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 STATE OF NEBRASKA 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 
 
 LINCOLN 
 
 Recent School Legislation 
 
 The school legislation enacted by the thirtieth 
 session of the Legislature of Nebraska is of far-reach- 
 ing importance. Never before have the common 
 schools had so fair a hearing. Special commendation 
 is due the Senate Committee on Education, composed 
 of Hon. L. Goodrich of Fillmore, Hon. R. M. Thom- 
 son of Buffalo, Hon. C. L. Saunders of Douglas. Hon. 
 A. Wilsey of F'rontier, Hon. S. H. Buck of Otoe; and 
 cue House Committee on Piiblic Schools, composed of 
 Hon. J. F. Shubertof Richard,son,Hon. J. W. Whitham 
 of Johnson, Hon. F. C. Wilson of Custer, Hon. T. H. 
 Doran of Garfield, Hon. C. H. Culdice of Saline, Hon. 
 C. L. France of Otoe, and Hon. A. H. Metzger of 
 Cherry. These committees gave intelligent and 
 careful consideration to every proposed measure af- 
 fecting the common schools. The school people of 
 the state are grateful to the members of the legislaturt . 
 individually and collectively, for their deep personal 
 interest in educational affairs, and for their recognition 
 of the needs of the common schools. The extraordi- 
 riary success in wholesome school legislation is largely- 
 uie to the united efforts of the school men and school 
 ■vomen of the state. The State Teachers' Association 
 in December, 1906, appointed a committee to fornui- 
 late plans and di-aft bills for introduction into the 
 legislature. This conmiittee, consisting of one mem- 
 ber from each congressional district and three nt 
 large, was as follows: 
 
Members at large 
 
 lyuther P. Ludden, D. D., Secretarj^ Board of Edu- 
 cation of the State Normal Schools, Lincoln; W. L. 
 Stephens, superintendent Lincoln city schools and 
 president State Teachers x\ssociation; Florence Zink, 
 superintendent Holt county; 
 First congressional district — 
 
 J. W. Gamble, superintendent Cass county; 
 Second district — 
 
 AV. A. Yoder, superintendent Douglas county; 
 Third district — 
 
 E. B. Sherman, superintendent Columbus city 
 schools; 
 Fourth district — 
 
 C. W. Ta^dor, superintendent Geneva city schools; 
 F'ifth district — 
 
 Isaac Downey, superintendent Adams county; 
 Sixth district — 
 
 H. M. Pinckne)^ superintendent Custer county; 
 
 The people of the state are to be congratulated upon 
 the efficient and effective work of this committee. 
 
 Much credit is due Inspector A. A. Reed of the 
 University of Nebraska for his efforts in behalf of 
 school legislation. 
 
 Special attention is called to the seven great acts of 
 the last legislature, which will do more for the public 
 schools — the people's schools — than all school legis- 
 lation combined since the act establishing public 
 schools in Nebraska. Ten other school bills of con- 
 siderable importance were enacted into law. The 
 complete school laws will be published and rer.dy for 
 distribution about June i. 
 
 The seven great acts already referred to are ( i ) A 
 law providing for a library in every public school dis- 
 trict; (2) A free high school law; (3) A law enlarging 
 the scope and increasing the number of junior nor- 
 mal schools; (4) A law providing for normal training 
 in high schools; (5) A law providing state aid to 
 weak districts by appropriating $50,000 therefor; (6) 
 A law making the minimum entrance requirements to 
 state normal schools a two year high school education 
 or its equivalent; (7) A law raising the standard of 
 certification of teachers by private and denomination- 
 al schools by providing for a more rigid inspection 
 each year by the state superintendent or by the state 
 board of examiners for life certificates. 
 
 Summary of New School Laws 
 
 Free High School Law.— 5. F. 21J, by King of 
 Polk {Duplicate of H. R. 194, by Killen of Gage). 
 
