Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-12-15
COST OF KANSAS SCHOOLS.
Interesting Figures Taken from the Report
of State superintendent strykor--
Teachers' Salaries IncreaaInR.


Topeka, Kan, Dec. 5.--Kansas paid
A,642, 1870 for the support of its com
mon schools in the school year which
ended last July. These figures have
just been compiled from the reports Of
county uperintendents to the state
superintendent of public instruction.
During the school year which ended In 1897
the schools cost a. 4Ol 49, or fl35 90 less than
was paid out in 1893 Yet there were ~ more
schools In the state In 1897 than In 1888 The
difference In the cost OF the schools Is prinoi-
pally In the salaries OF teachers, the tendency
being to Increase teachers salaries and
get better teachers In most OF the
counties There were employed dur
Ing the year In the common schools
$3.50 male teachers and 7l3I female
teachers Men teachers were paid salaries that
averaged 9aOS month, while women teachers
received S22 as average salary The average
age of persons who were granted certificates
in 1898 is % years. The number OF inexperi-
enced teachers who got certificates was 262l
As the report will show the number teaching
on state certificates this year is 222; number
teaching on first grade certificates 1898; on
second grades 1857; on third grades, 807l on
temporary certih 'ates 2il.
The average Length Of the school year for all
the schools in the state is a small fraction less
than % weeks, or more than six months. as
school months are counted four weeks to the
month. There are in the state 49, 0 persons
OF school age-between ana 81 years Of age
or this number 478 993 are white and 10 $50 ara
negroes. One year ago the total school popula-
ton Of the state was 495,2 $50, indicating q
very slight increase In school population
In the last year. An interesting fea-
ture is the fact that In extreme western
Kansas the school population is continually
falling or while the voting population Is, In
many Places increasing. IL is due to the fact
that families are moving out and stockmen
with their cowboys are taking their places
The total bonded indebtedness Of school dis
trlcts is shown to be So $50, 1913 decrease Of
nearly 5000 from last year. This record on
the decrease in the bonded indebtedness In the
state is featured In the report Mr. Stryker
mentioning it particularly In his introduction.
Superintendent Stryker makes many recon-
mendations to the Legislature In the forthcom-
ing report He declares for free textbooks
and school supplies He recommends, further,
that every child. In the state be given free tut
ton in county or city high school He also
recommends that the term Of office Of county
superintendent shall commence at the begin
ming OF the school year AS 1t is now,
superintendent who go out Of office are pre-
vented from getting q school because all
are taken The visitation Of schools as
required by law is divided ON election years so
that the best results are not obtained there
from. Finally Superintendent Stryller req
ommends that school meetings be held early in
March or April. This plan as 1t is followed in
the cities gives the teacher and the school an
opportunity of arranging early the work of the
coming season. The following Is the school
population of Kansas by counties: