The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-10-09
Finance Committee Directed 10 Try to
Take Up $4,000 Bonds.
Attendance in Schools Materially Bet
ter Than Last Year.
Board Asked to Face Fact That More
Teachers Will Be Needed.
From Thursdays Daily.

from InurS0ayS DalIy.
, The school board last night adopted the
tax levy for next year. 1t foots up to
the same as this year, $4,000, but is
divided slightly differently The levy was
adopted upon the recommendation of the
finance committee, and provides that
sl6,50O shall be raised for current ex-
renses, 1900 for the sinking fund, ST.
500 for interest on bonds, and $500 for
general improvements. As compared with
the amount levied last year, there is ST.
900 more in the current fund in this
years levy, and $500 less in the sink
ing fund. Last year, $500 was levied for
improvements at the Franklin school
building, but nothing is levied for any
such purpose this year.
Mr.. Comstock explained that the
school apportionment and the proceeds of
the special tax will be materially increas-
ed next year, while the high school has
received $6l0 more aid than it did last
year He said that the committee be-
lieved that this would leave $4,000 in the
current fund at the end of the school
the amount left at the end of the last
school year.
The finance committee reported that
the books of the secretary and treasurer
are correct and that it had approved their
reports. The committee recommended
that the secretary be requested to keep
detailed book accounts of all funds sep
arately, and attach slips to all vouchers
to indicate what funds they were drawn
upon. The committee also recommended
that it be given authority to take steps
to purchase $1,000 bonds outstanding, U.S.
ing money from the sinking fund for the
purpose. The report was adopted.
The report showed on Sept. Sd the
money of the district was deposited as
follows: First National bank, $3,959. As;
National Citizens bank, $3,946.7l; Ma
tional Bank of Commerce, $500; Man
kato State bank, $2,s7l.46; total, $l4,-
297.62.
The school committee recommended
that the board accept the proposition of
Silver, Burdette & Co. for the exchange
of music books Nos. l and 2, now in use,
for the new edition of the same. The
books are to be exchanged without cost,
except the freight, and the committee
recommended that one of the new ones be
given to each pupil for five cents, which
would pay for the transportation. In
order to get the new book, the pupil
must turn in his present one and get an
order signed by the teacher. The new
books are valued at thirty or forty
cents each. The recommendations were
adopted.
4 recommendation of the school COM
mittee looking toward a change in the
latin book next year was adopted.
Superintendent Uline reported that the
readjustments of the grades had been
made, to equalize the size of the classes,
although some difficulty was encoun-
tered at the Franklin, where the grades
were of very unequal size. This work
is constantly becoming more trouble
some as the proportion of pupils to
teachers is constantly growing He sug-
gested that new alignment between
the Pleasant Grove, Union and Franklin
districts be made so as to relieve the
pressure on the two former schools. The
number of pupils in the ward schools
has grown each year, from il,075 in
September, 1899, with 80 teachers, to
1902 last month, with 32 teachers. The
ratio of pupils to teachers has grown
during this time from 80 2-5 to 80. There
will be need another year for more
teachers, and the board should face the
fact
The September attendance report was
as follows: