Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-12-17
(By Supt. w. /. Ford)

" n brief study OF the figures cover
IA the years from 1910 to 1915 dem
'3Itrates conclusively that the Dal
bubble schools have experienced 1
lthy and normal growth during
IN time. While the growth of thu
3 ools is manifest along all lines, i
nost easily seen when a comparison
fnade of the registration and av,
Ee attendance figures for the years
M l910 and 1915. The records show
0tal registration of 488 pupils fol
M Vyear 1910 as opposed to 731 fol-
M and an average number belonging
373 and 591 for the respective
VS., each intervening year showing
N ae increase over the previous year.
I'm average rate of increase each
|1Ir has been about ten per cent.
1V 1910 the schools had outgrown
n public school building and two
n des were installed in the two-room
N nary building, while another grade
N housed temporarily in the Wood
n "A hall. The new $4,000 high
lQol building, voted in 1910 to meet
Expanding needs of the schools.
4 4 ready for occupancy in January,
,1s 1t was thought by some at that
y ie that it would be a great many
\ irs before there would be suffic-
+ Number of pupils enrolled to tax
capacity of that apparently com
didus building, but at the present
\ ie all available classrooms. except
\ small basement room, are in use,
a IL was thought advisable last year
en The manual training department
d added that the equipment for
5 department should be placed in
academy building.
With increase in enrolment of pu-
b necessarily has come an increase
the number of teachers employed.
0m Twelve teachers in 1910 it has
IA Necessary to increase the number
ftWenty-one. OF this number six
note their entire time to high school
rk.f Dallas is fortunate in having
highly efficient teaching corps, both
ME grades and in the high school,
copdition due largely to the policy
,khe school board of not only re-
citing from year to year those teach
|who have done satisfactory work,
also by placing a premium on
ger service In one position by pro-
6ng for salary schedule which Of
n q slight increase for each sue
Rive year of successful service un-
4 certain maximum salary has been
|ched. By this means the services
9ome excellent teachers who might
|erWise have moved on to better
ring positions have been retained
Q considerable period, thus making
possible to build up a unified and
'monious system.
Vocal Music Added.
Few changes are to be noted in the
ricpla of the grammar schools. At
present time, as in the past, the
onnrpendations of the state course
study are followed as closely as
sible in the various subjects, al
ugh as one of the twenty districts
the first class in Oregon it is the
vilege of this district, through its
rd of directors, to make its own
rse of study should it be consid-
advisable. Perhaps the most
eworthy addition is that of for
cQnrse in vocal music under the
sct supervision of a special in.
lctor in that subject. In connec-
with this a start has also been
le in the organization of a juvenile
lestra from the grade pupils.
mother addition that has proved b
! successful and popular with the f
Tents is the school-garden work in a
nectaon with the general study of d
culture in the seventh and the s
|th GRADES. The pupils of each of e
e grades have had the full respon- I
ity of preparing the ground, D
ting, caring for and marketing il
crops of early vegetables grown on c.
scnool garden plot. Il
|uls for the various industrial pro- ei
recommended by the Oregon Ag- 5,
|tural college have also been fos- tc
], md participation in the indus ci
ee|,ool fair work encouraged. The W
pf1ze offered the best school booth
be county fair was won by the
aa schools both times they were II
1upetition with the other schools. hi
1e Effectiveness of the work done tr
2 the grades of the schools is re- dl
n in the large percentage of pu- ce
who successfully pass the state q
b erade examinations, and by the yt
That Dallas won first place in the SC
y spelling contests last year.
High School Grows. NJ
e grOwth of the high school is SC
moro noticeable than that of the fir