The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-08-03
for a bl9b School.
Application Made to the State
Board for a High School
for Virginia.
OUR SCHOOL GROWTH.

OOK SCFOOL GROWTH
That Virginia will have State
High School is now practically as
sured. The recent record made by
our school in the state examinations
was very flattering, and during the
visit Of Supt. William Park to Min
neapolis a week since he was in
formed by Prof. A. w. Rankin that
he considered the Virginia schools
were now in shape for admission to
the High School rank, and that he
knew of nothing which might inter-
fere with us in any way,
The growth of. Virginia's school
population has been phenomenal.
Two years ago when we built the
six room Second Ward school, many
were of the opinion that we were
building on too large scale; but
todayall our buildings are filled with
children and more school room is a
present necessity. The attendance
at our schools during the last three
years has grown from about 700 to
1874, of which we have this year 965
entitled to apportionment. The
number of certificates taken out by
our school children in 1913 was SO,
in 1873 81, and in 1910 1l2.
The coming year, which will begin
on September 4th, we will support
four-year High School, and next
spring we will graduate our first
class. After the completion of this
course of study our pupils will be
qualified to enter our State Univer-
sity at Minneapolis without taking
an examination, or to enter any of
our Eastern colleges. The thing for
every ambitious young man or
woman in our community to do,
whether attending school the last
few years or not, is to enter their
name here at the beginning OF next
term and take the necessary prepa1>
atory college course right at home.
Too often do we hear the complaint
from young men that they would
like to go to college, but they are
not qualified to enter. In establish
ing this High School, the Board of
Education is doing right by Vir-
ginia and doing right by that class
of pupils who have attained to the
High School work. A High School
cannot be legislated into commun
ity, nor does itspring up mushroom
like in day. 1t takes children to
make school and young men and
women of eight years training to
begin to make High School. Con-
sequently our high schools are
found in older communities and
very seldom in new places. The
Virginia High School will enter the
list with class of thirty earnest
young men and women, ambitious
ly seeking an education. This is
goodly number to make an auspic-
ious beginning.
We have steadily grown in seven
years from a one-room school with
thirty pupils to district with three
splendid school houses and two
smaller ones, with a capacity for
1900 pupils. And aside from this there
is at present in course of construc-
ton at the Fayal location another
beautiful school building, to cost
complete about $4,000.
| 1t is the schools of our country
that turn out citizens; and in the
betterment of our schools we better
our citizens, thereby showing our
appreciation of the fact that into
the hands of the young men and
women of today, as citizens and pat
riots, is soon to be intrusted the well
! fare of our nation.