Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-12-29

G
school teachers from 40 to 1911. The
number Of graded schools has increased
from 1031 to 2,21S and the high schools
from 40 to 406.
Cost Per Pupil STA in 1SSe.
In 1880 the cost per pupil enrolled in
the ungraded school was STA. In 1904
it had grown to $9.52, and the quality
| Of tie teaching had In the meantime
| seriously deteriorated. In the graded
and high school the cost per pupil adj
vanced from $1126 to $14.81, but one
third more than the cost of the mere
elementary training received In the I'M
graded school
The wages paid for the male In the
ungraded schools in 1890 averaged So.
per year and S2J7 In 1904 For the
female the average wage in 1890 was
! $l76 and S240 in 1904. In the same
period the average for the graded school
female teacher was $487 in 1890 and
| 5000 in 1904. For the male 1t was $751;
in 1890 and $3.50 In 1904. In 1860 wom-
Gu teachers in ungraded schools worked
for as little wages as 81 per month. In
1904 the lowest wage paid was SIS.
$50 you see" said Dean Davenport,
''the country school is in a serious pre-
dcament. Un.ess something is done
shortly, many of them must go to the
wall Indeed, in number Of districts
there has been no school for years be-
cause Of lack of attendance. Superin-
tendent Bayliss' last report shows that
| $50 schools had less than fifteen pu-
piis, that 525 schools had less than ten
pupils, and 300 less than five. Taking
$40 month as the cost of a teacher,
$50 per year as cost of fuel and other
expenses, and you have for an eight
months school $3.50, which means in
school of five that each pupil is costing
the district $40 per year. 1t is impos-
sible for anybody to successfully teach
five pupils. especially if they are young
and unambitious, as Is usually the
case"
Conditions In other States.
The conditions in Illinois are no
worse than they were in Michigan, In
diana. Ohio, and Iowa a few years ago,
before these States adopted consolida-
ton. In Michigan in 1902, f1fty-one
schools of the GASP districts had two
pupils or fewer and held no schools,
and eighty three had five pupils or few
or. The cost per pupil in these eighty
three schools was $9050 per pupil per
year. In the graded schools the cost per
year of ten months for each pupil was
only St94O. The same conditions ex-
listed in Missouri and Iowa, but in the
latter State conditions have since been
materially improved
by consolidation Of Schools" says
Dean Davenport, lis meant the uniting
of two, three, or more small and weak
schools into one that shall be strong
enough in point of numbers to be in
terestlng and strong enough In the way
of money to afford a comfortable build.
ling. two or more good teachers. and rea-
sonable facilities for work. 1t also
means that outlying districts with but
few pupils shall be combined with n
near by school that is strong rather
than be organized into an independent
but weak district. In it's fullest sense
it means the uniting of all the schools
=. of a township into one or two So In.
Gated as to be most accessible.
, Consolidation either in full or IN
: part means the transportation of a nor.
ton Of the pupils. and this is one Of
6 the problems. 1t is generally accom-.
plished in covered wagons. artifciallv
warmed, holding . or 20 children and
driven by reliable men under contract
and bonds as to regularity and good be-
, hayior. At first thought this would
o seem expensive, but experience has
/. shown that it is cheaper to transport
O few children than to build school
IS for them. This Is because a wagon is
!. cheaper than schoolhouse. horses
d cheaper than fuel, and because drivers
n cost less than teachers
e Where small districts already axis,
IS consolidation means some changes In
l. buildings, These changes are sometimes
a. erected by moving together two or
II more OF the little old buildings mr. nv
; adding q portion to one, making a tive
l. or three room house. In other in.
y stances new buildings are erected, Al,
( ways are open. \ makeshlft seems NJ
, ten best at first until the plan Is IN
~ rull operation. when n permanent buil5
." ing seems sure to follow in good tI,,o
consolidation was first adopted II
" massachusetts, in 1869 Now more thar
III - per- cent of the townships ~ IN,
Ft Stgta h.ttD .o.l,,...,.4 ''