 13 1907 
 
 D. ofa 
 
The purpose of this law is to provide four years of free 
 public high school education for all the youth of this 
 state whose parents or guardians live in public school 
 districts which maintain less than a four-year high 
 school course of study. Every pupil to be entitled to 
 free high school education under the provisions of this 
 law must present a certificate from the county superin- 
 tendent showing that he has completed the course of 
 study for the grade below that to which he seeks ad- 
 mission and that he is unable to secure the desired 
 grade of work in the public school district of his resi- 
 dence. The parent or guardian of each non-resident 
 pupil desiring free high school privileges iu any grade 
 of the high school must, on or before the second Mon- 
 day in June preceding the school year in which free 
 high school attendance is desired, make written ap- 
 plication to the county superintendent. Such appli- 
 cation must show the number of the school district in 
 which the parent or guardian maintains his legal resi- 
 dence, the number of pupils for whom free high school 
 privileges are desired, and the high school grade 
 which each pupil is to enter. The county superin- 
 tendent reports all applications to the director of the 
 school district in which applicants reside. 
 
 The legal voters at the annual school district meet- 
 ing each year shall determine the amount of money 
 required for free high school education during the 
 coming school year, which shall be an amount suffi- 
 cient to provide free high school education in accord- 
 ance with the estimate furnished by the county super- 
 intendent for all pupils in that district entitled to and 
 for whom proper application has been made, which 
 amount shall be levied as a tax upon all the taxable 
 property of the district. This places the burden of 
 free high school privileges for non-resident pupils 
 where it belongs. The average school tax levy for the 
 rural districts of the state is 14 mills, and for high 
 school and city districts 19 mills. This shows that 
 school districts which enjoy free high school privileges 
 are the ones that should pay for it. Non-resident 
 pupils will not be entitled to free high school privi- 
 liges until all of the requirements have been met by 
 pupils, patrons and school district before, at and after 
 the annual school district meeting. For a complete 
 explanation of this law see the Nebraska Teacher for 
 April and May, 1907. The bill was passed with 
 
 the emergency clause, in order that all preliminary 
 arrangements may be completed for next year. 
 
 This is a reciprocal proposition which will bring 
 great benefit to both town and country. It will place 
 
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free high school privileges within the reach of every 
 farmer boy and every farmer girl in the state. Every 
 city, town, village, and hamlet in the state will have 
 opportunity to share in the benefits of such a measure. 
 It will bridge the gulf heretofore existing between the 
 rural school and the university. Such a law will be 
 a great inspiration for thousands of pupils to complete 
 the rural school course of study. A pupil completing 
 the course of study in a district maintaining only nine 
 or ten grades may continue his higher education, with- 
 out charge for tuition, in a high school maintaining 
 eleven or twelve grades. This will make it possible 
 for any boy or girl starting in the first grade of the 
 rural school to have free school privileges until the 
 senior j^ear in the University of Nebraska is completed. 
 
 On a conservative estimate there will be at least 
 3,000 countrj^ boys and girls taking advantage of the 
 free high school privileges offered under this measure. 
 These boys and girls will be under the instruction 
 of over 1,000 trained teachers. 'It will place at the 
 disposal of the state over $2,000,000 in school buildings, 
 grounds, apparatus, books and libraries for the edu- 
 cation of this great army of young people in the high- 
 er duties of American citizenship. 
 
 Normal Traiuiug in High Schools. — H. R. 24J, by 
 Jenison of Clay, appropriating |5o,ooo, provides for 
 normal training in the junior and senior years in from 
 sixty to seventy of the strongest high schools ac- 
 credited to the University of Nebraska and employing 
 at least two teachers exclusive of the city superintend- 
 ent who shall give their entire time to instruction in 
 high school branches. The high schools qualifying 
 for this work are to be designated by the state super- 
 ' intendent and are to be distributed by him among the 
 sixty-seven representative districts of Nebraska, as 
 nearly as well may be. The sum of $700 for the bien- 
 nium is to be paid from the appropriation to each high 
 school district in which a class of not less than ten is 
 organized and instructed in accordance with the pro- 
 visions of the law. Every scholar admitted to such 
 class shall continue under such instruction not less 
 than eighteen weeks in order to be counted in such 
 class. The course of stud)^ shall consist of a review 
 of at least nine weeks in each of the following 
 subjects: reading, grammar, arithmetic and geo- 
 graphy'; a study of American histor}' for one semester, 
 and seventy-two periods of professional training. A 
 course in elementary agriculture must be given in case 
 it is not included in the regular high school course of 
 study . 
 
