The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-12-22
D-YEAR PROMOTIONS.
The System Practically Sustain
ed by the School Board.
However it Will be Suspended for this
Year, Except in Few Cases Where
the Pupil is Fully Prepared.

ucatiOn was held laSG evening W Coh
slider the matter of mid. year promotions,
and also such other matters as present
ed themselves. Supt. Uline made a
written report on the subject, which we
append in full, briefly explaining the
matter. After short discussion OF the
matter the board left the matter to the
school committee snd Supt. Uline with
power to act. This virtually puts the
matter into the hands of Supt. Uline to
exercise his own best Judgment as the
majority of the members OF the com
mittee announced that they favored
trusting to his Judgment and support
ing him in what he did.
In the absence of Secretary Brewster,
Mrs. B. D. Smith was chosen secretary
pro tenn. A few bills were allowed,
when President Davis read an invita-
ton from the secretary of the associated
school boards of the state for represen'
tatives of the Mankato board to attend
a meeting of the association in st. Paul
to be held on Dec. 27-2S next, Later in
the evening the school committee was
authorized to attend the meeting.
Oliver Olson rendered his resignation
as ianitor of the Pleasant Grove build
ing, to take effect Jan. LIST, and the
same was accepted by the board with
expressions of regret. President Davis
expressed the feelings of the board In a
handsome compliment to Mr., Olson for
the faithful manner in which he had
discharged his duties.
The board then proceeded to elect his
successor There were five applicants
for the place, and it took five ballots to
make a choice. w. II. Ward was IT,
nally chosen, receiving four votes, to
one each for K. G Sweet and l.. Rad
cliff.
The matter of closing the schools
with the Christmas exercises Friday
forenoon, or holding an afternoon ses
sion in the grades was left to the judg-
ment of Supt, Uline, who expressed
QlmS6lI DIS U6ll0NluSo OH oloOAANNA WV
sion would amount to little.
The property committee was author
lied to place Citizens telephones in the
Franklin and West Mankato buildings
as it was shown that it would save the
superintendent much time that is now
used in making trips there for matters
ao&+1oI iroo fnvU rn0mQn fS
over the line.
President Davis entered a protest
against obliging the superintendent to
do class room work. He thought it was
a matter of false economy. A teacher
who can do that work can be secured,
he said for half the salary paid the SUI
perintendent, and the latter ought to
be free to devote his entire time to the
supervision of the schools, and the
schools would be the gamer thereby.
He did not call this matter up for pres
emit considerations, he said, but that the
board might have it to think upoI.
Supt. Uline read the following report
regarding the question of mid.yea pro-
motions:
MANKATO, Mimi, Dec. 20, '99.
"To the Honorable Board of Educa-
ton: In the last regular report of the
SUPERINTENDENT the condition of our
schools was shown to be such, that
prompt attention and official action was
deemed necessary in order to prevent
what seemed to be growing state of
confusion in our system of promotion.
An extension of semi annual promotions
into the High school, toward which the
first step was taken year ago. threat
ened if successfully repeated, to involve
the board in such additional expense
for new teachers and increased accom-
modations as seemed more than com
mensurate with the advantages thereby
secured.
THE first question that confronted
me in the solution of the problem was:
Is it possible without asking for consid-
cradle increase in teaching force and
for the fitting up of additional recita-
ton and assembly rooms to proceed
further with the half year interval in
the High school? Such course would
mean in a very few years eight teachers
in the High school instead of five; and
for the necessary accommodations for
the increasing number of recitations
the High school building would soon
have to be used exclusively for High
school purposes, thereby necessitating
the erection of new central 9Th grade
building find on further study also,
that the half year interval in the High
school exists in only a few of our larger
cities, the great majority of better High
schools holding to the annual admission
plan 1t therefore seems not only wise
but absolutely necessary that mid-yeal
promotion into the High school shall
cease at once.
@ Uhicnester's Engiish Diamond Brand.
TMMvR0vAl PILLS