The Van Buren press., 1912-01-20
SCHOOL PROGRESS
IS REMARKABLE
Figures Compiled BY U. S.
Government Shows Won
derful Improvement.
EACH PERSON HAS INTEREST
Credit Given to State superintendent
Cook fer the Growth
OF Education.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, d. C.--That every man
woman and child, white or negro, in
the state Of Arkansas has a s. inter-
est in the grounds, buildings and
equipment given over TO common
school education, is the deduction
from the most recent state school
statistics The figures covering tho
school year ending June 30, 1911.
have been compiled by the United
States Bureau of Education, with tho
cooperation of George b. Cook, state
superintendent of public schools OF
Arkansas, and will be published by
the government in report form In a
few weeks.
The extent Of the mutual partner
ship which the population OF Arkan-
sas has In It's public school system 10
reached in this way: The census OF
1910 is authority for placing the pop
ulation OF the state at l,574,49g in
habltants, while the statistics com
piled by the Bureau show that the
6,3O6 public school houses in the state
are valued, with their grounds, at
$6,S42,37l Add the cost OF school
equipment. which comes 10 81 ,030 4S5,
divide by the total population, and
the Arkansas average investment In
the common school plant OF the state
Is determined
To maintain this great common
school system, Arkansas has state
school fund Of sl,13i500, from which
last year she derived an income OF
s57 007 which three. mill general
property tax and receipts from other
sources swelled further to the sum OF
sl,30l4Si In addition a seven.mill
maximum levy by district and munich
pal taxation reoll2ed s2,l7S,S5G more,
so that all told the state received for
the education Of her youngest citizens
grand total OF s3,g6G.l77 went to
pay teachers salaries, more than
quarter OF million dollars was spent
In new equipment, and tidy balance
Of $l,l44,367 was carried forward into
next year.
While In the aggregate the sum de-
voted to the payment OF teachers sal.
aries appears to be large, when II Is
divided among the 1883 educators In
the common schools OF the state, IL
Is found that the average salary 70.
ceIyed amounts to but $3Ol.63, In earn.
Ing which each teacher had to hold
school on an average OF 10 days
The pupils who received instruction
numbered 4Oi,7G0, out Of total popu.
latlon OF school age amounting to
5S5,7i9. These figures seem to lndI-
cate that some 10000 children In Ark.
ansas are not receiving any schooling,
but Il is explained by the bureau OF
education that for the purpose OF the
statistics the population OF school
age" includes every one between 6
and q, with the result that many
wage.earners and married women VINO
have long since left school are count.
ed in As q matter OF fact II ls noted
by the bureau, the Arkansas loglsla.
turo OF 1911 brought 10 addt onal
counties uder the provisions OF tho
compulsory school attendance law.
Considered separately, the whites OF
school age numbered 4l ,2iG, OF whom
205, l42 went to school, attending on
an average IA days They received
their instruction from 7,Si3 teachers.
"The educational progress made by
Arkansas In the year just closed has
been truly remarkable" said Jones'
G. Boykn editor OF the United states
bureau OF education at Washington"
At ts last session the legislature cre-
ated state board OF education, per.
mitted the consolation OF weak
schools into stronger units. and grant.
cd state aid TO high schools Aside
from these lmpartant additions TO tho
statute law, the Legislature extended
the compulsory education law. rene
died the act OF 1909 permitting special
school districts In rural communities.
allowed county superintoncdonts the
feos Of their office, thus increasing
their salary added an assistant dcpu.
ty to the state department Of educa.
ton, and appropriated nearly $1,000.
600 TO the educational Institutions ot
the state,
"ln all the negotiations leading 10
these remarkable achievements, supt
George b. Cook, the able and ener-
Pctc state superintendent OF educa-
ton VIVA a Rrnnl fAcior