Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-02-06
{ the last report had an attendance

at the last report hdQ an attenoanC0
ECO students. It is hoped that here
equipped university may be developed, with
schools of literature and art, Of philosophy
and science, and schools for professional
study. It is hoped also to gather here
libraries and cabinets, and museums
and galleries of art, and to estab-
fish 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
very enthusiastic and industrious faculty.
1t has very small endowment In money
snd 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 ag-
yregate nearly 5000, 900 acres of land, and Su-
perintendent Speer estimated four years ago
that it could be made to yield permanent
school fund of $15, COO, 600 and might yield
even 100000 600. The fund already amounts
to $780, 600, 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
S3OO, 900, the cost of maintaining our schools
is over $3,000,OO0. 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
10 no depend on its public
school fund, but 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.-
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 CT 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
were 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 a 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 ali practical purposes.
In 1866 the school population of the state
was SIZES. 1t is now 4G1, GOO. The number
of children enrolled in the schools then was
81 ,52S. The number now is about 325,
OoO. The number of ~. teachers
number now is nearly 5000.
The number of school houses was not re-
ported that year, but in 1867 it was 703. The
number now is about 1880. The amount
paid then for teachers salaries was $115, 1874
The amount now paid is about S2,00O,OOO
The value Of school property was then 1913,
897. The value now is over Sc, OO0, eco. The
whole amount expended for public schools
in 1866, was $$25533,ee .G. The amount being ex-
pended this year will be about 81 100000.
The school population has increased about
eight and {, half fold, from 54,OO0 to 4G1, 900,
indicating a growth in population from
about 161 900 to about 100000. In nearly
every other respect the schools have increased
over ten fold.
But numbers 90 not wholly measure
growth. There has been Improvement il
quality as we'll as enlargement in quantity.
We have bettev school houses. higher grade
of teachers, and higher mode;
of teaching. Every new town takes pride in
making its school house the best building in
the place. The support of the schools is a
heavy tax, but no tax is mere willingly
b,'rne The local demagogue who turns his
cry of economy towards the cheapening of
the public schools is usually allowed the
privilege of resting on the shelf, where the
people quietly lay him. They will allow NO
one to lay rude hands on the public schools.
Our school system lacks much of
being perfected but it has in it
the life which will make it grow.
1t IS the settled policy of the state to plant
the common school, not in few favored
spots, but wherever there are children that
need it. "a school for every child, and every
child IN school," is the motto of our progress,
and the end towards which we move,