As schools are now out for the summer months, it’s not only the students who get a vacation from their studies,it’s also the teachers who get a well deserved vacation. As we have two granddaughters currently studying to become teachers, it brings back memories of the important roles teachers have influencing the youth. I had many wonderful teachers throughout my school years, those who recognized my interests and pushed me into furthering those interests. In courses where I showed a weakness, the teachers worked with me and gave needed encouragement to keep moving forward. Teachers are important and sometimes don’t receive the recognition they deserve. As I think back to most of my elementary school years in a country school, and how the teachers worked with all grades up to 8th grade, all in the same one room, makes me appreciate those teachers even more.
While doing family research, I read a book on the history of schools and teachers in Republic County, Kansas, where some of my ancestors had lived. Their children attended classes in small rural schools. I found it interesting to read about the history of that county’s early day schools. Some of my family taught in these schools, some served on school boards, some were students and some even helped create a school district.
Guidelines for teachers in 1872 were: fill lamps each day and clean the chimneys; each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day’s session; make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils; men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two a week if they go to church regularly; after 10 hours in school,the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books; women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed; every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earning for his benefit during declining years so that he will not become a burden on society; any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention and honesty; the teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of 25 cents per week in his pay, providing the board of education approves.
In 1858 the Territorial Legislature created the office of county superintendent. This gave the authority to certify teachers and a year later the superintendent was given authority to organize school districts. The first Kansas State Board of Education was organized in 1873. The early day Board of Education was able to issue state diplomas and certification to teachers upon completing an examination. In the 1890s credits were given for teaching from approved colleges. In 1909 teaching certificates were issued to high school graduates completing high school normal training courses and passed a state exam. In 1937, three state teachers colleges were given exclusive authority to certify teachers. By 1947 the State Superintendent was given authority to certify teachers under roles and regulations approved by the State Board of Education. According to the book Homeland Schools in 1941 there were about 120 organized school districts in Republic County and about 100 of them were rural schools with one teacher to a rural school. In 1941 in Republic County the average salary for women rural teachers was about $45 a month for eight months and about $55 for males teachers. The Kansas “Retirement” Act of 1941 provided that a teacher receive a service annuity at $1 a month for each year of service with a maximum of 30 years, that the teacher pay 4 percent of salary up to $3,000 to remain in a savings fund in the teacher’s name and returns to be paid to the teacher upon retirement. This meant that the retirement payment would approximately be $60 a month or $720 a year.
These teachers in the one room school houses had to be not only education teachers, but also music teachers, counselor, disciplinarian, program planners, athletic instructors, lunch room supervisors, nurses when needed, art teachers, and janitors. A school motto was found in a District 43 record book written in 1888, “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good, and he who so trusts in the Lord happy is he. The wise in heart shall be called prudent, and the sweetness of the like increaseth learning.”
A country school that my Grandfather Boyles attended as a youth, along with his twin brother, was District 65, Lincoln. In its early years the average attendance was 30 to 45 students. Which was a good size of country school with one teacher. In 1890 there were 48 students, ages 5 to 20. By 1916, the enrollment dropped down to 13 and by 1949 it had dropped to four students. The following year it was voted to consolidate the school.
In 1963, the Kansas State Legislature passed a law proposing that each county in the state consolidate all districts into one or more districts with at least 400 pupils, which was to be completed by June 30, 1965. This closed the doors on most all of the country schools. These one room schoolhouses were vacated and either were turned into a community gathering place, moved to serve as a home or farm out building, or torn down. There are few of these one room school houses today still standing.
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