The Forrest City times., 1912-08-02
AIDED SCHOOLS
 SHOW PROGRESS
System of Helping institutions Shows Good Results
 From Plan.
4 48 PER CENT INCREASE
Rural Pupils Attend Schools and Do Not Have to Pay Any
 Tuition.
Western xexspaper union News seruc..

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
 Little Rock.-Nith the conclusion of the first year of the operation or the law enacted by the last legislature approprIat.ng $5o,o00 annually to be used in aiding high schools of the state. the officials of the state de partment of education, are greatly pleased with the results which have been secured as shown by statistics compiled from reports made by the high schools.
 The most striking results of the state-aid plan have been the great in- crease in the number Of students en- rolled in the high schools of the state and the large amount Of money that has been given to the schools by pri- xate Individuals in order 10 enable them te meet the requirements fixed by the State Board of Education. The latter figures show that the S50,O0U expended by the state has been re sDonsible for bringing more than that amount into treasuries in private do- nations.
 A gain Of 4S per cent in the number of pupils enrolled in the high schools of the state was shown during the past year. as compared with the pre- eeding year. h the e state high schools. 663S pupils were enrolled, and in the @ unaidea high schools, 2.9S4 pupils were enrolled. a total of 1892 for all tha schools. The total number enrolled during the school year ef 1910-11 was 6.492, showing a gain of 9.140 last year. The large in- crease in the enrolment al a small per capita cost is especially gratifg. ing to the officials of the department Of education.
 There has been a large proportion of rural pupils in the high schaais un. der the state-aid plan. and this is re- garded by the educational leaders IS Of special importance. Under the rules adopted by the State Board of Education for statc-aid nigh schools, all two. three and four year schools must admit to the high school classes all qualified pupils of the county with. out payment for tuition. As a result of this regulation q large number of rural pgp.ls have been enrolled in the high schools of the cities. The statistics show that there were 1912 pupils from outside rural districts en- rolled in state-aid high schools in cities and towns Of more than 1000 population. There were also .255 pu. pils enrolled in IS state high schools located in towns of less than 1000 population, making a total of 2.567 rural pupils attending these schools al cost of less than $l6 per year each 10 the state.
 Another feature of the reports which is regarded as significant is the large number of pupils in the high schools that are studying agriculture. Of the g state-aid high schools, 6S offer courses in agriculture and nearly al of the remaining Q schools offer this subject in grades below the high school In the 6S high schools offer ing this course there were l 63o m. pills studying agriculture last year out Of total enrolment of e.63S. A course in agriculture is also offered In fl unaided high schools. but there are no available statistics showing the number of pupils studying the sub lect Ii the same ratio as existed in the state-aid schools was maintained in the unaided schools there were TOO pupils studying agriculture in the un. aided high schools last year. making total of more than 2,300 pupils talk. ing the agricultural course ont of c 622 pupils enrolled in all the high schools of the state.
 The Conway high school leads bv A considerable margin in the number of pupils studying agriculture. There are @ pupils taking the course in that school. Atkins and Western Grove are next in order with 55 each While Augusta, Bentonyille, Charles. ton, Clarksyille. Earle. Pocabontas and Uniontown all have 40 or more pupils taking the course. Yellyiua Nynne, Stamps, Salem. Ozark N.eb. Yllle, Morrilton, Marshall Jasnar Hartford, Hazen. Hamburg. Fordvca Camden, Clinton. Berryyile Renton Bigelow and Ashdown are not for he. hind. oe,
 The granting Of state aid has had a big effect in raising the standard o, the high schools of the state as evarr sehooi which receives aid must meet tAe requirements fixed by the State Board of Education
 Three year high schools are requir- ed 10 equip laboratory for the teach. ing of one science and four year and normal training high schools must equip laboratories for two sciences This requirement has brought abour the expenditure of S9.20O for Iabora. tory equipment in the high sehoo1s