Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-02-28
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
A Letter TO the Public Concerning Mat
tiers in WinnesIliek County.

On the first Monday of March (next
Monday, March 9TH the legal voters
of each sub-district in the CO unity will
meet to select a sub director for next
year to represent the sub-district in
all meetings of the township boards,
and to have general oversight of the
school il their sub-district the coming
year On the following Monday,
March 18th, meeting in all indepen-
dent districts will be held for a like
purpose, j. e., electing one or more
directors to represent the voters in the
board meetings during the year. /
call attention to these facts because it
lsIat these meetings that the voters have
a chance to express their wishes re-
garding the management of the schools
for another year. These meetings
afford the only chance for voters to
say anything effective concerning the
amount of tax to be asked for for run
ming the schools next year, and the
number of months of school each dis
trict shall have. Voters may not say
directly how much tax will be levied
for teachers fund, but they may elect
a man or woman for director who will
try to carry out their wishes in tn 70
matter when the board organizes on
the third Monday of March
SOME THINGS FOR VOTERS TO
CONSIDER.
/ wish to ask the voters to turn out
to the election of school director and
TO choose for director some person
who has shown in the past that he
has, or is known to have, the inter
ests of the schools at heart.
Hon. R. @. Barrett has said: "The
selection of director should be a
matter of great care, as he may net
receive any compensation from the
district, he or she should be person
whose interest will lead him or her to
be frequent visitor to the school,
and no will see that the school house
is provided with all that will add to
the comfort of the teacher and
scholars and promote the highest
welfare of the school," In many of
the districts | think such men have
been chosen. In all such cases the
director or directors should be re-
elected, since there is gain in having
men for directors who are familiar
with the duties and with the condi-
tions n the schools have sometimes
thought it might be advantageous to
have women participate more freely in
school matters, for they seem to work
quite effectively in their "Aid
Societies" in connection with church
work, and the work of the schools is,
or should be, very closely related to
the purposes for which the church
works We now have several school
secretaries who are women and they
have proven very prompt and efficient
officers.
1 wish to ask the voters to consider
specially the matters hereafter men
toned.
CONDITION OF OUT BUILDINGS
AND SCHOOL GROUNDS.
Section s7s4 requires that there be
placed on everv school site 1.-TWO
separate out buildings located at the
farthest point from the main entrance
TO the school house, and as far from
each other as may be, ana kept in
wholesome condition and good re-
pair. -
In independent cities or town dis
tricts where it is inconvenient or
undesirable to erect two separate out
houses several closets NAV be included
under one roof and if outside the
schoolbouse each shall be separated
from the other by brick wall double
partition or other solid or continuous
barrier, extending from the roof to