Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 18: PUBLICATIONS RELATED
Progress of the Harlan County Schools
Harlan County Board of Education
Dr. James Cawood, Superintendent
Dr. S.H. Rowland, Chairman
1963-1964
Progress Harlan County Schools, 1963-64. Cover page. [progress_harlan_co_schools_1963_cover.jpg]
TAGS: Progress of the Harlan County Schools 1963-64, annual reports, Superintendent James A. Cawood, Chairman Dr. S.H. Rowland, statistics, George C. Meadors, Carson Coleman, Paul Graham, W.H. (Billy) Wilson, Harlan Area Vocational School, distributive education, consolidation of schools, pupil transportation, comprehensive high schools
PUBLICATIONS RELATED 1963-64 “Progress of the Harlan County Schools”
TRANSCRIPTION
Cover
Progress Of The
Harlan County Schools
HARLAN COUNTY
BOARD OF EDUCATION
DR. JAMES A. CAWOOD, Superintendent
Dr. S. H. ROWLAND, Chairman
CARSON COLEMAN
PAUL GRAHAM
GEORGE C. MEADORS
W.H. (Billy) WILSON
1963-64
Page 1
The Professional Staff
The classroom teacher is recognized as the “key” person in providing quality education. Therefore, continuous improvement of the teaching staff has been a major goal of the Harlan County Schools.
Some statistics which indicate to what extent this effort has been successful are:
September 1946
45 Teachers had more than 4 years college.
93 Teachers had college degrees (B.S. or B.A.)
115 Teachers had less than 2 years college.
September 1963
66 Teachers have a master’s degree or above.
305 Teachers have a college degree (B.S. or B.A.)
No teachers have less than 2 years college.
Gains in qualified personnel in special areas have also been made. Harlan County School System now has the following special personnel:
9 Elementary and high school librarians.
8 Vocational home economics teachers.
8 Band and choral directors.
5 Distributive education teachers.
2 Guidance counselors.
2 Vocational agriculture teachers.
3 Art teachers.
5 Teachers for exceptional children:
1 for homebound children,
3 for educable,
1 for trainable children.
In addition to the gain in college hours and degrees, opportunity for professional growth is provided through an in-service training program, which attempts to keep up with modern trends and technological developments.
Page 2
Consolidation Of Schools
The small high schools and the one and two-room elementary schools are fast disappearing in Harlan County. Through consolidation of the smaller schools into larger units, the Harlan County Schools are able to offer better services and more opportunities for the pupils.
The extent to which consolidation has been carried out since World War II is indicated in these comparative figures:
| In 1945 there were: | In 1963-64 there are: |
| 22 One-room schools. | 10 One-room schools. |
| 12 Two-room schools. |
5 Two-room schools. |
| 13 Three-room schools. | 4 Three-room schools. |
| 28 Schools of four or more rooms. | 25 Schools of four or more rooms. |
| 8 High schools. | 5 High schools. |
| A total of 83 schools, 12,657 pupils and 436 certified personnel. | A total of 49 schools, 10,132 pupils and 436 certified personnel. |
A much-improved attendance record has enabled the county to maintain the number of units as shown above despite the decrease in school census. Almost as many children attended school in 1962-63 as in 1934-35, when the school-age population was 17,691. The enrollment in the current year 1963-64, appears to be nearing a leveling-off point for the first time in several years, as the first month’s enrollment this year was larger than the last month of the 1962-63 year.
Page 3
Pupil Transportation
Getting pupils to and from school is a major part of the Harlan County Schools program.
Along with other school programs, pupil transportation has grown in scope and cost. In 1935, seven buses were used to transport 320 pupils. By 1945, the number of buses in use had grown to 18 and 1,606 pupils were being transported daily. This school year, 73 buses are being used to transport 6,000 pupils at a cost of 13.4 cents per pupil per day, one of the lowest per-pupil costs of any school system in the state.
Bus drivers are required to pass a physical examination every year. The school buses are checked by the State Department of Public Safety each year, and once every four weeks during the year by the schools’ Motor Maintenance Department.
Instruction
Materials — $251,663.12 has been spent by the county schools on equipment and materials under the Title III, National Defense Education Act, from 1960 through 1963. This program is designed to enrich the mathematics, science and modern foreign language programs through matched funds by the Federal Government. Approximately $22,815 has been received from Title V, N.D.E.A. without having to match funds from the local level. Purpose of this program is to improve guidance, counseling and testing activities by providing tests, materials and equipment for guidance programs in grades 1-12.
Textbooks — The allocation for free textbooks by the State in the current year for grades 1-8 is $58,584, or $4.92 per pupil. An adequate supply of textbooks is available for all elementary pupils.
