The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-11-30

often there is not the attention given
to the schoolhouses and their armies
of young people that ought to be. But
on special occasions the American con.
tinent points with pride to it's educa.
tional institutions.
And Norfolk is better equipped In
this regard than most of the Amer.
lean continent Larger cities have
larger schools, of course -- but few
have better. Smaller places can not
so well equip for student training and
development.
The Norfolk high school-the top
ripened fruit on the tree of Norfolk's
Schools do not manufacture brains;
public school system - stands high
among others of the commonwealth.
Norfolk Is not so large as Omaha or
Lincoln or several other cities but
Norfolk takes a back seat for none of
them when it comes to school houses
and school teachers and school work.
If the Norfolk school student fails to
get the right sort of a start, it is his
own fault-or that of his parents. The
public Is doing all that it can toward
pushing him along in the right direc-
ton.
And this all costs money. Norfolk
taxpayers spend more than $4,000
every year-or rather for each school
term of nine months-for the educa-
ton Of its children. There are 1,156
children in the schools today. About
$40 per year for every pupil is spent
to maintain this service The public
pays this money, it is paid out to
teachers to buy winter wraps and pay
their board bills. And teachers are
always good about that.
The salaries alone amount to $15,-
600 per year and that, with other eX-
penses, amounted last year to $2O,43O.
AS a result of this expenditure and
this effort there go forth every year
classes of creditable graduates. Nor
folk can not be ashamed of the rec
ords which have been made by doz-
ems of young men and women who at
one time or another stood on the
church platform here and received a
neatly tied diploma. Many of them
have done remarkably well in the va
rous professions and trades, and
there are still futures ahead of them.
Many will reflect genuine credit
upon their alma mater before another
score of years.
Norfolk is fortunate in its teaching
and executive force. Superintendent
,hA Loo
from the county superintendency of
Douglas county to fill the vacancy
caused by the appointment of Super
intendent d. c. OConnor to the posi-
ton of Canal Zone superintendent, is
one of the ablest educators in all the
west and his energy goes forth each
day toward a more and more substan-
tial, conservative and enduring school
system here. Under his direction
many important changes have been
inaugurated and under his supervision
is an able corps of teachers.
Today the Norfolk high school is
an accredited institution so far
as the state university is concerned.
There was a time when this was not
the case.
The schools have been built up here
under the guidance of a conservative
and thoroughly capable board of edu-
cation. Regardless of politics, the
members of the Norfolk board of ed.
ucation have been chosen for their
business judgment, their intelligence
and their worth as guides in so i'm
portant a work.
There are six school buildings, the
high school having been built at a
cost of some $4,000. 1t is a monu-
ment to Norfolk's pioneers.
Following are the teachers now do
ing the work of upbuilding character
and mind in the city:
Superintendent, e. ]. Bodwell.
High school: Ida Won GoetZ, Ger
trude Watson, A. G. Kennedy, Charles
Weigand, Belle Thorngate; Pearl
Reese and Minnie Fleming, eighth
grades; Pearl Mccormick and Mary
O'Connor seventh grades.
Grant school: Rena Dunning, Louise
Mathewson, Harriet Mather, Mae Oh
ney Ellen Mullen, II. V. Mason.
Lincoln school; Nettie Cowan, Ote-
liza Pilger, Lena Mills, Clara Bruegge-
man, Nellie Dingman, Clara Rudat,
Nina Walker, Rose Shouka.
Washington: Carrie Brush, Maude
Boyd
Jefferson: Fay Widaman.
Following are the board of educa-
ton: DR.. P. H. Salter, M. G. Hazep,
H. c. Matrau, C. ]. Hibben, A. H.
Minln nr IL Cola