The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-06-02
OUR PUBLIC sCHOD l SYSTEM
OFFERS EXCEPTIONAL ADvAN-
TAGEs TO THE WORLD.
It's Permanent School fund is Now
the Largest of any Northern
State. It will Soon be
$75, 900, oob.

Minnesota offers the Widest oppor-
tunities in ,le line of public educa-
ton. It's permanent school fund is
larger than any other nbrthern state.
This now amounts to sixteen million
dollars, and since by wise provision
of legislation only the interest of it
can be used, the state auditor esti-
mates it will eventually approximate
seventy-five million dollars. There is
no section of the state so remote as
not to be reached by the public
school. The first concern of the set
tier, even before he has fully estab-
lished' his own home, is to make pro-
vision for a school.
In their organization and govern
ment, districts are known as common,
independent and special. With re-
spect to the work done we speak of
the schools as common semi-graded,
graded, and high. Attendance in the
public schools is free to all pupils
residing within the district Until
within few recent years the plan
generally followed was to subdivide
the districts in the country as to re-
duce The distance between the home
and the school. During the last six
years an opposite policy has been
carried out in many communities
that of uniting several districts, thus
forming a larger school, with a bet
ter building, longer term, more
thorough instruction, and free trans
portation of the pupils.
Free education is afforded every
child in Minnesota, and more than
two-thirds of the districts also fur
nish free text books. Last year there
were 4.2S9 libraries in connection
with this number of public schools,
more than half of them in the rural
or common school districts. Half the
cost of establishing and maintaining
these libraries is met by the state.
How Schools Are Supported.
The public schools are supported
partly through local taxation, and
partly by indirect state aid through
the one-mill state tax and the in
come arising out of the permanent
school fund. In addition, special
state aid is granted: $1,000 to high
schools, $3.50 to graded schools, $3.50
to semi-graded, and 1926 and $50 re-
spectively to the two classes of rural
schools. The high ana graded
schools are under the supervision of
the state high school board, which
fixes the standard such schools must
reach before they receive the special
state aid. There are now 145 graded
schools in the smaller towns and
villages. These schools maintain
from four to six departments, are in
session nine months, and give in
struction in all the branches lead
ing up to high school work. The
10 high schools of the state offer
free instruction to any pupil in Min
nesota, this being one of the few
states giving entirely free high school
tuition. Semi-graded : and rural
schools are supervised by the county
superintendent. He recommends to
the superintendent of public instruc-
tion such schools as he considers en-
titled to receive the special state aid.
Inis state encouragement of public
education, particularly of schools in
the rural districts, has been the
means of greatly improving their eff
cheney. Better buildings are provid-
ed, terms are heightened, higher sal
aries are paid to teachers, and the
schools have altogether reached a
more definite and satisfactory stand
ard. ...... .... ..
TIL five state normal schools, at
Winona, Mankato, st. Cloud, Moor
head and Duluth, train teachers for
public school work. Collectively,
they enroll over 1,7O0 in their nor
NAL training departments. Each
school also maintains model train
ing department in which those in at
tendance are taught and are instruct
Is Il e L..
Tuition at the normal schools is free,
the obligation being that the student
after graduation, shall give at least
two years time to public school work
i'll the state; and the schools are
represented by their students and
graduates in the rural and graded
schools of every county in Mime
sofa. .-.... ..s.s. .....