The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-07-08
JUDGES APPOINTED
School Board Prepares for
Election Day.
Supt. Varney Promises Radical Measures
10 Cut Down Hardness at the
High School.

The board of education held its
regular meeting last night, attended
by all of the members except Messrs,
Coughlan and KeVsor.
The following report was received
from Supt. Varney, who is in the
East:
The attendance during the past
year has been remarkably regular,
averaging for the whole city 96 per
cent, the Eighth grade, Pleasant
Grove and Franklin averaging 81 per
cent, high school 95 per cent, and
West Mankato "a per cent. There
have been during the year 1895 cases
of hardness, distributed as follows:
Eighth grade II, Pleasant Grove 140,
Union ll2, Franklin l02, West Man
kato ITO, and high school $50. This
last number presents serious ques.
tion. 1t is not due to distance, for If
that were true there would be more
hardness at the afternoon session.
whereas there were 3lS cases in the
morning and 231 at noon. Then
again the Eighth grade in this same
building, coming the same distances,
with an enrolment Of 81, had II
cases of hardness, and the nigh school
with ISL members has $50 cases Of
hardness. In all the schools, with
an enrolment of over 1000 different
pupils, 1895 cases of hardness, and
the high school, having Isl different
members, is responsible for over half
of the Hardness. l shall have re-
course to radical measures the com
ing year in dealing with this question,
for such q record is disgrace to our
public schools. Miss Kelley, of the
Union, and Misses Dougherty and
Parry, Of the Pleasant Grove, report
no hardness during the entire year.
Miss Dredge and Miss Lewis, of the
Pleasant Grove, report each three
cases, and Miss Kelley, of Franklin,
four cases.
The use of bicycles has become so
universal that nearly all public build
ings have made provision for their
storage. l have considered the ques-
tion of a bicycle rooD in our high
school building and think there is
no better.place than to make an en-
trance into the basement from Fifth
street. The large. unoccupied room
in the southeast corner is suitable for
this purpose, and the expense OF floor
and entrance would not be great.
Bicycles in the halls are dirty and un-
slightly and cause much confusion Of
lines at times of dismissal. hope
you will give this your consideration.
The walls throughout the high
school building need cleaning and
some little repairing.
The outside entrance to the base
ment used by the boys at Pleasant
Grove is most unfortunate. Children
when leaving the warm schoolrooms to
20 to the basement seldom put on
wraps and are thus unduly exposed. At
times of strong wind this exposed en-
trance is a serious drawback in pro-
perly heating the building. Snow
drifts in and causes trouble. The
]anitor and I have planned somewhat
for an inside stair. l think one can
be put in without change OF parti-
tions, possibly cloak room door
would be moved and one cloak room
shortened five feet.
The fence about the Franklin
ought to be removed.
The West Mankato grounds in their
present condition are unsightly, and
the soil should be covered with
good soil.
No action was taken on the recon-
mendations other than to place the
report on lille.
The printing of 500 copies Of the
rules and regulations and charter OF
the school district was awarded to
Grant & Bates at $3.50.
Mrs. Smith presented resolutions
commendatory Of the good work as
teachers of Allie Lewis and Lizzie
KeYsor.
The bills were allowed.
The following judges of election
were appointed:
First precinct-Q. Leonard, n.
Hillesheim, J. D. Duane.
Second precinct-L. n. Holmes,
Gaylord Lamb, Mrs. L. J. Showers.
Third precinct-Ivan Parry, A. M.
Smith, w. ]. Osborn.
Fourth precinct-W, 81. Glenn, A.
G. Barney, A. M. Morrison.
L. G. M. Fletcher called attention
to the weeds around the Franklin
school lot, but J. D. Duane, who has
been given partial oversight of the
grounds, replied that there are no
more beer bottles to be found there
or concerts heard.
The board adjourned until July
10Th. when it will canvass the vote of
the election.