Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-01-21

favor of free textbooks Those who
have made the experime- claim that i.
has proved more ecol .ical as far as
cost OF books is concerned, that it ea-
pedites the work of form ny classes at
| the beginning OF terms. and hence saves
much valuable time, that il increases
! .ae at-cndance and facilitates u closer
classification OF the school. 1t seems to
be the true way of supplying booIs in a
system of free schools.
| The object OF this circular is to call
the attention of all those interested to tn .
steps necessary to attain the desired end.
A petition signed by not less than one
third OF the legal voters OF the district
must be filed with the secretary at least
| thirty days before the annual meeting.
This year, 1897, this petition must be
| filed not later than Saturday, February
/; 6. The petition should ask the board to
submit to the voters OF the district the
question of providing free textbooks to
the pupils of the public schools and
notice OF such proposition mus. be given
III the call for the annual meeting. If
the board are satisfied that the petition
| contains the names of one-third the
legal voters residing in the district the
board must submit the question in the
manner provided. The voting must be
by ballot and if a majority of the ballots
casts favors the proposition then the
board must secure the books and loan
them to the pupils as provided by law.
In order that there ma be NO vexations
disputes or doubts even all these steps
should be carefully observed
1t is proper to say that the independ-
emit district which includes Capital Park,
a portion of the city OF Des Moines, has
had free text books for five years. Su-
perintendent Callison in ais report gives
his experience as follows:
l. Pupils are alwas supplied with
books and consequently are always ready
for work; no time is wasted for parents
to buy the necessary books. Under the
old system te first week Of every term
was practically wasted.
2. The attendance is much larger
under this system. Many families are
too poor to bay books at the call of the
teacher and they are too proud to accept
charity books. 1t is believed that free
books in the high school will greatly in
crease the enrolment.
3. 1t facilitates better grading of
the school. A pupil may be changed
from one grade to another or from one
room to another without making call
on the parents for new books.
A. The pupils take better care of the
books than when they own them them
selves. During the time the books are
used they practically belong to the
teachers and they are in position to
demand that the pupils use their books
with care.
s. Free books are a great financial
saving to the district.
The provisions OF chapter 81 are gen
eral in their application. If free text
books are voted in district under
county uniformity the board will be re-
CURED to purchase from the county
board of education the books needed.
Ii free textbooks are voted at the an
uual meeting it will be possible for the
board at its regular meeting on the fol-
lowing Monday to take such steps as
may be necessary to carry out the ex-
pressed wishes of the voters, and such
purchase will be paid out of the con-
tingent fund of the district. 1t will also
be desirable for the board to adopt the
necessary regulations for the keeping
and preservation OF the books, for upon
this point, the proper care and protec-
ton of the books, much Of the success of
the new system will depend, and much
of the responsibility in this respect will
belong with the board, who should hold
teachers and pupils to a strict account
ability IN order to secure to the district
all the benefits intended by the law.