The above tables show that in 1927 Ashe County spent about 85 per cent of her school funds for instructional services, as compared with 76 per cent for the entire state. Although the expenditures of the county for instructional services were 9 per cent greater than for the state, still in the per capita its cost of instruction Ashe County ranked 99, in comparison with the other counties of the state. The per capita cost of instruction in Ashe County for 1925-26 was $14.54, as compared with $26.54 for the whole state.

Although the total disbursements for education in Ashe were 125 per cent more in 1927 than in 1920, still the county ranked 98 in total school expenditures, as compared with the other counties of the state, The par capita school expenditure for Ashe in 1927 was $19.13, as compared with the state average of $39.63.

The value of school property increased $199,850 or 369 per cent during the period from 1919 to 1927. This is a significant increase, but in comparison with the 582 per cent increase in the value of the school property for the state during the same period, shows up rather poorly. The State School Facts, published at Raleigh shows that in 1928 Ashe County ranked 99, in comparison with the other counties of the state as to the value of school property.

In 1925-26 Ashe County ranked 98 among the counties of the state in the number of one room schools-thirty-two such schools having bean reported in the county for that year. About 58 per cent of the pupils enrolled in the public schools of Ashe in 1925-26 were found in one and two teacher schools. When we consider the inefficiency of the instruction in these types of schools, together with the short school term, which in no case exceeds the minimum length fixed by the state, the disadvantage at which these children are placed is apparent. The average length of tape school term for the white children was only four days longer in 1927 than it was in 1921, the term that year being 124 days. The colored. children attended school 120 days in 1927 which was fifty-five days longer than they attended in 1921, still in no instance does the term in these colored schools exceed the constitutional six months’ term.

As stated elsewhere in this chapter little has been done in the way of consolidating the schools of this county. o statement, however, as to the growth of transportation o: pupils will indicate the tendency toward a more effective consolidation program. In 1922-23 only one wagon was used in the transportation of pupils but in 1925 there were five wagons and three motor trucks transporting pupils to four schools; in 1927 the county had a fleet of eleven trucks which made an average of sixty-six miles a day, transporting 387 pupils to five schools. Most of the pupils in the one, two, and three room schools walk, many walking two miles or more.

In 1927 the bonded indebtedness of the county was $1,445,000. None of the proceeds of these bonds was spent for school purposes. The total school indebtedness of the county in 1927 was only $9,000, or six-tenths of one per cent of the entire indebtedness of the county. The bulk of the resources from these bonds was spent for road construction, although a large part of the roads are still untouched, and during the winter era frequently are impassable. The heavy taxes incurred by these bonds, and the apparent lack of wisdom with which their proceeds wars spent, have made the people antagonistic toward the issuing of bonds or increasing the tax rate for the purpose of any form of public improvement. The County Commissioners have adopted a very conservative policy, which makes it difficult to execute a creditable school building program.

The following tables show the development of the county in the field of education during the period covered by this chapter.