 4 
 
A bulletin giving the full text of H. R. 247, with 
 rules and instructions, will be ready for distribution 
 about Ma}' 15. All schools desiring to qualify under 
 its provisions will be given ample opportunity to make 
 a showing. 
 
 Normal training in high schools is not a new ques- 
 tion in the educational world. It was first inaugu- 
 rated in the state of New York about seventy-five 
 years ago. This was before the opening of the first 
 state normal school in America at Lexington, Mass.. 
 July 3, 1S39. During the past twenty years New York 
 has appropriated annually $100,000 for normal train- 
 ing in 100 of her strongest high schools notwithstand- 
 ing she has 300 colleges, universities, academies and 
 seminaries, and sixteen full-fledged state normal 
 schools. Last year 2,921 prospective teachers received 
 normal training in the high schools of New York. In 
 his annual report for 1906, Commissioner Draper says 
 of this work in the high schools of New York: "The 
 most fruitful, if not the most hopeful, source of good 
 teachers for the district schools is found in the train- 
 ing classes. It is confidently believed that this agency 
 for providing teachers for the rural schools will ever 
 be increasing in its efficiency." Dr. W. T. Harris, as 
 U. S. Commissioner of Education, declared normal 
 training iu high schools as carried out under the New 
 York system the most efficient and economical plan 
 ever devised for giving us better qualified teachers for 
 the rural schools. President Crabtree of the state 
 normal school at Peru and Inspector A. A. Reed of the 
 University of Nebraska give their hearty approval to 
 this plan. Professor W. R. Hart of the department of 
 education at the Peru state normal prepared a paper 
 for the high school section of the Nebraska State 
 Teachers' Association, December 27, 1906, in behalf of 
 normal training in high schools. His good common 
 sense, his faultless logic, his stubborn facts are un- 
 answerable. This paper forms a classic on this sub- 
 ject. II is evident from the views held by these educa- 
 tors of national fame that Governor Sheldon was not 
 an amateur adventurer in the field of education when 
 he gave his approval to H. R. 247, providing for nor- 
 mal training in Nebraska high schools. During the 
 current biennium at least 2,000 prospective teachers 
 will be given normal training in the junior and senior 
 years in the seventy high schools qualifying for this 
 work. I make bold to astert that this will do more 
 toward giving us better qualified teachers for the rural 
 schools than $100,000 would do through any other 
 channel. 
 
At Least Seven Months of School. — H. R. j^S, by 
 Doran of Gar^eld, Henry of Holt, Metzger of Cherry, 
 and Wilson of Custer, appropriates $50,000 for the 
 purpose of providing at least seven months of school 
 each year in the first eight grades for all the youth of 
 this state whose parents or guardians live in public 
 school districts whose funds are not sufficient to main- 
 tain school for at least seven months. The state treas- 
 urer, upon a voucher drawn by the state superintend- 
 ent in accordance with reports furnished him by the 
 county superintendents, shall pay to each district 
 which shall have voted the maximum tax levy auth- 
 orized b}^ law, such an amount as is necessary to main- 
 tain seven months of school with a legally qualified 
 teacher at a salarj^ of not less than thirty dollars a 
 month. No district shall receive aid from the state in 
 any one year in excess of one hundred twenty dollars, 
 which amount shall be applied exclusively to the pay- 
 ment of teachers' wages. 
 
