An appraisal of the Cannon County Board of Education

The Cannon County board of education had been operating as a fifteen-man board for twenty years when this study was begun. A Special act¹ of the Extra-ordinary Session of the General Assembly in 1929 made certain exceptions to the General Education Bill of 1925 in its application to counties the size of Cannon County. Among these exceptions were: an increase in the size of the board, from seven to fifteen members; a change in the method of selecting board members, from the county court to the qualified voters of the civil districts; and a shortened term of office, from seven to two years. These changes came about as result of certain political influences which controlled the county court and the election of board members. It was felt that a greater degree of local control would improve the political situation which existed in the schools of the county at the time.

This study was initiated for the purpose of examining the organization, practices, and policies of the present board of education and to evaluate them in the light of accepted trends and practices. If conditions are found to exist which apparently lessen the efficiency and effectiveness of the board in the discharge of its legal and discretionary duties, it is proposed to make the results known to the leaders of the county with recommendations for improvement.