Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-06-24
PRINCIPALS REPORT.
Prof. Clarke discusses the Condition and Needs
OF the Lancaster Schools.

N~AA~NASNNf
To He School Boori Of District ~. 3.
Lancaster. His
GENTLENEN-I herewith present the
report Of the public schools OF this
district for the school year Of 1867.
The schools have. on the whole been
fairly prosperous They haze re-
ceived a generous support from the
community. No doubt there have
been some things open to criticism but
believe the teachers have generally
been faithful in the discharge Of their
duties and the pupils have usually
made reasonable progress It has
been especially pleasing to note the
harmonious relation between teachers
and pupils.
ATTENDANCE.
There have been enrolled in the
schools So1 boys, 2s8 girls, total $50.
The number Of days attendance OF
BOYS was 1884. girls 41.594. total
S4.54S, or an average daily attend
ance OF 481.7. The total enrolment
is II less while the average daily
attendance is about 20 more than in
the preceding year. The loss is more
than accounted for by the decreased
enrolment of young children in the
First Primary Departments. This IS
not to be regretted, for until we can
have a genuine kindergarten children
under ) years of age are better of out
of the school than in it. The in
creased daily attendance is an en-
couraging feature
FREE TEXTBOOKS.
At the last annual meeting small
appropriation was made to try the
, experiment of free or loaned text
books. After due consideration it
was decided to use the appropriation
to provide free textbooks for all pri-
mary grades and charge small rental
for books in other grades, as far as
the small amount. including whatever
might be obtained from rental would
procure them. One grade in the pri-
maries was already provided with
Readers from the previous year. With
this exception all books required in
these four rooms were furnished free.
The total enrolment in these rooms
was 262. the total expenditure for
books was S29.s5. These books are
in excellent condition and Judging
from the past year will certainly en-
dure for three or four years more. A
small outlay for supplementary Read
ters. which the district has furnished
for several years, and provision for
che grade above referred to will cover
the necessary expense OF textbooks
for these four rooms for the next year.
The remainder Of the appropriation
was devoted to the purchase of text
books for the high school pupils.
These were rented on the basis of one
dollar a year for Irregular textbooks
used by each pupil. One grade in the
First Grammar Departments was pro-
vided with Histories on basis of
eighty cents year The total sum
received for rental was S35.S8. Ow-
ing to the increased attendance in the
high school the classes were larger
than anticipated consequently the to-
tai expenditures slightly exceeded the
receipts from appropriation and rental.
The account shows receipts 1885. 50,
purchases s254.30. deficit 1882.
The experiment has not been on
trial a sufficient length Of time to
justify absolute conclusions as to its
value. But so far as my own obser-
vations extend l am more heartily in
favor OF the idea than at the opening
of the year. The care of the books
/, with rare exceptions has been quite
remarkable. | most earnestly hope
the district will authorize you to con-
tinue the purchases When the sys-
TEN is we'll established l think there
is no reason to doubt that it will be
entirely self-supportlng even at the
very low rates Of rental now fixed.
NONRESIDENT Pupils
The enrolment Of nonresident
( pupils has been 81 Of whom p were
ir the high school. The receipts
| from tuition should reach nearly $500
OF which about 1910 should be cred
tied to the high school. There is
!another feature Of this matter COM
monty overlooked. While expenses
of students are as low here As in any