 During the past year there were 306 school districts 
 maintaining three months of school or less; 640 dis- 
 tricts maintaining from three to six months of school. 
 There will be about 1,000 districts in the northern and 
 western counties entitled to state aid under this meas- 
 ure. The average number of pupils in these 1,000 dis- 
 tricts is about fifteen, which would mean that 15,000 
 boys and girls will receive at least seven months of 
 free schc ol privileges under this law. This makes it 
 possible for all boys and girls in the state to receive 
 at least an eighth grade education, which means at 
 least two 3-ears more than they are now receiving. 
 
 In due time a bulletin will be issued, setting forth 
 the requirements for securing state aid under H. R. 
 356. 
 
 This is not an attempt to build society. It is an at- 
 tempt by society to build the individual. Such a 
 policy holds that the state is strong in the proportion 
 in which every individual in the state is free, large, 
 educated, independent. The policy too long pursued 
 may have given us a finer educated upper class, nobler 
 and deeper thinkers in greater numbers than we would 
 have were vv-e to bend our efforts along this new line, 
 but we have educated the top long enough at the ex- 
 pense of the bottom. Let us unite to educate society 
 from the bottom to the top. "We are not attempting 
 to lift the favored classes higher; we are not attempt- 
 ing to give to those that already have; we are at- 
 tempting to put our hands under the foundations of hu- 
 man society and lift everybody up. That is a slower 
 work; but when it is done and its fruits are ripe- you 
 6 
 
will never doubt again which is the wisest and best 
 policy." 
 
 Repeal of the State School Tax.— 5. F. 226, by 
 King of Polk, repeals the state school tax, which un- 
 der the old law was not less than one-half mill and not 
 to exceed one and one-half mills upon all the taxable 
 property of the state. It was found that practically 
 the same amount of money was returned to the several 
 school districts through the state apportionment as 
 was raised from their taxable property by the one-half 
 mill levj', and that the clerical work thus placed upon 
 the state and and county treasurers was unnecessary. 
 A school district needs only to vote one-half mill more 
 local tax in order to have as much as it had under the 
 state school tax levy. The direct appropriation by 
 the state of |5o,ooo for normal training in high schools 
 and 150,000 for state aid to weak districts will do vastly 
 more for the common schools than did the proceeds of 
 the one-half mill state school tax. Passed with emer- 
 gency clause. 
 
 Jiiuior Normal Schools.— 5. F. 232, by Hanna oj 
 Cherry and Phillips of Holt, {Duplicate of H. R. 
 igs, by Gliem of Red Willow, Green oJ Holt, Logsdon 
 of Fillmore, Henry of Holt, Snyder of Harlan and 
 Wilson of Custer.) This bill amends the junior 
 normal school law by increasing the number of 
 schools from five to not more than eight, and reduc- 
 ing the term from ten weeks to not less than six and not 
 more than eight. Proper credit for satisfactory work at 
 these schools will be given students at the state nor- 
 mal schools and at all schools authorized by law to 
 grant teachers' certificates. Students completing the 
 course of study prescribed for the junior normal 
 schools shnll be granted b}' the Board of Education of 
 the state normal schools a certificate of the same tenor 
 and effect as the certificate to teach issued to the 
 graduates from the elementary course of the state 
 normal schools. 
 
 "At each place where a junior normal school is es- 
 tablished the public school buildings, textbt^oks and 
 apparatus of the public school district shall be placed 
 at the service of the state, without cost, under the 
 jurisdiction of the state superintendent of public in- 
 struction. In each county where a junior normal 
 school is established not less than three-fourths of the 
 entire institute fund shall be used by the state superin-- 
 tendent of public instruction toward defraying the ex- 
 penses of such junior normal schools. No junior nor- 
 mal school shall be established in any count}' where 
 the amount appropriated for the county institute fund 
 
 7 
 
by the county board is less than one hundred ($ioo) 
 dollars each year. In each county where a junior 
 normal school is located the county superintendent of 
 such county shall designate one week of the junior 
 normal school as the institute week in and for his 
 county. Any county superintendent in a neighbor- 
 ing county to that in which a junior normal school is 
 located may designate one week of the junior normal 
 as the institute week for this county." Passed with 
 the emergenc}' clause. 
 
