The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-07-19
SPECIAL CIRCULAR.
Office OF superintendent OF Public
instruction.
TO SCHOOL OFFICERS
MADISON, July 5, 1877.

AS the time for the annual school
meeting approaches your attention is
earnestly invited to the provisions of
the school law relating to Textbooks.
The lack of uniformity Of books in
particular schools, the lack of a suffic-
lent supply Of books at the beginning
of-and not unfrequently with a few
pupils( thr0ughout-the term. and the
high prices of books, have been we'll
| known and just causes of complaint
with managers and patrons of the
schools. These eUiZS can be at once re :
n2oUe0 from e0e2,g district an the State
| by the intelligent and combined action
Of officers and people, u9oder the eUiSt-
ing l0a0S Without such action they
can be removed under no law that may
be enacted.
OFFICIAL ADOPTION OF BOOKS.
Section 53,Chapter 1856, of the School
Code, makes it the dutg Of the District
Board of each district to select and
adopt the textbooks that shall be used
in the several branches taught in the
schools Of such district for period
.of at least three years This law is
not merely permissory. Under it it is
the plain duty Of each Board to secure
and preSeTUe continuous uniformity Of
books j12 the school.
In case no formal adoption of a list
of books has yet been made in your
district, [ urge prompt action now, to
the end that knowledge Of the legally
selected books may be made the basis
of the uniformity SO important to the
school, and may prevent unauthorized
and frequent changes, at once eXpen-
SiVe 10 patrons and source OF weak
ness to the teachers work.
DISTRICT PURCHASE OF TEXTBOOKS.
l also call particular attention to the
law authorizing district purchase Of
Textbooks, as follows:
."CHAPTER 315, GENERAL LAWS OF 1875.
SECTION /. The qualified electors
of any school district or Of any town
in which the township system Of
school government has been adopted,
may, by legal vote, and the board Of
aldermen OF board of trustees Of any
city or incorporated village may, by
ordinance OF resolution, authorize the
school board or board Of school direc-
tors of such district, town or incorpor-
ated city or village, to purchase text
books for use in the public schools,
said textbooks to be the property of
the district, town, village or city so
purchasing, and to be loaned to pupils
CT otherwise furnished to them under
such conditions AID regulations as the
aforesaid school authorities may pre-
SCRIBE"
Under this law the electors of q
district or the governing board Of q
village or city may authorize the
School Board to purchase all the text
books needed in the schools, and, as
the property of the district, town, vii
lage or city, to loan free, rent, or sell
the same at cost, to the pupils therein,
Tie advantages of district purchase,
under this law, are as follows:
a. Books can be purchased by
school boards, in any desired quantity,
| first or subsequent supplies, directly
from the publishers, Or their agents in
milwaukee, or Chicago, at O SaD511g Of
nearly or quite one-haH the recent re-
t0tlprjceS Chose Of last year)*
a. The books are in the district
ready for the pupils at the beginning
of each term, and much valuable time
! is saved in the organization and work
! ing of classes.
(39 When the authority that selects
the books also purchases them, the
whole matter Of books is under easy
and full control. Uniformity is the
sure result. All pupils know where to
obtain and what to obtain. Unauth0r-
, lied introductions by the teachers be-
come impossible.
FREE TEXTBOOKS.
If district purchase be supplemented
! by the plan of free loan Of the books
to the pupils, under continued district
ownership, | am convinced that the
most satisfactory of all results will be
secured. In addition to the advantages
above mentioned, the schools are made
thoroughly free, attendance is inyaria-
Ibly increased, poor children are fully
Isupphed with needed books without
feeling that they are objects Of charity,
q full supply of books at the opening
of each term is provided, uniformity
to the fullest extent is sure, the books
i (being covered and labeled as district
property, and under the control Of the
teaCher) are much better cared for,
last longer and hence cost less in the
aggregate.
OF the 267 districts in Wisconsin re-
ported to this Office last year as pur-
chasing textbooks under the above law,
1877 loaned the books free. Among
these have yet to lear Of the first
case OF dissatisfaction, while since the
last annual reports many other dis
tricts in all parts Of the State have
followed their example.
The city OF Watertown, after careful
investigation by the Board of Educa-
ton and the Common Council, recently
adopted the Free Textbook plan by
unanimous action Of both bodies, and
books and stationary are now furnish