The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-04-23
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
BY Mabel Horner, County Supt.

|
A number of our teachers are
making practical improvements in
way of improving school premises.
| :: -: =:
Miss LYDIA Stephens observed last
Wednesday as Arbor Day in Wei
come school, Eden township. A
number of young elms were trans
planted to the front of the school
yard Flower seed have been OBJ
tanned and will be planted later.
:: :: ::
Miss Alta Hart is adding shrub
berry to the school grounds in num-
Der six, Franklin township. Cecilia
Mahoney and Gladys Rogers report
that they are making preparations
for the raising of flowers in their re-
spective schools, Smallwood, Wood
land township and Davis City.
y: :: ::
Prof. Gass has prepared a COM
parative table showing the enroll
ment and salaries paid in the schools
of forty-four towns of Iowa, having
a population between 1900 and $500.
Decatur county's showing in the mat
ter of enrolment is something of
which we may be proud. Only three
| towns in the state, in this class,
show a greater enrolment than
Leon. They are Usage, Osceola and
Waverley Each of these towns have
a population of more than 1000,
| while the population of Leon, accord
| ing to the report is 1891. Lamont,
also holds a first ranking, showing
| the highest enrolment of any town
in the class, with a population less
than 1900. Lamont has been oblig-
ed to refuse the admission of outly-
ing territory into the district, be-
cause of the crowded conditions that
have obtained there. With the COM
pletion of the splendid building now
being erected there we anticipate
that the schools will be given an i'm
petus that will send them far toward
the head of the list.
:: :: :: ...
The boys who wish to enter the
Prize Essay Contest, for the privi-
leges of the Boys Encampment at
the State Fair, must send in their
enrolment before May LIST.
:: ::
Much interest is felt in the county
at present in the matter of approval
of schools, especially since some of
our town schools have been refused
approval and the matter is still pend
ing in several others. That the gen.
eral public may have better un-
Outstanding Of what it's all about
we give below excerps from recent
laws, and from the High School Bull
letin, recently issued by the State
Department of Public Instructions:
The Department of Public Instruc-
ton as reorganized and defined by
the Thirty-ffth General Assembly
contains the following provisions
concerning high schools:
The superintendent of public in
struction shall have general super
graded and high schools of the
state 1t shall be his duty:
ITO classify and define the var
ious schools belonging to his depart
ment, and to formulate suitable
courses of study therefor, and to
publish and distribute such classifi-
cation and courses of study.
ITO prescribe the reports, both
regular and special. which shall be
made by public school officers, super
intendents and teachers, and other
persons or officers ohaving the GUS
tody or control of public school
funds or property, and to prepare
suitable forms therefor, and to fur
nish blanks for such reports as are
made to him."
Certain portions of the Acts of
the Thirty-fourth General Assembly
regarding tuition were repealed and
a substitute enacted therefor. The
significant portion Of the substituted
measure in this connection lies in
the first section:
ANY person of school age, who is
a resident of school corporation
which does not offer four-year high
school course and who has complet-
ed the course as approved by the
Department of Public instruction for
such corporation, shall be permitted
to attend any public high school or
county high school in the state APP
proved in like manner that will re-
ceive him.
Tuition, Legal Rates.
The law further provides that the !
tuition collected from the debtor
shall include the actual ,
average cost of tuition and the aver
age proportion of contingent expense
but not to exceed $3.50 per month |
except where free text books are
provided. Where the actual average
cost of tuition plus the average pro-
portion Of contingent expenses eX-
ceeds $3.50 per month, the difference
is to be borne by the pupil himself.
Purpose of High School.
Every community needs high
school. The. boys and girls who are
unable to attend schools higher than
he grammar school should be given
is good educational advantages as
possible in their own districts. That
nigh school training is of great value
% the pupil cannot be denied. The
'ural boys and girls are as worthy
If high school training as are town
and city boys and girls.
The primary purpose of the high
school is not to fit the student to
enter higher educational institu-