Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-12-10

schools in many respects and that
retrogressiOn is apparent in but one
line, namely, in the size Of the schools
There are more small schools this
year than ever before. Districts have
been divided and smaller schools or
ganized. The following figures show
the tendency toward the smaller
schools: In 1905 the number enrolling
fewer than sixteen pupils was twelve;
in 1907 there were fourteen, and in
1908, eighteen such schools. An en-
rollment of fifteen means an average
attendance OF less than ten. These
figures show that one third Of our
country schools have less than ten
children in them.
The location of new schools near
to other good schools has been a mis-
take When town boards are petit
iOned to establish such schools, they
should carefully consider not only the
convenience of present settlers, but
the geographical position of the
schools as we'll The argument ad-
Vanced that school houses raise the
value Of land, is usually untrue, eX-
cept for the present time, when much
of the tax is paid on wild land. 1t
is impossible to locate schools
now that will suit the settlers a
few years from now Several schools
that have been built within very few
years are now being moved or are
about to be moved.
Transportation of the pupils to the
larger schools should be encouraged
where practicable There is a law
giving parents very limited state aid
for transporting children to.
school, This law should be extended
so that aid may be secured for the
entire school year, if pupils live more
than the legal walking distance, which
is two miles, from school.
Attendance reports show 2438 pupils
enrolled in schools in the year 1907.
OF these 1872 were between seven
and fourteen years Of age. In 1908
there were 1855 enrolled and 1922 be-
tween seven and fourteen, showing
fewer enrolled and fewer between the
age of seven and fourteen in the
county this year than the year be-
fore. But the average attendance
before This is partly accounted for
by the compulsory education law,
passed in 1907 This law requires
children between the ages OF seven
and fourteen years of age to attend
school regularly six months during
the school year and to be enrolled
during the first month Of school. I'm
der this law, reports of dellnquents
together with names and addresses OF
parents and guardians, are to be
made to the county superintendent.
The sheriff examines these reports
and he must send notices to the par
ents of the delinquent children. Ii
they do not then send the children
to school. the district attorney must
prosecute as for other offences. This
law produced very satisfactory results
last year and all who were notified
complied With the law without any
prosecutions.
New school houses have been built
hnll
Strickland and Flambeau. Strick-
land has built the finest country
school house i'll the county at a cost
of $3.50. A plan sent out by the state
superintendent was used by the con-
tractor
The contract has been let for a
$45O0 school building at Sheldon.
This will be of concrete blocks, the
intention being to make it fire proof.
In 1907 but $1,000 was spent in
building while in 1908 $4,000 was
spent for that purpose.
The conditions in school rooms
have been greatly improved during
the year. Two thirds of the country
schools have installed good ventilat-
inc systems. screened the out build
ings and improved the buildings and
grounds These will be entitled to
special aid from the state amount
ing to $50 a year for three years.
The qualifications of teachers have
been raised during the past year
more than during any previous year.
OF the teachers now in the schools,
more than half have second grade
certificates, less than one-fOurth hold
third grade, and the rest have first
grade or state certificates. The
graduates from the county normal
have taken up the work of teaching
with much greater skill than other
beginners and are in most cases very
successful. 1t is believed that these
teachers will stay in the work long
er than the average teacher has, be-
cause of the longer period for which
they are licensed to teach.
Last spring, the principal of the
county normal school and your super
intendent, held a number of educa-
tional revival meetings and contests
in various parts of the county. In
some localities great interest was
shown and considerable good was ac-
complished These contests were