opening.
No. 47,—The main stairway leading from the ground floor shall be at least
six feet wide.
No. 48.—All air ducts or ventilating shafts shall be of metal or fire-proof
material.
Buildings Already in Use.—In buildings already in use July 1, 1915, the
county superintendent of schools shall note any hazardous conditions and
call the attention of the school board to them. If, in his judgment, these
are decidedly dangerous for the safety of the children, and if the school
authorities do not remedy the defect, he shall enforce the law by first calling
for the advice of the State Fire Marshal.

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