The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-12
NO FADS ARE THERE
Members of School Board Defend
Their Policy-Little Opposition
to High Schools.
Directors Say Appropriation Asked
For This Year Is Necessary
| for New Buildings.

Criticism of the board of education for
paying too much attention TO the high
schools and the so-called "fads and frills'
of the public school system, has called
forth vigorous responses from members
OF the board. One morning paper made
bold to express the belief that the board
is not in a position "rightfully to ask for
increased funds to spend for the common
schools of the city," and that the board
has not made wise uses of the money
hitherto placed at it's disposal Said
Director N. F. Hawley:
There are just two propositions confronting the
board of education at -present-and no threat is
Intended, as a morning paper infers--the board
issue bonds: The board Of tax levy viii be
arrange for issue Of 5000 900 school bonds. The
latter amount would be necessary in order to tide
which the issue of bonds must voted on The he
board Of tax levy is in position to provide
hcient If obtained from that source. >
Excepting c the prospective increase in salaries
preparation asked for this year is less than
that of last year. There are different reasons
salaries. One is the increased cost Of living
and the fact that we have had difficulty in
paid heretofore. We ask teacher to s" spend
two years at a normal school and to have one
oo Msss She se ne
crease is much less than that in many lines Of
business In the last few years: 1t is less than
cent-and cannot take effect, in any event, for
year. until we get the money 1t is .abso.
we don't increase the salaries. - E#- s~
| The present overcrowded condition of the
| schools is the fault Of the board of tax levy in
year. We were allowed $50 mills last year: OF
that $50 went for running expenses, and 90 of
| a mill was all we got for buildings.
want to deny emphatically that greater
expense is incurred; comparatively speaking, for
the nature Of the work done and the salaries that
can be commanded by high school teachers. The
through the hipb school must not be overlooked
| The high school is the poor mans college and
gives those of moderate means an opportunity to
complete their: children's education. =, AS to
fact is that the registration for high schools this
ditton obtains all the state, the increase in
the attendance at the high schools being every
not be abolished. - g.
1t is interesting to, compare high school at,
tendance here with that at Kansas City " Al
| though Minneapolis Is considerably larger. Kan
City has $500 high school pupils to 1850 in
this city. At. the same time there are 4o, 0oo
pupils in the Minneapolis grade schools to &c, 900
| in the common schools of the Missouri city. So
you see they are paying even more attention to
| high schools than we are. 49,.
! it is a mistake to say that architectural fea-
lures of the grade school buildings are neglected
than the Douglass, the Blaine or the Sheridan
| schools. -.
Boards Demand Not Excessive:
| DR.. T. F. Quinby, president of the board
of education, said that in asking for an
appropriation Of $995,o00, the board was
demanding "just what it needed DR..
Quinby continued: =
If certain newspapers now making specially
| of board of education finances show what
and where fads now exist in our public school
system the will be eliminate ted forthwith
l. The board is yet to be convinced that there
is any sentiment in this city demanding the
| cutting out of high schools entirely AS long
| as the demand for these institutions of learning
exists they will certainly remain.
! AS to discrimination in favor of high schools
as opposed to grade schools, I wish to say that
it is the policy Of the board to look after
the wants OF the grade schools first. No build
year, because of want of funds. The number of
pupils is constantly .increasing oou, ,, -
be handled right until it is composed entirely
OF a select number of our critics, when things
will no doubt go on satisfactorily to them II
not to the people.
overcrowding Is Inevitable.
Director John A. Schlener declared that
overcrowding in the schools was one Of the
inevitable circumstances in the develop
ment of the public school system In rap
idly growing Cities Comparisons with
other cities, he was convinced, would show
that Minneapolis was better off in that re-
spect than many cities that might be
named, where the growth had not been
nearly so rapid. New York, Philadelphia
Boston, Chicago, st. Louis and other older
Cities with greater opportunities for pro-
viding adequate accommodations, We're
even worse off than Minneapolis when II
came to properly housing the school child
rem. The only remedy that he could see
was to keep on erecting buildings as the
increase in the school population demand
ed 1t. Mr.. Schlener is convinced that the
public will not get along without high
schools.