The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-03-13
Good Cooks As the Products
Of the Mankato High School
REGARDED AS INVALUABLE TRAINING BY THE
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
ST. James Folks Are Delighted With Plan There and Is Believed
That Mankao People Will Be Pleased With the New
Department. Show the Right Spirit.

sixteen years, according to sources Of
information, refuses to attend school
and there is a prospect of the board
taking steps to compel her to go to
school,
So the board of education found it.
self in peculiar situation last even
ing-found itself devising plans to get
one girl into school and ways and
means of putting other children out of
school.
May Prosecute Parents.
Superintendent Mcconnell brought
up the case of the truant girl, whose
name is Viola Knight and who lives
in the dwelling on East Hickory street
just back of the Security fats. Tru-
amt Officer Edwards went to the
joyed being locked out in the hall.
He later got policeman to accom-
pany him to the Knight home and the
showing of brass buttons and a star
resulted in the parents of the girl lis
tening to the reading of formal
notice that the girl must attend
school, AS yet the girl is not in
school, however, and the board re-
ferred the case to President Hughes
and Superintendent Mcconnell, en-
towering them to take legal steps in
the matter if necessary.
Three Kerosene Baths.
The story of the children whom the
board does not wish in school under
present conditions was tale of three
kerosense baths prescribed and given
as vermin exterminators.
The children are members of the
Wilcox family on Spring street, and
are said to be the dirtiest lot that
have ever spent day in the city
schools. The teachers in the school
they attend had more than once given
them baths and provided them with
clean clothing, only to see them return
to school the following morning as
filthy as evee. The Gaze was striking
| to say the least.
The board discussed the matter at
some length and finally instructed the
secretary to request the board of coun-
ty commissioners to take steps to have
the children committed to the state
public school for INDECENT children or
to have them properly taken care of
in some other manner.
Piano Secured for Union School.
In appreciation of the efforts of the
teachers and pupils of the Union school
to secure a piano for that building,
the board of education voted unani-
mously to pay the balance due on the
instrument.
DR.. Holbrook, chairman of the COM
mittee on property and expense, report
ed that the Union school teachers
had, assisted by the pupils, purchased
from Roy F. Holmes fine slightly
used piano for $l6O, and by giving
supper had raised $l3O toward the cost.
They now requested that the board
appropriate the balance and DR.. Hol-
brook thought the request very rea-
sonable. Music is necessary in the kim
dergarten departments especially. The
old organ was out of commission, al
though it might be traded in toward
the new piano. The board adopted the
recommendation of DIR. Holbrook by a
unanimous vote.
Board forced to Borrow over $1,000.
DR.. Holbrook as treasurer of the
board reported that the district had
been compelled to borrow $4,000 to pay
the current expenses to date.
James NJ Mcconnell was reelected,
superintendent of the Mankato public
schools for the ensuing year by
unanimous vote of the board of edu-
cation during the regular monthly
meeting of the board last evening.
The salary of the superintendent for
the ensuing year was fixed at $1,000.
the same amount paid this year.
Spoke Highly of Superintendent.
Several members of the board
spoke in highly complimentary terms
of Mr. McConnelPs ability and his
position in educational circles in the ,
northwest. The fact that he was
elected president of the state educa-
tional association was cited as evil
dence of the regard in which he is
held by educators of the state.
Thanked the Board.
Superintendent Mcconnell appeared
before the board soon after the dec
laration of his election was made and
expressed his thanks. He said he con-.
sidered the reelection an honor and
that he would continue to do his best
in the interests of the city schools.
He wished to thank the board for the.
honor conferred upon him. M
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