Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-17
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
Some of the Points Which the Biennial Re-
port of the State Superintendent De-


port of the State Superintendent De-
velOps.
The twentieth report from the office of
the superintendent of public instruction,
being the first of biennial reports, has just
been received from the printer, Mr. j. K
Moore, of ST. Peter The document is so
long and, withal, abounds so much in sta
tistical and other condensed summaries
of facts, with presentations of ideas from
almost multitude of educators of the
State, that no abstract of it which
will comply with the daily
newspapers need of brevi-
tv, can give full justice to Superintendent
Burt's labori0us research and compilation.
Much must he left to those whose inter-
est in educational work will lead them to
consult the pamphlet report, while an at
tempt is made to extract what will most
interest the public generally.
The number of scholars in the State
schools not entitled to the apportion-
ment Of school funds, Aug 31st last, was
1896; number entitled to the apportion-
ment, IT, 42. March apportionment,
S66, 20S. 40. October apportionment, $751;
277.50. Districts-Common, 4, 165; indie
pendent, "a; special, %. School houses
Frame, 1852; brick, 15S; stone, 60; log,
504. Value of houses and sites, So, 1885,
30. Teachers-Male, 1874; ySfemale,
3,34. Average wages-Per month, male,
$35 30; female, $27.52 The increased en-
rOllment of 1880 over 1879 was S,303.
The increase of districts is 243, and the
increase of school houses, 377. Increase
in value of school houses, ST., 1S4. In
crease of male teachers, n; Of female
teachers, l31. Total paid for teachers
wages, 1880, 1898, 205; 1879, 1920, 121. The
total cost of schools for 1880, is placed at
81 ,32S ,42S.90, being an average of $7.37
to each scholar enrolled.
Several districts have been organized
under the law for independent school dis
tricts in villages of the State where popu-
lation is increasing and business. is hope
full. 1t has been the object of such orga-
niZation to secure higher studies and
more efficient management than are
possible under the law for common school
districts. In some instances cities of con-
siderable size with eight or ten teachers
and school buildings costing from fifteen
] to twenty thousand dollars, are still under
the general school law, when they ought
to secure legislation that will make them
special districts with the power to insti-
tute courses of study and supervision of a
high and thorough order.
The increase in common school districts
has been principally in new counties like
Polk and Big Stone, where the population
is rapidly increasing. 1t indicates pur-
pose to give education prominent place
in the very first efforts of the people at
civil and social organization.
On the line of the Manitoba road new
school houses have been erected at Nor
ris, Benson, Willmar and Litchfield
Some of them at a cost of more than
$4,000
On the line of the Hastings s. Dakota
road, Bird Island Granite Falls, Monte
video, Appleton and Ortonvillc are among
the villages that have lately erected new
and commodious school buildings, and
several such have been built on the
Winona & ST. Peter road. Albert Lea is
erecting spacious and substantial brick
edifice of this kind, to cost more than
$4,000.
TAX RECOMMENDATION.
While we rejoice in the excellence of
the schools in our principal cities, we
should remember that they are supported
by special taxes, the rate for which is low
compared with rural schools that aspire
to anything comparable with metropolitan
educational advantages. Minneapolis
| and st. Paul support their schools ON a
rate Of only three mills of special tax on
| dollar, while rural rates to secure SINH
lar terms would have to be not less than
eight or ten mills 1t is our imperative
duty to equaliZe to some extent these OK
penses for education with the rural
schools, enrolling nearly five
siXths Of our children We should change
our present one mill county school tax,
now returned on property, into a State
tax of at least mill on dollar, and dis
tribute it upon schools and their enroll
ment, as in New York, Indiana, and
many other States. Instead of 1000
petty districts with too few scholars and
too narrow basis of taxation in many
instances for efficient schools, we should
have larger districts with fewer schools
and more pupils, and more money for
each. But reforms of this kind must
| come from the people through their leg
iSlatOrS