Schools of Cook County
Page 83
SCHOOLS OF COOK COUNTY
Cook County, outside of the city of Chicago, contains one hundred and seventy-five school districts, one hundred and one of which are typical one-room, one-teacher rural schools; twenty-eight have two teachers each; nine have three, and five districts have four teachers in their employ. The remaining thirty-two districts employ a number varying from five up to one hundred and seventeen each. The "Oak Park" district employs the greatest number of teachers. Besides these, there are fourteen township high schools and two other high school districts, making a total of one hundred and ninety-one different school districts, each governed by a separate board, one-third of whose membership is elected annually by the direct vote of the qualified electors. Districts having a population of less than one thousand inhabitants, are governed by boards of directors, consisting of three members, while those having a population of more than one thousand elect boards of education, consisting of a president and six members. Provision is made by statute for the enlarging of these boards as the population increases. The revenue of each district is derived from a direct tax levied upon the assessed valuation of the property in the district and a small amount received as each district's proportionate share of the state school fund.
The school funds of the various districts in each congressional township are in the possession and care of the township school treasurer, who is elected biennially by the school trustees. The title of all school property is held in the name of the trustees.
The qualified male voters of Cook County elect quadrennially a county superintendent of schools who enters upon the discharge of his duties on the first Monday of December after his election. Before taking office he must execute a bond to be approved by the County Board or the Judge of the County Court.
During the past four years "the following progressive ideas in rural education have been inaugurated:
Teachers' minimum salary schedule.
Preparatory training for teachers required before the issuing of certificates.
Uniform course of study and text-books.
Annual country life festivals and school "County Fairs."
Achievement clubs for boys and girls.
Country Life Leaders (Community Secretaries) and All the Year 'Round Field Schools in charge of wanderlehrers.
Cook County is the first community in America to employ community secretaries and wanderlehrers. The eyes of the educational world are focused on the outcome.