I have read some interesting research on education in the twenties and thirties. Basically, more schools were built during the prosperity of the twenties. Educational movements were progressive and experimental. There was Dewey to conend with. He felt that children should experience their educational. During the thirties, times were tough. Those beautiful grand schools were mostly empty, and people were so desperate for jobs that there were higher quality teachers. Or so I have read.

Something that might be considered as well is when schools became bigger, sometimes their focus changed. With increased industrialization of America, the purpose of many schools became to produce students who were cabable and skilled to become factory workers. The schools were business and educating competent workers was the product.

In the early 20's there was a record number of schools. It was the era of the one room school house. Towards the end of the decade consolidation was the norm and many of the one room school houses were replaced with larger consolidated schools.

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