Libraries – The five high schools of the county have accredited libraries with an annual allotment of $1.50 per pupil for new books.
Page 4
Six elementary schools have central libraries with certified librarians. The elementary library allotment for new books is $1.25 per pupil.
Special Education
Five special education classes for mentally and physically handicapped children are in operation.
Vocational Education
Distributive education is taught in five high schools. Pupils in these classes increase their skills and knowledge of work by being employed part-time in a distributive occupation.
Harlan Area Vocational School, now operated by the State after having been started by the County Schools, has 92 regular high school students enrolled in part-time classes in auto body repair, electricity, machine shop, auto mechanics and building trades.
Vocational agriculture is taught in three high schools. This offering is a four-year program and the major studies are: Plant growth, soil chemistry, basic wood work, public speaking, feeding livestock, genetics, basic masonry, land improvement and leadership.
Vocational home economics include instruction for home-making, home projects, family relationships, study of clothing, foods, health and care of the sick. It is offered in all high schools.
Driver education is offered in four high schools. The purpose is to develop skills to operate a motor vehicle safely. Statistics prove those taking this course have fewer accidents.
Page 5
New Comprehensive High School
A comprehensive high school is one large enough to offer courses to meet the needs of college-bound youth as well as those who go to work after graduation. It has minimum enrollment of 600 pupils.
Harlan County’s present five high schools rank as follows:
| School | Units Offered | Enrollment |
| Cumberland High School | 62 | 711 |
| Evarts High School | 53 1/2 | 754 |
| Hall High School | 53 1/2 | 628 |
| Loyall High School | 45 | 451 |
| Wallins High School | 41 | 243 |
Contract will be let soon for a new comprehensive high school on Martin’s Fork near Harlan Appalachian Regional Hospital and the new Harlan Area Vocational School.
This new facility will have 38 classrooms, an auditorium, materials center, gymnasium, cafeteria, shops, art and music practice rooms.
The school will serve high school students in the upper three grades from Hall, Loyall and Wallins high schools and from the Black Star area.
Achievements
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- No regular teacher has less than two years college work; the average teacher load has been reduced to approximately 30 pupils in comparison to an average of 48 in 1934-35.
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- Expenditures for library books was $41,758.75 in 1960-63. Of this amount, $30,637 was for elementary books, which has re-…
Page 6
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- …sulted in an average 2-3 library books per pupil. In 1953-54 the total elementary library appropriation was $9.67.
- Harlan County School District ranked fourth in the state among participants of Title III, N.D.E.A., which provides federal money for materials and equipment in science, math and modern foreign language courses on a basis of 50-50 matching local funds.
- The Harlan County Schools have operated within allotted revenue for the past 16 years.
- In 1952-53 the school budget was $1,549,509, or $84.16 per pupil. In 1962-63 the budget was $2,654,529, or $227.05 per pupil.
- The school transportation in Harlan County is recognized throughout the state for its safety, efficiency and economical operation.
- Sixteen school lunchrooms served 511,146 lunches in 1962-63. Seventeen school lunchrooms serving 3,500 meals daily are operating this year. In addition, 20 special milk programs are operating with approximately 1,300 pupils buying milk daily.
- A college and extended education day is held each year for seniors of all high schools in order that they may hear or interview representatives from various colleges and trade schools. This program is to help them plan a career.
- The 22nd Harlan County Guidance Institute was held in 1963- 64. A curriculum guidance council composed of school representatives meets monthly to work on county-wide concerns.
- A new comprehensive high school for students from Hall, Loyall, Black Star and Wallins has been planned through a co- operative study made by teachers, P.T.A. members, interested citizens and central office personnel, under the direction of the Southern School Planning Laboratories at the University of Tennessee.
Page 7
Plans For The Sixties
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- All teachers to have a minimum of a college degree.
- Every elementary school of eight teachers or more and the junior high schools will have central libraries and will be serviced by a certified librarian.
- Healthier children in Harlan County by having a hot-lunch program and milk program in all schools; increased services from the local health department; focus on the development of an attitude for a healthy body through healthful living.
- Safer motor driving for Harlan County youth by increasing driver education classes.
- Increase the special education units so as to care for more of the handicapped children.
- Home economics and vocational work will be offered in junior high schools at Wallins, Hall and Loyall.
- A pilot work-study program for handicapped youth which will be financed by the Federal and State governments, plus local funds which are already being expended. This project will cost approximately $140,000 and will be located in the present Harlan Vocational School on Cumberland Avenue.
- A comprehensive high school at Cumberland, Evarts and one to serve Black Star, Loyall, Hall and Wallins pupils on Martin’s Fork. Establish junior high schools at Wallins, Loyall and Hall. Consolidate the one, two and three-teacher elementary schools into larger learning centers on the 1-6 plan.
