Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-02-18

.oousneo, ana sh0 has hardly had q
better school since. Topeka was settled
next summer a school was ouened by Miss
Sarah Harland. and the Topeka Academy
was established January 9, 1856 What hap
pened In these two places was repeated in one
form or another in every town and hamlet in
the territory. These were all voluntary
movements, as there were as yet no provis-
ions of law to aid in the matter. But these
40. .1cai ana voluntary movements sprang from
the same popular convictions which after
wards created our splendid school system,
and were prophetic of what was coming. As
soon, and as fast as possible, even in terri
tor1al days, provision was made by law for
public education. But although schools
were everywhere, and interest was universal,
1t could not be said that Kansas had system,
OF pubic schools until after her admission
into the Union.
The Wyandotte constitution, under which
the state was admitted twenty-five years ago
to-day provides that the legislature shall es-
tablish "a uniform system of common
schools, and schools of higher grade, en-
bracing normal, preparatory, collegiate and
university department"
In accordance with this constitutional
provision the legislature has at different
times passed laws looking to the develop
ment OF q complete system of schools, and
these laws have been carried out by s. hool
officials, elected under them. These laws
provide for state superintendent of public
instruction, who shall supervise the schools
IF the state, and for county superintendent.
who shall supervise the schools of the county.
The state has been divided into school dis
tricts, small enough to make a school access
ible to all the children, yet not so small as to
make the maintenance of q school burden
some.
Every district is encouraged to sustain q
school at least three months in the year. and
every parent is required by law to send his
children to school at least three months each
year. Cities and larger towns are authorized
to establish graded schools, including prim-
airy, grammar and high school departing nts.
Every child who wishes, may secure, not only
the rudiments of learning, but good Eng
llsh and business education, and also pre-
pare for further study in higher institutions
of learning.
Beyond the common schools, there have
been established schools of a higher grade
and for special study.
At Emporia is the normal school, fol-
training teachers in the art of teaching. II
was founded by a grant of nearly 10000
acres of land which is being sold to establish
fund for its support. 1t employs eleven
professors and two assistants, and has an at
tendance of 597 students, making it the
largest school in the state. 1t has a small
endowment, but a grand and growing work
and it is to be hoped that the legislature will
hereafter supplement its endowment by ap-
preparations equal to its opportunity.
At Manhattan is the State Agricultural
college, for instruction in agriculture and
the industrial arts. 1t is based upon con-
gressional grant of $1,000 acres of land. The
sale of these lands has been admirably man.
aged, and has produced permanent
fund of about half a million of dollars. The
college is doing grand service in elevatine
the industries of the state. 1t now employs
twelve instructors and assistants. and seven
superintendents of different branches of in
dustry, and gives instruction to about 35C
students.
At Lawrence is the State University. de.
signed to give to all citizens the opportunity
for professional study, and for the pursuit of
all branches of higher learning. 1t employs
some twenty instructors and assistants, and
ut the last report had an attendance
800 students. 1t is hoped that here h
equipped university may be developed, with
schools of literature and art, of philosophy
and science, and schools for professional
study. 1t is hoped also to gather here
libraries and cabinets, and museums
and galleries of art, and to estab-
lish learned professorships and lectures
so that persons desiring to pursue any branch
of learning may here find facilities to any
extent desired. The university has the be.
ginnings of noble system OF buildings, and
a very enthusiastic and industrious faculty.
It has very small endowment in money
and lands, but an unlimited endowment In
the growing confidence and affection OF the
people. The maintenance of the common
schools is both state and local. The act of
congress admitting the state set apart the
sixteenth and thirty sixth sections of each
township for school purposes. This will az
yregate nearly 1900, 900 acres of land and Su-
perintendent Speer estimated four years ago
that it could be made to yield a permanent
school fund of Sl5, 0OO. 600 and might yield
even so, 100000 Ehe fund already amounts
to $3,5O0,OO0 and is increasing rapidly.
This fund is invested in good securities and
the interest apportioned among the districts.
But the main dependence of one public
school is the local tax, which districts I'M
pose upon themselves, while the public
moneys distributed annually are only about
100000, the cost of maintaining our schools
is over $3,OOO,OOO. If the state school fund
should reach the highest sum suggested, it
would give our schools only very meagre
and partial support. The tax now assumed
by districts is ten-fold the amount given by
the state. If the state aid should be with
held, very slight additional tax would sup
ply the deficiency. The schools of state
do no depend on its public
5ChOOl 1unQ, Dut on the interest OF
the people in them. One state
with no public fund may have better schools
than another state with an enormous fund.
A large fund is no substitute for an in
terested people. The largest fund ever
named is no match for people whose love
for education makes them willing to tax
themselves for its support.
The hearts of the people are larger and
surer dependence than the state treasury,
however full that may be.
We have but to look over Kansas to see
her school houses built by self imposed
tax, and her troups of teachers paid by a
self imposed assessment, to see that We
have the most enduring foundation for an
effective system of public schools.
The growth of our public schools
has so exactly kept step with
the growth of the state, as to show
that they are part of its very life-bone of
its bone, flesh of its flesh. The reports of the
first two or three years of the state history
we're so incomplete that they afford no fair
basis of comparison. But we may take the
report of 1866 and measure the growth of the
last twenty years with good degree of ac-
curacy. The last report of the superintend-
ent of public instruction was for 1884. so the
figures for the present time can only be ap-
proximated, but they will be near enough to
the actual figures for all practical purposes.
In 1866 the school population of the state
was I,12 1t is now 46l 600: The number