The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-01-25
SUPT. DIxON's ANNNUAb REPORT
Elk County's Educational Afrsirs.

Educational advancement In this
county during the year just closed has
been decidedly gratifying to its pat.
rons and friends. Teachers and di-
rectors have shown much earnestness
in the discharge of their duties, and
there was clearly manifested an init
mate cooperation between teacher and
parent.
sychobl Buildings. .=Ridgway erected
fine school house at Wilmarth, Ben
zinger,at Rathbun, and at Centfeville,
by Fox, was built beautiful and COM
modious structure for graded school
oftwo departments, and furnished the
rooms in a praiseworthy manner.
Three buildings were set apart for
school purposes in other parts of the
county, but were not entirely new
however, they were suitably arranged
and comfortable. The school build
ings throughout the county are excel
lent, with few exceptions, and a ma
jority of them are supplied with
patent desks. The grounds are suffi-
GENTLY ample.land are GENERALLY well
supplied with 6utbuildings, shade
trees, water, ard Id soihe of them
plants aia cultivated by scholars and
teachers. The brick school building
at st. Mary's was partitioned so as to
make four departments and two of the
rooms were furnished with approved
furniture:
Ne,G Buildings Needed.-There is q
pressing demand for n new school
house in BenSinger ample to accom-
modate about one hundred scholars.
The one now used, which is situated
in the borough of st. Mary's, is by far
too inadequate for the purpose, The
building used for the graded school in
Benezette is not properly arranged,
and as Benezette is growing village,
there ought to be t'@o-story school
house erected at that place.
At Medix Run, Benezette, new
school building is needed to take the
place of the one now in use, and at
Brandy Camp, Horton, Il similar
change ought to take place: Whistle
town, .Gardner and Laurel Mill, in
Ridgway, will soon need better school
houses, as the ones they how use are
very poor. Fox will s5on be called
| upon to build for the Mountain school,
private dwelling being now in use
for school purposes.
AppaFatttc.-Ab0ut twenty-five OF
| our schools are without necessary
school appafatus; Millstore has set
an example worthy of emulation by
the others. Her schools are well sup
piled with charts, maps, globes, &c.,
and textbooks are uniform.
Icrt BookS.-Our greatest drawback
is the want of properly graded series
of textbooks, but we expect soon tc
report different state bf affairs.
Schools. There are sixty-foui
schools in the c6uhty, and In them
are taught all the branches required
by law, and iii ,,iaii5 of them the
"higher branches" receive much at.
tention. There arc five graded schools
in the county; they are situated al
Benezette, st. Mary's, Centreville
Wilcox and Ridg&aJ. Otle more is
needed at Benzinger. A hindrance tc
our progress is the too frequent change
of teachers, ninety-siX having been
employed in the year to teach oul
siXty-four schools.
IedcherS.-We have more applicants
for schools than formerly; hence W.
are able to secure better teachers.
am gradually raising the standard anC
will soon be able to reject all those
whose attainments are not of II higl
order: One year ago there was not i,
teacher in the county who was a sub
scriber to the Pennsylvania ,Schoo
Journal, but there are now abou
thirty-five subscribers. There are only
about ten counties in the State tha
pay higher salaries, on the average
than Elk.
DirectorS.-Among the directors w
have many good, honest workers, ant
there are some who are lifeless ant
deserve burial!
District Hastitutes.-District insti
tutes were held in several townships
Eight educational meetings were held
together with three local institutes
The interest manifested was un
bounded, and the results We're highl,
satisfactory. The county fnstitut
was held at Wilcox, December 6, an
nearly every teacher was present. l
was indeed most gratifying success
The lecturer and instructors wer
Revs. VIM. Martin, VIM. Hoffman
Profs w. w. Woodruff, w. II. M'Col
lin, A. Grant Childs, w. S. M'Phel
ran, S; II! Brockb bank Hon. Jackso
S. Schultz Deputy State Superinter
dent Henry Houck and others. Th
directors day was largely ATTENDED
A Normal school is in operation {