- A larger and broader vocational training program will be provided through cooperation with the Harlan Area Vocational School and the University of Kentucky Southeast Center.
Page 8
Finances
FINANCE
The Division of Finance of the Harlan County School System is under the supervision of Garrett M. Castle, a public accountant and attorney. The records of the County School System are audited annually by an independent firm of public accountants, retained by the Harlan County Board of Education. This audit has been made in addition to the usual audits made by the State Department of Education.
REVENUES
The School System derives its operating funds primarily from two sources, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, through The Mini- mum Foundation Program, and local taxes. Revenues for the last fifteen years are shown below.
| RECEIVED FROM ———————————————————————————————————————- |
|||||||
| Fiscal Years | Total Received |
State of Ky. | Pct. of Total | Local Taxes | Pct. of Total | Other | Pct. of Total |
| 1948-49 | $1,073,871 | $ 681,954 | 63.5 | $343,200 | 32.0 | $ 48,717 | 4.5 |
| 1949-50 | 1,134,582 | 719,751 | 63.4 | 360,349 | 31.8 | 54.482 | 4.8 |
| 1950-51 | 1,285,471 | 870,505 | 67.7 | 351,060 | 27.3 | 63,906 | 5.0 |
| 1951-52 | 1,492,364 | 1,045,382 | 70.0 | 376,841 | 25.3 | 70,141 | 4.7 |
| 1952-53 | 1,549,509 | 1,109,654 | 71.6 | 373,375 | 24.1 | 66,480 | 4.3 |
| 1953-54 | 1,529,304 | 1,085,140 | 71.0 | 369,556 | 24.1 | 74,608 | 4.9 |
| 1954-55 | 1,548,358 | 1,115,804 | 72.1 | 374,190 | 24.2 | 58,364 | 3.7 |
| 1955-56 | 1,527,559 | 1,106,855 | 72.5 | 352,662 | 23.1 | 68,042 | 4.4 |
| 1956-57 | 2,028,437 | 1,596,036 | 78.7 | 353,813 | 17.4 | 78,588 | 3.9 |
| 1957-58 | 2,064,118 | 1,625,200 | 78.7 | 354,848 | 17.2 | 84,050 | 4.1 |
| 1958-59 | 2,069,311 | 1,631,182 | 78.8 | 344,468 | 16.7 | 93,661 | 4.5 |
| 1959-60 | 2,115, 418 | 1,675,940 | 79.2 | 324,352 | 15.3 | 115,126 | 5.5 |
| 1960-61 | 2,669,662 | 2,221,788 | 83.2 | 314,437 | 11.8 | 133, 437 | 5.0 |
| 1961-62 | 2,821,881 | 2,338,469 | 82.9 | 302,163 | 10.7 | 181,249 | 6.4 |
| 1962-63 | 2,654,529 | 2,248,417 | 84.7 | 294,240 | 11.1 | 111,872 | 4.2 |
Page 9
HARLAN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
ASSESSED VALUATIONS
| Fiscal Year | Property & Franchise | Bank Shares | Fiscal Year | Property & Franchise | Bank Shares |
| 1948-49 | $17,500,000 | $ 29,315 | 1956-57 | $24,824,888 | $134,535 |
| 1949-50 | 24,000,000 | 90,950 | 1957-58 | 25,020,000 | 134,535 |
| 1950-51 | 24,357,270 | 99,225 | 1958-59 | 24,020,000 | 132,815 |
| 1951-52 | 25,140,000 | 100,000 | 1959-60 | 23,369,823 | 159,635 |
| 1952-53 | 25,000,708 | 99,227 | 1960-61 | 23,122,317 | 159,635 |
| 1953-54 | 25,574,670 | 99,315 | 1961-62 | 22,869,823 | 159,635 |
| 1954-55 | 27,114,208 | 114,375 | 1962-63 | 23,365,451 | 236,070 |
| 1955-56 | 25,460,860 | 127,860 | 1963-64 | 20,942,184 | 230,610 |
Under the “Minimum Foundation Law”, the various School Districts in Kentucky receive from the state, $600 per class room unit each fiscal year which must be used by the School District only for capital outlay or school construction purposes. The first charge against the “Capital Outlay Fund” is the payment of principal and interest on outstanding school building revenue bonds. “Capital Outlay Fund” receipts by the Harlan County Schools has been as follows:
| Fiscal Years | Fiscal Years | ||
| 1956-57 | $202,480.00 | 1960-61 | $291,600.00 |
| 1957-58 | 206,520.00 | 1961-62 | 282,780.00 |
| 1958-59 | 206,240.00 | 1962-63 | 268,620.00 |
| 1959-60 | 207,120.00 |
This would indicate that all bonds, including the proposed issue, can be retired from the “Capital Outlay Fund” and leave a balance for additional school construction purposes.
