Schools and Home Training
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Setting and Organization. The Amish have two types of schools-the elementary school, consisting of the first eight grades, and the vocational school. The latter, not held uniformly in all settlements, is on-the-job training that combines instruction and farm work for pupils who have completed the elementary grades but are not old enough to obtain a working permit. Amish schools are built and operated by the parents of a local church district or districts and not by a centralized organization.

Most school buildings consist of one or two classrooms, often with an entrance room, sometimes a bookroom, and newer schools may have a finished basement where the children play during inclement weather. In earlier times rural one-room schoolhouses were purchased from the state when they became available. They were remodeled extensively. The high ceilings were lowered to create to create a cozier, more homelike atmosphere. Today most school buildings are built by the Amish themselves. Building communities have their blueprints approved by state fire and health officials. The land for the building is often donated by an Amish farmer. The schoolhouse is well constructed, made of glazed tile, cinder block, brick facing, stucco, or aluminum siding. The Amish schools do not have electricity. They are built in such a way as to take full advantage of natural light. In certain communities schools have indoor lavatories, but in most areas outhouses are preferred. Many schools have old fashioned rope-pulled school bells. Inside, colorful drawings and charts made by the “scholars” may be found on the walls and windows. Every school yard has a ball field. A few have swings or seesaws. Sledding and ice skating are considered when a site is located for the school.

Most Amish pupils walk to school. In those settlements where distance is a problem, the Amish hire a school bus to transport their children. They are opposed to accepting transportation services or school subsidies from the government.

Elementary schools are administered by a school board. In most communities each school has its own board, but in some places several are administrated by a single board. Members are elected by the patrons or appointed by the church. A board consists of from three to six members, one whom serves as president. There is usually a clerk or secretary who keeps records and a treasurer. The treasurer collects the funds for the operation of the school, issues the teacher’s pay check, and is responsible for the bills. An attendance officer is responsible for seeing that for seeing that attendance records are forwarded to state officials, although in some schools the teacher performs this function. To the outsiders these slight variations and overlapping responsibilities may be confusing, but to the Amish such local diversities are respected. Where children from different Old Order affiliations (noncommuning churchs) attend one school, the members of each different affiliation may elect one board member.

The school board meets as a unit with the teacher, ideally once a month. These are open meetings, and parents and other church members are encouraged to attend. The school board is responsible to the patrons and the local school board hires and fires the teacher, pays the teacher’s salary, and keeps the building and playground into good condition. It must also set the tuition fee and asses the school tax. For patrons who cannot pay their share, the church may be asked to eliminate any debt at the end of the school year.

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