The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-09-20
RACES ANNUAL.
Condition of Redwood County
Schools for 1893--'94.

Condition of Redwood County
Schools for 1893--'94.
Supt. Race has made his annual re-
port to State Supt. Pendergast. In
the interesting report he gives some
valuable pointers, as follows:
We have added four new districts to
the number reported last year, making
SO districts in all. The new school
houses built have all been good, COM
Portable houses. They have higher
ceilings, larger windows placed nearer
or to the ceilings, more oommodious
closets, places for wood and coal and
several other little conveniences of
modern civilization. We have all
striven for better sanitary conditions
for the pupils. Roomy buildings come
slowly. l cannot report fayorably on
school house grounds. Several of our
enterprising, progressive teachers have
attempted to beautify and to plant
trees on the school grounds, but only
to find in the fall or spring their labor
has been in vain. The ruthless rub of
steer, or the drive of careless driv-
er, grounds unfenced and unprotected
has nearly, if not quite discouraged
our better teachers. Occasionally do
find little flower garden or vines
trained upwards by a school house
window-gua zealously day and
night by watchful boys and girls.
FREE TEXT BOOKS.
At the close of the school year of '93
and "a we had 46 districts using free
text books. With us it was an expert
ment. Previous to this there was no
district which had tried the plan.
There was much doubt in the minds
of our people as to it's utility, practica-
bility and general efficiency. It has
now disappeared. Next year nearly
all our districts will have adopted the
plan. We start this fall with 81 dis
tricts which have pledged themselves
to the system. Ofthis number all our
best schools are included in the free
text book plan. Our people are very
much in earnest on this question. AL
ready the general efficiency can be
seen. The books are in excellent con-
dition. The "sale at cost" is not in
general use among the districts which
have not adopted the free text plan. I
would recommend the amending of
the law by striking out that part of
the free text book clause, which pro-
vides for books to be sold at cost. Its
hindrance rather than help.
The Teachers Training School is re-
ferred to, after which Mr.. Race takes
up the school libraries as follows: Dur
ing the last year much of our energy
has been devoted to the free text book
work and summer school preparation.
The number of school libraries has
steadily increased until we now have
fifty districts fairly we'll equipped with
libraries. Many have added from year
to year until their reference stock is
good. The juvenile or elementary
works are not so we'll selected as they
might have been, but are nevertheless
helpful.
THE STATE ONE MILL TAX.
The scope of this law has been to
increase attendance and to lengthen
the number of months for each dis
trict. I cannot say how we'll the ap-
portionment has been kept separate
for teachers wages as designed by
law. The number of months average
from each school in this county last
year was seven. This year it is slight
ly increased, it being seven and one
fourth CD. We now have fourteen
districts which have nine months of
school during the year; twenty-five
that have eight months; thirty that
have seven, thirteen that have six
months; and six that have the mini
mum of five months. The law ought
to be amended so that the minimum
amount allowed by law should read
six instead of five. We have striven
for more efficient teaching, better
scholarship in the teaching force and
more interest in our schools as the
motive power for increasing the length
of the school. The annual report
shows that there we're enrolled 3.447
pupils in our schools. OF this number
between eight and sixteen years of
age there we're 2,218 boys and girls.
OF that number who attended the
necessary three months to comply
with the compulsory educational law,
there were 1888, or less than "a per
cent. This however, is an improvement
over the years of '92 and '93. The
question of enforcement receives but
little attention. I have endeavored
to interest the patrons of our schools
in the spportionment fund. In the
school year of '92 and '93 we had 1853
pupils enrolled. OF that number 781
pupils failed to attend the necessary
40 days. The school year of '93 and
'94 "a, with it's enrolment of 3,447 pupils
has shortage of but ga pupils. Still
the loss to the county will be nearly
$500.
TEACHERS WAGES AND CERTIFICATES.