The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-28
has been fulfilled, will briefly indi-
Education.

has been fulfilled, will briefly indi-
cate: . .*s% ]z*ts#ss s> *. s55. f. =.
!. @.=:. .&z Education.
{ The greatest achievement, In my
opinion, Of the Republican administra-
ton, has been the creation, building up
and conservation of the states perna-
nent school fund and the development
of our educational facilities made pos
sible thereby 2 -. - H--.. - '..~
To-day Minnesota has a permanent
school fund amounting to 1924 ,016.4s,
and a permanent university fund OF
81, 4C3, 070.14, all Of which is invested
either in United States bonds, the
bonds of other states, loaned to school
districts, towns, counties, cities and
villages in our own state, and In land
contracts. The school fund of Mime
sofa is the largest of any state in the
Union, and will ultimately reach $780,
100000. We have 5,766 school chill
dren in Minnesota, and, owing to the
existence of our magnificent school
fund, supplemented by the 1-mill gen.
eral school tax, there was distributed
by the state In aid of the public schools
for the year 1900, the sum Of $780,
1862, or 1898 per capita. That Is to
say, the state was in position to give
and did give the sum Of 1898 for each
one Of the 325.766 pupils.
During the past forty years the state
aid to the public schools derived from
investments of the permanent school
fund has amounted in the aggregate to
1908, 1858. In educational matters
Minnesota is the third state in the
nd iS h1yf "a
old and rich commemorative of Massa-
chusetts and New York.
Direct aid is given to each school in
addition to the aid given on the basis
of the school population. We have lib
received for the year 1900, the sum of
$4,000, or $S0,500 in the aggregate. Ovel
ITO graded schools received 5000 each
last year, equal to $4,000; the six nor
NAL departments of high schools re-
ceived $500 each, or $4,000 in all; our
100 semi-graded schools were given
$3.50 each, or $10;935.1O, and our $50 ru
raj schools were paid $4,000 each, or
$39.9960o in the aggregate. The total
amount of direct aid to the different
public schools for the year 1900 amount
ed to $156, 431.10.
In addition to this, the school dis
tricts can secure loans from the per-
manent school fund at the low rate of
interest .of 4 per cent, to aid them in
building their school houses and for
permanent school improvements. There
has thus been loaned to school districts
ST. ia, 0S4.93. At present an amount not
to exceed per cent of the real proper.
ty Of a school district can be borrowed
from the permanent school fund, but
the legislature of 1899 wisely provided
for an amendment to Section Of Arti-
Gle 8 Of the State Constitution, which,
If adopted by the voters next Novenn-
Der, will permit of the loaning of an
amount not to exceed Is per cent of
the assessed valuation Of the real prop
erty to a school district, and at the rate
Of per cent per annum. I sincerely
hope that that amendment will be
adopted. There is no reason why the
state should not loan it's permanent
school fund to it's own school districts,
towns, villages, cities and counties on
as easy terms as it loans to- other
states.
IaS Summer training schools for teachers
have been established, and have proved
very useful in providing valuable in
struction to teachers from all parts of
the state. I have not yet mentioned
our splen did state university among the
list Of our educational institutions. 1t
contains colleges of science, literature
and arts; college of engineering and
mechanic arts; an agricultural college;
| a school Of mines; a law college; a
college of medicine and surgery; a
oil nd If nor
macy.
The number Of students enrolled at
the university in 1898 was 1880, and the
present number is over $500.
In Winona, Mankato, st. Cloud and
Moorhead are located four stately nor
NAL schools that are the pride of their
several localities. These normal schools
are turning out hundreds of we'll
equipped teachers annually. The SER
vices of normal school graduates are
always in demand as teachers at re-
munerative wages. The total amount
expended by the state on normal school
buildings to July 31st 1900, was $685.
1882, and the total cost of mainten-
ance of the four normal schools to July
31st, 1900, was s1,746, 1853. At the pres
ent time the state appropriates about
$120000 annually for the support of it's
four public schools.
It is impossible to overestimate the
value of our splendid educational sys-
tenn, and the marvel Of it is, that all is
free, Education, for the primary grade
! to the university, is as free to the child
| of the laborer as it is to the child of
| the millionaire. The children of the
foreign-born enjoy the same education
al privileges as the descendants Of the
| Pilgrim Fathers. There is no discrim-
| ination. It is free to all.
Of the school lands granted by con-
gress to the state, amounting to some
| 2,840,284 acres, there yet remains un-
sold, in round numbers, 100000 acres,
which are steadily increasing in value,
| and at the moderate estimated value OF
$500 per acre would net the school fund
| $1,000, 900 and increase it ultimately to
| $40, 49,, 900. With the addition of the
timber and mineral upon them and the
| value Of swamp lands, which have be-
| come a part of the school fund, it will
| eventually reach $30,000,000. ~
Our political opponents have declared
that if they had been in power the
school fund would have been infinitely