Research


Scope and Content Note

The series consists of files related to proposed central school districts, including files for centralization proposals approved and rejected by voters.

Centralization files contain the following: application for laying out central school district, submitted by the district superintendent of schools; memoranda from the Bureau of Rural Administrative Services of the State Education Department offering its opinion on the proposed centralization and commenting on local sentiment for or against centralization; tally sheet of the number of voters in each district who are for or against the proposed centralization, prepared by Bureau of Rural Administrative Services; petition of the qualified voters of the proposed central school district for a special meeting to decide whether a new district should be organized (petitions are on separate forms for areas within and without incorporated villages); border issued by the Commissioner of Education laying out the new central school district (usually with multiple copies for posting); certificate by district superintendent of schools stating that copies of the order were received and filed and copies posted in public places; notice (in the form of a poster) of special meeting of the voters to vote on proposed central school district, with affidavit of publication of same; minutes of special district meeting giving result of vote on centralization and, if the new district was approved, result of election of a new board of education; and correspondence of district superintendent of schools, village superintendent of schools (if any) and various State Education Department officials and private citizens relating to the proposed centralization.

More specifically, the applications for laying out a central school district include: district number; town(s) in which the district is located; whether union free, village or common school district; enrollments in grades 1-6, 7-9, 10-12; number of teachers; current expenses for preceding year; amount of bonded indebtedness; assessed valuation; full valuation; tax rate on assessed valuation; a narrative description of the program of the proposed central school district; estimated cost(s) of new building(s); estimated annual cost of transportation; estimated annual budget; a map of the existing and proposed districts; and other "information and remarks" (usually blank).

The series contains many maps which were submitted as part of the application process for laying out a rural central school district. The application form specifically asked for a map of the proposed district, preferably on a U.S. Geological Survey topographic map showing contours, railroads, and highways. Consequently the bulk of the maps are annotated versions, usually in color, of the relevant quadrangle section of such print maps. These maps show the following requested information: boundaries of the proposed central rural school district in heavy outline; boundaries of each existing district in light outline; location of present school buildings; adjoining district boundaries; locations of the nearest high schools on all sides; and improved and unimproved highways.

Other maps are blueprint or whiteprint copies of standard highway maps, or other hand drawn maps that are also annotated, usually in color. These are apparently in response to another question on the application for an outline of the proposed central rural school district's organization. These maps typically show requested information on the location of central rural schools and branch schools, and routes and facilities for transportation of pupils.

Title, legend, and scale information is present for only some maps, and the size ranges from 30 x 40 cm to 86 x 71 cm.

The records span close to two decades; a few files appear to be missing, as they are marked by "out" cards.