STATE APPROVAL
Under the terms of the Kentucky Revised Statutes and the regulations of the State Department of Education, every School District is required to submit to the Superintendent of Public Instruction an annual budget covering all requirements, including debt service payments, and no such budget shall become effective until approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. It is further required that the financial soundness of the plan for any bond issue must be approved by the State Department of Education. In addition, before school construction can take place, the location of the school and final building plans must be approved by the State Department of Education.
Page 10
BONDED DEBT
Harlan County, Kentucky, School Building Revenue Bonds are now outstanding in the amount of $1,057,000. Since 1937, the date of the first issue, $2,085,000 of School Building Revenue Bonds have been sold. Of this amount $1,028,000 have been paid on, or prior, to their stated maturity date. There has never been a default or late payment on Harlan County School Building Revenue Bonds.
It is planned that approximately $1,200,000 Harlan County School Building Revenue Bonds, maturing over a period of 20 years from date of issue, will be sold early in 1964, the proceeds to be used to construct a 38-classroom comprehensive high school.
Lease rentals, to pay the principal and interest on the present outstanding indebtedness, is shown below by fiscal years. Also shown are estimates of the annual charges to service the $1,200,000 new bond issue and the combined total by fiscal years.
| Fiscal Year | Charges on Present Outstanding Bonds | Estimated Charges on New Issue |
Estimated Total All Issues |
| 1964-65 | $148,936.25 | $ 56,000.00 | $204,036.25 |
| 1965-66 | 137,065.00 | 60,787.50 | 197,852.50 |
| 1966-67 | 137,227.50 | 60,362.50 | 196,590.00 |
| 1967-68 | 134,307.50 | 59,937.50 | 194,245.00 |
| 1968-69 | 88,872.50 | 99,512.50 | 188,385.00 |
| 1969-70 | 73,332.50 | 97,387.50 | 170,720.00 |
| 1970-71 | 73,217.50 | 95,262.50 | 168,480.00 |
| 1971-72 | 71,935.00 | 93,137.50 | 165,072.50 |
| 1972-73 | 73,565.00 | 91,012.50 | 164,577.50 |
| 1973-74 | 75,002.50 | 88,887.50 | 163,890.00 |
| 1974-75 | 74,303.75 | 86,762.50 | 161,066.25 |
| 1975-76 | 73,481.25 | 84,637.50 | 158,118.75 |
| 1976-77 | 72,518.75 | 82,512.50 | 155,031.25 |
| 1977-78 | 22,992.50 | 130,387.50 | 153,380.00 |
| 1978-79 | 23,042.50 | 126,137.50 | 149,180.00 |
| 1979-80 | 23,045.00 | 121,887.50 | 144,932.50 |
| 1980-81 | 117,637.50 | 117,637.50 | |
| 1981-82 |
118,387.50 | 118,387.50 | |
| 1982-83 | 113,925.00 | 113,925.00 | |
| 1983-84 | 109,462.50 | 109,462.50 |
The highest annual or fiscal year charge on all bonds now out-standing and proposed is estimated as $204,936.25 in the 1964-65 fiscal year. The average annual estimated charge on all bonds, including the proposed issue for the 1964-65 1983-84 fiscal years, is estimated as $159,793.50. Following our policy of retiring school bonds as quickly as possible, we have planned a bond retirement schedule with the largest payments to be made in the next five or six fiscal years.
Page 11
HARLAN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Net Worth Statement
as of June 30, 1963
ASSETS:
School Buildings and Grounds………………… $4,123,410.40
School Furniture and Equipment……………… 158,261.73
Office Equipment……………………………………… 29,149.94
School Buses and Other Vehicles……………… 372,352.62
Cash in General Fund……………………………….. 14,527.27
Cash in Foundation Program Capital
Outlay Fund………………………………………….. 147.42
Accounts Receivable………………………………….. 29,865.29
Total Assets……………………………………………………………….. $4,727,714.67
LIABILITIES:
Revenue Bonds Outstanding.……………………… $1,116,000.00
Claims Outstanding……………………………………… 11,279.47
Total Liabilities……………………………………………………………. 1,127,279.47
NET WORTH……………………………………………………………………… $3,600,435.20
*
GALLERY: “Progress of the Harlan County Schools”
Images: Cover, [progress_harlan_co_schools_1963_001.jpg] through progress_harlan_co_schools_1963_011.jpg]
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