The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-01-28

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YEAR. MALE. FEMALE
1849 $15,55 S 500
1856 22,10 1903
1850 2420 1880
1866 36,45 1924
1868 42,97 27,18
The number of school houses reported
in the State is 4,646. The city of Oshkosh
contains the highest valuation of any High
School building in the state, which with
the grounds is set down at $4,000. Berlin
comes next with house costing $25 900 /;
followed by Elkhorn with a house cost
ing $4,000; Lake Mills 10000; Green
Bay $4,000 Appleton $1,000. There
are twenty cities and villages in the State
having school houses valued at 10000
The total valuation of the school
houses in the stateis $2,573,393
The total expenditure for the support
of the schools ic the State including mon
ey's received from all sources is 1885,
$50. 80"
The Report speaks of our present sys-
tenn of County Superintendency as CIV
ing increased satisfaction, but regards it
susceptible of further improvement, by
changing the present method of compens-
ating the Superintendent.
The township system of Superintend-
ency, is strongly recommended, as design
ed to aid the County Superintendent, and
render our common school system more
efficient The reasons for the adoption of
the township system are given fully, and
probably areas compact a statement of the
case rs can be found. We therefore give
the argument of this portion of Report
nearly in full, so that the friends of Com
mon school may judge of its merits for
themselves.
L. Each parent should be permitted to
send his children to the school which best
accommodates them, and all the expense
trouble and ill-feeling consequent upon
the frequent changes in the boundaries of
districts would be avoided
2. School houses should be built when
and where they are needed.
3. Schools can be graded more easily un
der the township than under the separa e
district system.
| Better supervision of the schools
The county superintendent, though exer-
cising general supervision over all the
schools in his county, is entirely unable
to give, to each school, that personal at
tention necessary to obtain a complete
knowledge of its condition and wants; and
some of the most efficient superintendent
have felt the need of local officer, to CO.
operate with and aid them in effecting i'm
provements in the management OF the
schools. The secretary of the town will
be the proper person to have the immed-
late supervision of the schools; and will
have power, under the direction Of the
board, to grade and arrange them, suggest
and enforce rules for their management
and government, and advise with and as
sist the teacher in all cases in which adj
vice and assistance are needed. He should
be appointed by the board and he may be
one of their number, or not, so that the
best person to fill the place is selected.
We should thus secure all the advantages
of the town superintendent system, with
out losing any Of the benefits resulting
from the establishment of the county sup
erintendency.
5. Economy of administration. All the
expenses now incurred in organizing new
districts, and in changing the boundaries
of old ones, would be saved. There would
be less liability to waste of funds, and the
number of disbursing officers would be re-
duced from nearly 5000 to less than
800.
6. There would be an equality of priv
ileges in the different districts, as, the
schools being supported by general tax,
Justice would require that they be main
tanned an equal length OF time throughout
the town, and we should not see, as we
now do, SO great disparity in school
privileges in adjoining districts.
7. Employment OF Teachers. 1t be.
ing the special duty of the secretary OF
the town board to visit the schools, be-
!, come acquainted with their conditions and
wants, the capacity, tact and success OF
the teachers, he would be better qualified
to select the person suited to each school
than nine tenths of the district clerks I'M
der the present system possibly can be
thus better teachers would be employed
that is, teachers better adapted to theil
l positions-an they would not be changed
each term, as they now are, but would re
Il