Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-06-10
YOUNG PEOPLE GRADUATING.
About 10000 Complete High School
Courses this Season. Over Half
Million in Grade
Schools.

An army of Iowa young people is
graduating from the high schools of
the state these early days of June.
Practically 10000 Iowa young men
and women will receive their high
school diplomas this year, over
1000 being graduated from the pub
lie and about 5000 from the secon-
dairy and parochial schools.
The per cent of the young people
of the state who are receiving high
school education is increasing each
year. More students are attending
high school today than ever before
in the history of the state. The Iowa
Board of Education declares in one
of it's recent reports that the small
high school in Iowa is improving
with great rapidity. Standards are
becoming established and commenda-
BILE work is being done in such
schools. There is a general improve
ment on the par. of the school boards
and board members are taking their
positions seriously, realizing in some
measure, their opportunity for SER
vice to the community
We now have more than 500 high
schools in Iowa. In 1850 just before
the civil war broke out there were
only forty high schools in the en-
tire United States. In that day it
was serious question with the peo-
pie whether or not the public should
be taxed for the purpose of erecting
buildings or maintaining a school
above the grammar grade. Today
education is the one thing for which
people pay taxes most willingly.
This last year there was a total en-
rollment in the public schools of
Iowa of more than half a million;
practically so per cent of the young
people of the state who are of school
age were enrolled in the schools.
This large per cent in school atten-
dance means much, it is thought,
to the future of Iowa. In fact, the
percentage of school attendance has
always been high in this state and
this accounts for the fact that there
is less illiteracy in Iowa than in any
other state in the Union. In 1900
the illiteracy in Iowa was 2.3 per
cent and in ten years it was reduc-
ed to IL per cent. This is so small
as to warrant the statement that
practically all of the people of Iowa
are able to not only read and write,
but to transact their business intelli-
gently. 1t is a well-recognized fact
that while Iowa is blessed with the
most favorable conditions for crop
growing and agricultural production
in general, the enormous wealth Gre
ated each year from her fields is
not alone due to her soil and climate
but to the intelligence and energy
of her people.
In 1900 Iowa had 4S3,969 pupils
between the ages of five and twenty
years attending the public schools.
In 1910 the number increased to
4S7,453, making a gain of 3,484.
Last fall the enrolment in the public
schools of the state totaled 507,S45.
In 1913, according to the school
census taken that year, there were
671,016 children and young people
between the ages of five and twenty
one in Iowa. Iowa schoolhouses are
valued at s3O,422,7O9.0O. In 1913
there was expended for the common
schools 2,52S.O0.
Consolidated schools are gaining
ground in rural districts. In TWEEN
ty-four counties of the state there
are consolidated schools. There are
a total of fifty-three consolidated
schools in these twenty-four coun-
ties.