Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-07-03
To School District Officers.

trfct No. for the year 1889, is $.......
By legislative enactment, the annual meeting
will this year be held on Thursday, July 25th,
at 2P.M. A director is to be elected in each
district and if during the year any one has
been appointed to fill vacancy, the person
appointed will hold Office only until his sue
cessor has been elected and qualified.
1t is essential that spirit of absolute fair
ness prevail in your election and your DELHI
erations generally. Considering the weighty
interests committed to your charge and the
evil results of a narrow and factious policy,
you can not afford to place these interests in
peril by any "sharp practice"
1 urge you to insist upon the immediate
qualification of your officers. Failure to quail
fly Is not so much the result of INTENTION as
1t is of negligence and simple carelessness,
and leads to an annual change in the majority
of your district board and to frequent change
in its policy.
The annual meeting will make a tar levy
not to exceed two per cent. of the taxable
property Of the district. and divide this levy
as they may think proper for a teachers fund
and a building fund. They may also vote a
tax, the rate depending on the valuation of
the district, for library purposes, page Al,
School Laws. Many districts will not feel
SnOAAoCANOS ouhc 10 make BuCD
levy. OF these nothing need be said unless to
express the hope that when they become
STRONG they will set an example, in this re-
speet to our present wealthy districts.
In all districts, as the beginning of the Ii
orary THAT is to be-" there might be placed a
set OF geographical maps-cost, about $l2 60,
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, and set
of physiological charts. These are ESSEN
TIALs.
In 1885 a law was passed in relation to coun-
ty uniformity of textbooks. Since then, a
number of counties have adopted such uni
formity and secured cheaper books. 1t makes
it possible for child to be taken from one
district to another without being compelled,
with every change, to buy new book.
1t would aid greatly, too, in grading our
schools therefore ask you to vote upon this
question. The vote should be by ballot, and
on each ballot should be written: "For Coun-
ty Uniformity" or Against County Uniform
ity." The law will be found on pages 20 and
30 of the edition of 1SS5-school house
wish to say, further, that the change from
the old to the adopted series, where it would
entail expense on our people, may be made
by Glasses as rapidly as they are advanced to
higher work, when they will need a different
book either of the old or adopted series.
Should the textbook board, in the event of
county uniformity having been adobted, sue
ceedin getting an EVEN exchange, it would
then be policy to make the exchange through
out the schools at once.
wish to call your attention to a system by
the Introduction of which, many of the bene-
Ats resulting from County Uniformity may
be obtained, and system that, even if County
Uniformity should prevail, it would be great
ly to the advantage of our schools to adopt:
THE FREE TEXT BOOK.
The plan has been tried by several of our
districts and to their satisfaction. TneStates
that have tried the plan of furnishing text
books to pupils free, the districts owning
them and permitting the use of them under
certain regulations, are well satisfied with this
method of supplying their schools with books.
The following are among the many advan-
tages:
l. The pupils are supplied with the books
when needed. When each patron supplies
his own books much time is lost through the
lack of the necessary books at the commence,
ment of the term and at times during the term.
2 1t largely increases the attendance.
3. 1t takes fewer books to educate COM
munity.
4. 1t leads to the general study of import
ant branches of learning that are otherwise
neglected for want of books, and
8. To the child whose parents are too poor
to send it to school, it makes our schools free
in fact as they are in nams.
Especially are these facts true OF writing
materials. The crude penmanship of our
boys and girls, the absence of writing classes
in many OF our schools, invariably accounted
for, and l believe correctly, by the want of
copy-books, pens. ink, ETC., the importance
of penmanship as q first step In education, de.
mand that We correct this, and there is but
one way here and at the present time, and
that 10 for the district board to furnish all
material; the teacher to be custodian during
the school term and at its close to make a re-
port to the district clerk and return to him all
materials In his possession.
District officers are only such, in legal
sense, when acting as a BOARD, and have no
power to make contracts or trancact business
| otherwise than as board. 1 ask you to in
sist on monthly board meetings, to be held at
| stated times.
contract for whatever purpose unless en-
tered into by the district board AS A DISTRICT
| BOARD is null and void" A little reflection
will convince you, think, that many of the
| ticipated, and resulting evils avoided by reg
ular board meetings.
1t would have an excellent effect upon the
| school If one or more members of the board
would visit 1t once month. and it would be
well for the board to adopt definite set of
rules for the regulation and government of
| your schools.
| matter of prime importance is the selec-
| Hon Nc
sons that are plain, can not always be evi,
dence of fitness to teach. The examining board
will use all possible care in protecting our
schools against immoral and incompetent
teachers. Hence 1 would recommend that
you not only examine the teachers certificate,
but that you also inquire into his character
and his success in teaching. In making these
| inquiries shall be glad to assist you in every
way can. If you determine to hire one who
is unknown TO you and to those on whose
| judgment you can rely, it would be best to
/ try him for a month before contracting for a
long term. If good teacher, one who knows
his skill, he viii not object; If poor one, you
do not want him.
Influenced by the success of year ago and
| the solicitation of teachers, we shall hold an
other six weeks normal. The value of good
normal. generally attended, is incalculabIe in
the general school work of our county
Insist upon full and satisfactory report
from your treasurer and clerk. The import
ance of this is too vital. to be sighted. If
the reports have not been made out. you can
! adjourn for week, after transacting all 9th.
er business, to consider the reports.
1t has been decided by Attorney General
heLoEg as Slso b. ex-Attoruey General Brad
ford that district boards have the anIberity
10 subscribe for from one to three copies
Of the Western school journal, the official or
gan of the State Department OF Public In
sfruction
The Journal contains the decisions of the
State superintendent, OF the Attorney Gener-
al OF the district courts throughout the srate