River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-12-25
Wisconsin Public Schools.


According 10 slate Supt. Thayer' s
annual report. the number of children
between the ages of 4 and 20, at the
last census. was 500. 1855. and between
the ages of I and IA, 294.950. There
are in the state GAG school houses,
with a seating capacity of All 1858.
The number of teachers employed in
public schools is 1907. of whom only
2,3Ss are males. The average month
~ wages of male teachers outside tho
large cities is 1880; of female teach
ers, 500.
There were paid out as educational
expenses the following amounts: For
building and repairing. $475, $50 2s;
for apparatus, $3.50, 1888; for old in
debtedness, $40, l27.4s; for teachers
wages, 81, 493, OOl.75; for other pur-
poses, $685., 9l5.69-a total of So, $780,
1883.
The cost per child the past year,
based upon the enrolment of those
between the ages of and 20. was as
follows: In the large cities, STAT;
outside the large cities, Sl0.05.
The Normal schools in 1890 cost
Sill, 14l.67. The State University
cost Sl74. 36l.S6. The grand total of
the cost of education in all public in
stitutions of learning in the state was
"a, 25S. 1881.
The ner cent. of the whole number
of children in the state between the
ages of aud 20, who were enrolled in
the public schools, was SOL. The per
cent. of those between the ages of Z
and IA years Bennett law age) who
attended the public school twelve
weeks or more was increased from
1919 in 1883 to 1913 in 1890; and the
per cent. of those of the same age who
attended private schools was increased
from Ills in 1888 to l3 in 1889.
Supt. Thayer says there are many
district. schools where the English
language is imperfectly taught. The
low salaries paid county superintend-
ents, he says. leads many of them to
resign. Speaking of the Superior
courts decision in the Bible case, he
refers to other practices, not decided
in that case, as follows:
l. Giving sectarian instruction in
schools by requiring reel tations in a
Catechism, by the use of certain re-
ligiOus exercises prescribed by tie
church. of which the teacher is a com-
municant, and by the use of text
books, UNCONVENTIONAL in char acter
and designed for use in parochial
schools.
2. The employment of teachers be-
longing to a religious sect which re-
quires and prescribes dress or garb
significant of their membership there
in and conservation thereto.
3. The leasing of private or paro-
chial school buildings, owned or con-
trolled by religious sects, for the use
of the public schools, thus requiring
all children of the district, ana some.
times of two or more districts to at
tend school taught by persons practi-
cally designated by religious bodies,
in buildings consecrated to religious
uses. Py this subtle means the dis
trict is required to contribute to the
support of such buildings and to the
maintenance of schools primarily es-
tablished to give sectarian or religious
instruction.
Another, but rather more indefinite
complaint, relates to the practice of
turning over all revenues from taxa
ton and other public school funds to
church or parochial authorities to be
used by them in maintaining their
schools with results exceedingly Diet.
rimental to the interests and effective
ness of the public school and general
education.
The proper remedy in these cases,
since the state superintendent is pow
erless to do otherwise than advise, is
to petition court having competent
jurisdiction for writ of mandamus
prohibiting the use of the schools in
this manner.