Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1889-02-28
TEACHING THE YOUNG IDEA

Dakota Second to None in her Edu-=
cationul Facilities---A Good Edu-
cation for all to be had here.
One of the most important things to-
be considered by man who is thinking
of moving his family to new country,
is the facility for educating his children.
No doubt many in the eastern states
have been deferred from settling in OAK
ota by their fear that a newly settled
territory would not offer the educational
advantages which they would desire, and
they may have consequently turned
aside to the less desirable regions OF
Kansas and Nebraska. This is unfortu-
nate as nothing can be further from the
fact. Dakota is shown by the report of
the board of education to be second to
none of the older states in the provisions
made for the education of the children,
from the common schools upwards to
the high schools, the colleges and the
university. The system of education has
been built on broad basis, and provis-
ion is made by the state to enable every
child, rlch or poor, to obtain thorough
education practically without expense.
With it's present population Of 64O,S23,
the average population to each school
honse is 156, and the average number Of
persons of school age per school house is
q. The value Of school property per
capita IN Dakota ls $14. Thirteen of the
states, only, make better showing.
The report shows that the entire
amount of money expended for education
in Dakota, for the year ending June 80,
1888, was $2,142,S9O.5O. This exceeds
the sum expended last year by over half
million dollars, the exact figures being
s57S,S1297. These figures do not include
the amount expended to sustain the pri-
vate schools of the territory, but repre-
sent the amount expended for free pub
lie education in Dakota. OF the entire
amount expended, 81, 2,S9O.5O, for edu-
cation, Sl,82O.O33.46 was expended for
the common rural and city schools, while
the balance of about S3OO,OOO was ex-
pended for the state institutions for high
er education.
This amount was all raised by direct
taxation, the 1,7l5,OO9 acres of school
lands which are valued at $12,912, $50 not
being available until next year, when the
territory becomes two states.
There are now in the territory 4,l24
organized schools and 4, ,102 school houses.
This is an average of AZ school houses for
every organized county in the territory,
and an average of three to every town
ship. The average value of the school
houses is $500. The whole number of
houses built during the year Is 266, a
number considerably smaller than for
previous years: but this decrease is due
to the fact that all organized counties
now have facilities about sufficient for
the present school population.
The superintendent submits this table:
Whole number of persons between
and 20 years of age. ..... 116,129
Increase during the past year. 1889
Whole number of pupils enrolled
in the schools. ............ H3,S26
Increase during the past year. 4,o76
Per cent of children of school age
attending ......... .....-. 81
Per cent OF daily attendance on
enrolIment 81
The average monthly wages paid male
teachers in 1885 was 1854, an increase
of 90 over 1887, and to females S32.S4.
an increase of S1.46. The whole amount
maid to teachers in 1888 was 1887. .11l.15.