The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-06-26
SCHOOL BOARD
RELUCTANT TO
CONDEMN LOTS
Clerk Asked to Get Opinion of
Attorney General as to It's
Rights.
PROPERTY BETWEEN
CATHOLIC CHURCHES
Superintendent Colgrove Sub
mits Interesting Report of
Years Work.

ue SC1lVOA UOdIu aV q ASSuAe'A AAA0oS-
ing last night referred to the clerk
to be taken up with Attorney General
Lyndon A. Smith petitions presented
over individual signatures asking that
a special election be called to vote on
the acquiring by condemnation of lots
lying between the Polish Catholic
church and the Church of Our Lady
of Lourdes. The petitions were mailed
to the clerk of the district and set
forth as ground that the lots should
be required to provide additional play
grounds for the Central school. They
also asked that lots lying between the
Central school property and the Me-
saba Telephone company building be
acquired. Figures on these were sub
mitted last night. For lots 9 and 10
the figure named was $1O,700 and for
II and IL, $4,000. The board took no
action on their purchase. The prop
erty lying between the two Catholic
churches is not for sale. It is pro-
posed to make it the site for the new
parochial school. The question the
attorney general will be asked to pass
upon is whether or not the school dis
trict has the right to condemn for
school purposes private property.
Opinions so far had by the board are
that it has not.
Henry Claim Not Settled.
No agreement was reached on the
settlement of the claim of Miss Ida
E. Henry and it, is probable that it
Henry's claim was for 1894. The
school board offered to settle it for
SITS, but the proposition was turned
down by Miss Henry's attorneys, Mon
tague & Merdink.
Official notification was received
from the state board that the normal
training department of the local
schools had been approved and that
the district will receive $1,000 state
aid for this department.
The board will have a special meet
ing Wednesday evening Of next week
for the transaction of routine busi-
ness. Miss Vivian Duyer of Brain
erd, Minn., was elected on the staff of
teachers and will have Fifth grade
assignment.
Superintendent Report.
DR.. Colgrove submitted the fol-
lowing report covering the work of the
schools for the past, year:
'The growth of the city of Vir-
ginia may be followed in the enroll
ment of the public schools. In 1909
there were t849 pupils enrolled; in
1910, 2215; in 1911, 1924; in 1912,
3015; in 1913, 3139; and during the
present year there were 1886. These
numbers in each case includes night
school. This year we had very sue
cessful night school, there being 719
enrolled, SIS Of whom attended two
weeks or more, while 1O3 under 21
years of age attended 40 days or more.
''The policy of the board to hire the
necessary to increase the wages of
teachers somewhat. The average
monthly salary of men teachers was
$4,000 and Of women teachers $82.27.
~ believe the introduction Of sup
ervisors of the grades has been Of
great value in that the teachers were
able to render much better service by
having their work planned for them
and then have assistance in carrying
out the plans. The supervisors act as
foremen and are constantly in touch
with the policy of the superintendent
in all matters pertaining to the teach
ing:
"The requirement that all teachers
in the Hig gh school shall be college
graduates and all teachers in the
! grades shall be advanced normal
graduates with at least one year of
experience is excellent and should be
lived up to without exception. After
this coming year this rule in the
grades must be enforced if we are to
receive state aid.
"This year 1889 pupils have attend
ed the required length Of time to be
entitled to apportionment.
| "Text books were furnished free at
an average cost of 80 cents per pupil
for the year.
"One of the most gratifying results
Of the year was the great use the
pupils have made of the public IL
brary. There were "a, ,246 books drawn
during the year, or an average of over
ten books for each pupil. I believe
that to form the habit of reading is a
large factor in education and instruct
ed the supervisors to encourage read
ing. Miss Newhardt and her assist
ants have co-operated and helped in
every possible manner with the above
gratifying result.
"Notice has been received from the
state department that our application
for state aid for our normal training