Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-07-25
Plan 10 Establish An Agriculture
Department In Askov TurnedDown

TO begin work on plans. Mr.. Knuti'S
reaction (Feb. 26, 194O) to this de-
cision of the board was as follows:
81 am pleased to hear that your local
board of education has voted to es-
tablish an agriculture department for
the school year 1940-41. 1 am sure
that your local board and community
will be very pleased with this pro-
gram"
Would Help Select Teacher.
A few weeks later, March 81, Mr..
Knuti sent another letter, offering
his assistance to us in the matter of
selecting a teacher for our depart
ment.
In late March or early April, 1910,
we submitted our formal application
for the establishment of an agricul-
ture department for 194O-41. Several
weeks then elapsed during which we
received no news relative to our ap-
plication. On May 4 we wrote to
| MIR. Knuti as follows: eve should
like decision from you on the mat
ter of approval for 1940-41 at the
earliest possible time because we feel
that we have found the man Claw
renee Lamberty) we desire as instruc-
tor in the proposed department for
next year and should like to get him
under written contract as soon as
possible. While we are reasonably
certain of approval from your office,
we do not wish to execute a contract
before final action has been taken
in regard to approval"
''NO Difficulty Anticipated"
This letter received no reply from
Mr.. Knuti, and three weeks later
MAY 28) we wrote again, request
ing that eff you cannot make your
decision at this time, will you kindly
indicate by return mail the approx
innate date on which we may expect
it," On May 20, Harry j. Petersen
replied that our application had mot
yet been approved completely by the
State Board of Education. It has
cleared with the Vocational Division
but there is still a need of clearing
with the high school directors. No
doubt this will be taken care of at
the next meeting of the directors.
We anticipate that a final decision
will be made within the next ten days
or two weeks. We do not anticipate
any difficulty in securing approval
Of your department but will inform
you definitely as soon as possible"
Another month elapsed with no re-
suits. A few days before July l.,
1910, which is the starting date of
the school year for agriculture teach
ers, the superintendent called Mr.
Knuti by long distance telephone in
an attempt to get action. Mr. Knuti
felt that approval of our department
was now largely Formally and rec
commended that we write at once to
E. D. Carstater, State Director of
Vocational Education, urging immedi-
ate action.
On the basis of Mr.. Knuti's attitude
we felt that approval of our depart
ment was virtually certain and there
fore instructed Mr.. Lamberty to pro-
coed with his agricultural work as
of July l, 1910, even though no con-
tract had been issued at the time.
Doubt Regarding Approval.
On July 10, 1910, we received
letter from Mr.. Carstater in which
for the first time there seemed to be
some doubt regarding approval. He
indicated that some question had been
raised by the Directors of the High
School Division with regard to the
possible enrolment in the proposed
classes at Askov. This letter was
followed by another on July 18 which
stated: 'Mr. Berning Ga high school
directory indicated that while he
would not recommend the establish
ment of vocational agriculture de-
partment at Askov in view of the
present low enrolment and lack
of evidence that the enrolment
will increase in the future, along
with the financial condition of the
district, neither would he raise any
objection to the establishment of such
a department if the local board, in
view of all the circumstances, wishes
to have such a department" Mr..
Carstater stated, further, that cit is
questionable whether Federal aid
could be provided for a school which
did not meet the qualifications for
state-aided special department Ca
minimum of ten pupils per Glass;"
Recommendation Refused.
In other words, after one and one
half years of consistently optimistic
negotiation with the State Depart
ment of Education (Mr Knuti, etc.
eliminating with the assurance short
ly before July l, 1910, that approval
was virtually certainty, the local
board of education was suddenly
confronted with the fact that the
Department of Education (Mr. Bern
ing, etc. refused to recommend the
establishment of our department and
indicated the probability of our in
ability to qualify for Federal aid.
If the local board, in spite of this,
had voted to establish the department.
it would have been done with the