The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-06
FEWER SCHOOL HOUSES.
Consolidation of Western School Dis
tr1cts Produce ODD Looking Figures

Consolidation of Western School Dis
trlcts Produce ODD Looking Figures
According to statistics which We're
completed last evening by Assistant
State superintendent Anis for the
forthcoming biennial report Of the state
superintendent, the wages for school
teachers for 1888 show a slight decrease
over those of last year The decrease
is greater in the wages of women teach
ers than in the wages of men, Men
teachers receive an average of $39. 03
per month, against s39.26 last year. Wo-
men teachers now receive S32. Oh per
month against $34. % a year ago.
The school population in the state has
increased only 699, while the attendance
at the public schools has increased
1850. Last year the school population
was 1875, $50; this year it is 495,949. Last
year the attendance was 367,690; this
year it is 37o,240.
The average length Of the school
terms has also decreased during the
past year. In 1897 it was two days
over % weeks. This year it is about
two days less than 25 weeks.
Notwithstanding the decrease in the
length of the school term and the sala-
ries of teachers there was s134, 999. 70
more expended for school purposes in
1898 than in 1897. The amount this year
was 81, 542, 445.70. Last year it was S4,-
407, 446.
Although there have been ITO school
houses built in the state during the
there were a year ago. Last year there
were 9,316; now there are only 9,18S.
Prof. Amis attributes the decrease to
the fact that a great many school dis
tricts were abolished by act of the last
legislature in the western part of the
state, and the buildings have been dis
posed of during the past year. AL
though the number of school houses is
less, the value of buildings and grounds
is greater than a year ago. Then their
value was $9,395,231; now it is $9,504,-
961.
The bonded Indebtedness of the school
districts of the state has been de-
creased $751; 32 during the year. one
fourth of the entire amount. Last
year it was $3.372, 1852; now it is $685.
12S.
one peculiar thing which the report
will show is the decrease in the number
of those attending the county Institutes.
In 1897 the enrolment at the institutes
was 1867. This year it was only
9,751, a decrease of nearly two thous-
and. Several causes contributed to
this result. One was that a. great many
of the young men who had been teach
ing Joined the army last spring as soon
as their schools closed. Others en-
couraged by the good crops of two years
ago quit teaching and went to farming.
It is noticeable fact that when crops
are good the number of school teachers
fall off. When there is a crop failure
young men have to do something to
make a living. and young women have
to help out their family exchequer, and
as a large proportion of the rising gen
Grafton in Kansas is well educated, the
first thing they turn to is school teach
ing.
In the matter of teachers wages in
different parts of the state the eastern
portion is, of course. far ahead of the
western. The county paying the high
est salaries is Wyandotte, which pays
an average of SIS. A per month to men
teachers, and $50,44 per month to wo-
men. Labette comes next to Wyan-
dotte, paying about $50 to men. and
Geary comes third, paying about S54.
Norton county. in the extreme south
western part of the state pays the least
for men, $265O but it also pays $297S
for women, while Grant, Stanton and
Cheyenne each pay but $25 to women
teachers. Shawnee county pays an av-
erage of $44 per month to men and $37
to women.