The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-08
Shows the Progress Made in
Educational Methods.
OVER SEVEN THOUSAND
Enrolment in the Schools Is
Large.
Good Work Being Done in the
High School.

the public schools of the city, present
ed his annual report of the workings
OF the schools during the year at the
meeting of the board of education
which was held Monday. This report
contains much matter Of interest con-
corning the schools of the city and has
all the data imaginable about them. It
is as follows:
school Accommodations.
The schools. have been housed in 25.
buildings; 2 buildings for the high
school and % for the ward schools. in
Guiding the State street and Quinton
Heights schools which we're brought
into the city by annexation during the
year.
The school accommodations are sat
isfactory and sufficient except in the
following localities: In the Euclid dis
trtct, on account of the extensive in
crease in population, it has been neces-
sary to send pupils from grades IA.
SB and ga to the LowJnan Hill and
Polk schools and to change the boun-
daries so as to transfer pupils above
the fourth grade in the territory con-
cerned from Euclid to Lowman Hill
This arrangement occas1oned some IN
convenience but cannot be changed
until sufficient accommodations are
provided in the Euclid district. In
South Topeka the conditions are some
what similar, and the relief is needed
which will be provided by the erection
of the proposed building at Sixteenth
and Van Buren,. The Polk school is
overcrowded by pupils from the south
and southwest parts of the city and the
8A grade which belongs to the Polk
school has for some years been trans
ferred to the Jackson school. The
buildings at and washington
schools should be replaced by more
substantial structures The Euclid,
Garfield, Lane, Lincoln, Madison, and
Washington schools, which have no
rooms available for manual training,
should be provided with the same
facilities which are enjoyed by the
other schools It is probable that
these additional accommodations can
be provided within the next few years
by the ordinary income from the
building fund.
The Parkdale and the old Branner
buildings. which have not been in use
during the past year, will undoubtedly
be needed to supply the growth in
their respective districts.
Enrolment
The school census of 1905 shows the
number of children between the ages
of and p to be 1o.9s2.
The total number of different pupils
enrolled in the schools during the year
I've" SOn was DIS LOl4CWS
a., Boys Girls. Total
Elementary school. .3,OS9 1921 6,32O
Total ..............s. 5al 1855 7.54s
Deducting those who were enrolled
In both high and elementary schools
the total number of different pupils
for the year was: Boys. 3,513; girls
1851. Total. 1854.
Number completing the Sth grade
! during the
term, 1872. Total, $50.
OF the POS completing the sth
grade at the end of the first term 1855
entered the high schooI, which IS
about the usual proportion.
Number graduating from the high
school, boys Sc: girls 50. Total 145
With reference to the enrolment it
is interesting to note that the increase
| in the enrolment for the past eight
years has been mainly in the high
! school, the enrolment in the grades
/ having remained nearly stationary
The highest enrolment (not total) in
the high school was:
IN IN 1855 1888 -. sSs So So lS SS7
In the first term of 1S98-99 the high
school contained 8.99 per cent of the
! total enrolment OF the city and in the
( corresponding term of 1905-06 the
/ high school enrolment was 1873 per
!
In the city of Chicago, with popu-
lation approximately 40 times as
great as that Of Topeka, the high
school enrolment is about 10 times as
great and the high school enrolment
| in 1904-O5 was 4.87 per cent of the
total. AS far as is known, no city in
the United States with a population
equal to or greater than that of Tope-
ka has so large percentag of its
school membership enrolled in the
high school, This condition gives To-
peka an enviable distinction, and re-
fleets great credit on the teachers of
the elem entary schools who have laid
the foundation of sound education and
have given their pupils the fncen-
tives for advancement: and it Is also
an evidence of the exceptional stand
ing of our high school and Of the
manner in which it is meeting the re-
| quirements of the people. It is also
/ gratifying to note the increa Sc in the
number Of boys in the high school
mem bership, the number of boys be-
ing increased 1881 per cent and of
girls $40 per cent in years; the to-
tai increase being 1910 per cent.
The total number Of graduates of
the high school is: Boys. AL; girls,
I 902- Total, 1913.
Compulsory Attendance.
During the past year che enforce
ment of the compulsory attendance
law has been in the hands of q truancy
officer, who has also served as proba-
ton officer of the juvenile court. One
I hundred and sixty-nine cases of tru-
ancy have been reported by the teach
ers and 125 children of school age
were under the jurisdiction Of the
! juvenile court during the year ending
/ March /, 1908. The results of the ar
rangem ent of the past year have been
/ reasonably satisfactory; but the law
/ should be amended so as to bring all
4 cases Of truancy under the Jurisdiction
of the juvenile court and to reduce the
amount of the minimum penalty for
/ violating the compulsory attendance
law.
Elementary Schools.
4 The course of study IN the elem ent-
arv schools is largely <5efernniued nv