Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-12-12
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Ladysmith, Wis, Dec. 8, 1907.
/ To The Honorable Board of Supervisors
of Rusk County, Wisconsin:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen; This,
the seventh annual report Of the Super
intendent of Schools, will show that the
schools of Rusk County have made
more progress in all essentials this year
then during any. previous year.
There has been the usual increase in
buildings but this year the new build
ings have been better than usual, no
tably, the schoolhouse at the new dam
in the town of Grant; and more have
been built according to approved plans,
as in the town of Willard and in Soft
Maple District, town of Big Bend,
which probably will have the best
country schoolhouse i n tn, county.
The towns Of Fiambeau, Thornappla
and Marshall have new build ngs and
one has been started in the town of
Atlanta. One reason for better cor
ditions in construction is the demand of
the people for better buildings; another
cause is the recent law under which
the state superintendent can loan good
building plans to school boards, and
under which all other plans must be
approved by the county superintendent
which should prevent the erection Of
shanty schoolhouses.
Nearly all the schools of the county
will be entitled to fifty dollars from
the state every year for three years,
under the law requiring ventilation and
necessary equipment. The conditions
as to warming and pure air of rooms
are inestimably better han they
were before ventilating systems were
installed. The cost to our county will
be virtually nothing as, in many cases,
districts will receive more than they
pay out. The laws regarding school
equipment have accomplished m ore
this year than twenty years of per-
suasion formerly.
Last year there were in the county
ten schools that enrolled ten pupils or
fewer. Forty of the fifty-four I'M
graded schools enrolled between fifteen
and ffty-fve pupils, and fully half of
this number had more than twenty
five pupils each. Of the twenty-four
departments of graded schools, all but
seven enrolled more than forty pupils
each. The average cost for teachers
was twenty dollars for each child at
tending school for the year. The aver
age per child outside the villages has
been much more There were three
schools that enrolled not more than
five children and in these the cost was
about one hundred dollars a year for
each child There were no country
schools enrolling more than tifty-five
and only few of the graded schools
were over crowded. Nearly all schools
were maintained eight or nine months.
From these statements, it is seen that,
in general, our schools are about the
right size and that the cost per pupil
has not been excessive.
Children are transported to school IN
several towns and nope that the plan
will be extended and that more care
will be exercised by school officers to
make it successful. The principal OBJ
lection to transportation can be over
come by providing tighter covers for
the sleighs, more robes and patent
warmers, and going to each residence
of the children.
Our greatest gain has been in the
line Of good instruction. Fifty-four
teachers received not more than thirty
five dollars a month and twenty-four
received forty dollars. Teachers in
graded schools have usually been paid
forty-fve dollars month. Last year
there was not much change in the
qualifications of teachers. About one
third of the teachers each year are
beginners, and many of these are from
the country schools. But this year
there are only three teachers that have
not taught previously to this year, or
been graduated from high school, uni
versity or normal school, and of these
three, two have gone as far as the
fourth year in high school. | have
visited more than sixty schools this
fall, and | have found the instruction
considerably better n the average
than ever before.
Respec fully submitted,
w. n. MACKIN