Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-02-19


To the County Board of Marathon County, Wis.
cOnsin;
Gentlemen:-The statistical report for that
part of Marathon county outside of the city of
Wausau, for the year ending June 80, 1900, is
as follows:
Whole number of children between the ages
of four and twenty, IL, 746; mum Der between the
ages of seven and thirteen, 59l5; number be
tween seven and thirteen who attended public
school during the year, 1881; number between
four and twenty who attended public school
1913: Average daily attendance, 1886; number
of new school houses built during the year.
IA; cost of new school houses, $40 6SS: cash
value of all school houses, school sites and APP
paratus, 1927 S0S.25. District treasurers re-
eeived from all sources during the year. Sl09,-
$50 H. District treasurers paid out for all pur-
poses during the year, S799Sl .S5, Balance in
hands of district treasurers June 30. 1900, S29,-
4O3.2S. Number or schools maintained. III:
number of schools and departments, 1874. The
work of the year has called attention to the
care that should be exercised in the formation
of new school districts. When the county was
new districts were organized without reference
to the future growth Of the town and re-
suit school houses were located for local con
venience; the town settled up new districts
were formed from time to time. and now many
towns have six or seven small school where
four would meet all requirements. Take for
example the towns of Berlin and Hamburg.
Both are well settled towns and in nearly every
section line in them is an open road. The
town of Hamburg with 500 children of school
age has four schools which cost 81 22222 y, eX-
elusive of building and repairs last year. The
town of Berlin has seven schools, Az children
of school age and cost under the same rescrva-
tion 81 sos IS. The school houses in the town
of Hamburg have been located with reference
to the needs of the whole town and the work
has been so well done that eases of children
going more than two and one-half mites to
school are rare. In some towns there are
schools with an enrolment of less than five
pupils Where this is the case 1t would be wise
economy to close the school and provide trans
portaton for the pupils to the next school
No school IN the county can be run at an eN-
peuse than two hundred twenty-five dollars
year and an expenditure of that much money
on than less han five pupils Is unwtse when a
cheaper and probably better method is open
through trans portation. The plan of one
graded school located at the center of the town
is growing in the eastern states and in some
parts of Ohio. Indiana and Illinois. This plan
involves the erection Of a three or four room
school building at the center of the TO and
the use of several teams in transporting the
children 70 and from the remote parts of the
town. 1t is claimed that this gives graded
or small high school to each town at a less
net cost than the district system We are not
ready for this scheme yet but il shows what
the tendency is and should inf euce town
boards 70 organize as few new districts pos
Sihle. If n new district is organized care
should be taken that the assessed real estate
valuation of the new district is sufficiently
large TO support a good school on a reasonable
rste Of tax. Care should also De taken that
the old districts are LETT with good valuations.
The organization of any district with a real
estate valuation OF less than twelve thousand
dollars will cause an unnecessarily high rate
of tax. I would suggest % you as chairmen of
the several towns that you give this matter
some consideration when called upon to organ
IKE alter districts. l have met with a nun
Der of town boards during the year and in some
instances prevented the organization Of small
and unnecessary districts. While every child
in the county has the right of reasonable
chance 10 attend school. il must be remem-
oered that we cannot have n school house on
every mans farm. There has been consider
able discussion among school men and prac-
teal farmers during the asst few wears on the
desir ability of organizing a system OF county
agricultural schools in Wisconsin and the
project seems 70 be assuming definite shape.
Hon, L. ID. Harvey, State Superintendent OF
Public Instruction, has given the matter very
thorough investigation and his ideas on the
subject have been published in pamphl let
known as Bulletin No ,, = copy OF which can
be obtained at any Office or from tae State
superintendent Office. II, as now seems
likely, the LeSislatu2 makes provision for
County Agricultural Schools giving 60 them
adequate state aid the County Board Of Mara
thon County should give che subject some at
tention with reference 10 the desira biliry OF
making application for one OF the schools If
conditions are favorable.
The work Of the County Training School for
Teachers IS beginning 10 leave its impress on
the schools OF the county. The Report of the
Training school Board presented 70 this body
gives in detail the work OF Ihe school and il
only remains for me to say that in my opihion
the county board never made an appropriation
that has been more fruitful Of good. Appllc2-
ton viii be N ade 70 the Legislature 20 increase
the state aid given ~ this school aud III the pc
tition Is granted the county will be relieved Of
a part Of the present appropriation. The
school has proven success and through its
Influence We expect To have che best corps OF
rural teachers in the state in & few years.
Marathoa County eau well afford so take pride
in being the first county in the stale 81 Wis.
consin 10 establish such schools.
In considering the needs Of the schools Of
Marathon COUNT we must take into consider
~ - a. -
years and the vast possibilities of the future
The population Of the county has increased.