The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-11-09
THE SCHOOL BOARD.
Increased EnrollmentS JUST
fieS Additional Teachers.
Superintendent KenastOn's Report for
October Shows Large Increase in
The Number of Pupils Over Year
Ago-Union Building Unhealthy.

The board of education held its
regular monthly meeting at the
High school building last eve
ming. Members Fletcher, Chris
Jensen, Davis, Larkin, Coughlin
and Secretary Brewster, were present
In the absence of President Will
liams, Vice-President Fletcher took
the chair. The proceedings of the
October meeting were read and
adopted.
Superintendent Kenaston read his
monthly report of the school attend
ance for October, as follows:
High school building, 299 Union building,
| 293; Pleasant Grove, $50; Franklin, 324; West
| Mankato, 206; East Mankato, 3S; total enroll
| ment in city schools for October, 1,540; same
| month last year. J, 4O9.
Principal Searles of the High school
stated the High school needed more
help. He had not time, he said, TODD
ustice to the laboratory work owing
to the fact that more important duties
kept him in the High school. The
work is piled up in places, and means
should be adopted ''to diminish the
pile"
Secretary Brewster asked Mr..
Searles what remedy he proposed.
The principal advised that the
laboratory be cut out entirely. 1t was
unemployed about half the time, and
if it is not constantly in charge of a
competent teacher the pupils go in
and destroy the apparatus.
E.J. Davis visited the schools yester-
day on tour of inspection and called
at the fifth and sixth grades of the
Union building under Miss Sweet.
He said that he would never
allow one of his children to
attend school where there
were so many pupils to so small
a number of cubic feet of air, and he
favored immediate action on division
of the grades.
II. r. Coughlin favored division of
the schools, but wanted to hear from
the superintendent.
Mr.. Kenaston wanted the grades in
question combined. The ACCESSIBILITY
of increasing the corps of teachers in
the city schools to keep pace with the
increased enrolment of outside pupils
having been raised, the superintend-
ent said he was heartily in favor of
allowing country children to attend.
They are the hardest workers. The
presence of these scholars creates a
respect for honest labor, and their in
fiuence generally was productive of
much good.
II. christensen advised the addi-
tiOn of two extra teachers, one for
the Union building and one for East
Mankato.
L. g. M. Fletcher fought the
scheme from the start. He said we
already had trouble enough to edu-
cate our own children, to say nothing
about importing them into the city
schools to the disadvantage of those
most deserving OF our attention.
Neither would he sanction taking
pupils from the high school building
and sending them to the outskirts, as
had been proposed, to allow country
children to occupy the seats.
The passing of the following reso-
luton by unanimous vote ended the
discussions:
RESOLVED, That the fifth and sixth
grades in the Union building be di-
vided, and a fifth and sixth grade
room be established.
T. r. Coughlin made a motion that
the fifth grade be moved into the
annex of the Union building. 1t was
passed with but little discussion. This
left two rooms with but one teacher.
Superintendent Kenaston reported