 The junior normal schools were established by 
 the legislature of 1903. The schools at Alliance, Mc. 
 Cook and Valentine were located by the legislature. 
 The schools at Holdrege and North Platte were lo- 
 cated by State Supt. W. K. Fowler before the location 
 of the state normal school at Kearney by the Board of 
 Education of the State Normal Schools. The ap- 
 propriation by the legislature of 1903 for the main- 
 tenance of the junior normal schools was $12,000, and 
 the appropriation for their maintenance by the legis- 
 lature of 1905 was |i5,ooo. The total enrollment at 
 the five schools during the past four years was 3,948. 
 Never did the state do so much good with $27,000 in 
 the training of its teachers or in any other field. The 
 appropriation for the eight junior normals as provided 
 under the new junior normal law passed by the last 
 legislature for the current biennium is $15,000. We 
 shall have at least 2,500 teachers enrolled in these 
 eight schools during the current biennium. Many 
 county superintendents have testified to the better 
 work accomplished in their schools as a result 
 of the professional training given their teachers at 
 the junior normal schools. T^e hearty sup- 
 port given these schools by county superintend- 
 ents, the large attendance on the part of teachers, the 
 liberal patronage and generous donations from each 
 place where a junior normal has been located, and the 
 excellent service rendered the state b}^ the principals 
 and instructors make a i-ecord full of credit and honor. 
 The great mission of the junior normal schools is to 
 train teachers in the western and northwestern coun- 
 ties for teaching in the rural schools. 
 
 A Library in Erery School. — H. R. j2, by Cone of 
 Saunders. The school board of every public school 
 district is required to set aside annually from the gen- 
 eral funds of the school district the sum of ten cents 
 for every pupil enumerated in the district at the last 
 annual school census, which amount shall be annually 
 invested in books other than regular textbooks, v^hich 
 books shall be suitable for the school library. By 
 8 
 
vote of the school board of anj^ district in which a 
 free pubHc libi^ary is maintained and to the support of 
 which at least $300 is expended annuall3^ this law is 
 inoperative. 
 
 Teachers may secure lists of books approved 
 b}' the Nebraska Teachers' Reading Circle Board 
 by addressing their county superintendents or the 
 leading book companies. Books will be sent in a 
 single parcel, transportation prepaid b}' the publishers, 
 to any teacher or school officer in Nebraska on receipt 
 of the money for the books offered. A |5 library, a 
 fro library, or a $25 library maj^ be secured according 
 to the funds at command' For "A Graded List of 
 Books for School Libraries," or for information rela- 
 tive to a/ree library, write Miss Charlotte Tenipleton, 
 secretary of the Nebraska Public Librar}^ Commission, 
 Lincoln, Nebraska. 
 
 We wish to caution every school district against pur- 
 chasing any books whatsoever from traveling agents. 
 Many school districts in Nebraska have been imposed 
 upon b)^ chart sharks and fake agents. An agent can- 
 not pay his railroad fare, hotel bills, and livery hire, 
 allowing him nothing for his salary, and visit rural 
 school districts at an average cost of less than ^5 to $10 
 per district. Then you must usually pay such agent 
 at least two prices and oftentimes four prices for his 
 books, which are as a rule not suited to the average 
 rural school district. The actual expenses and profit 
 of the traveling agent will secure for any district a 
 good library by dealing direct with reputable publish- 
 ing houses. 
 
 lustitutious Authorized to Grrant Teacliers' Certifi- 
 cates. — .S". /*". 26/, by King of Polk. The present law 
 is amended by providing that the state superintendent 
 shall each year, by personal inspection or inspection of 
 the state board of examiners for life certificates, sat- 
 isfy himself that the entrance requirements, degree 
 requirements and professional study requirements have 
 been maintained before any certificate is granted b}' 
 said institution. 
 
 Admission to Normal Schools. — S. F. 2^g, by Ran- 
 dall of Madison, provides that no pupil may be adinit- 
 ted to the state normal schools, except the junior nor- 
 mals and summer terms of state noi-mals, who does not 
 possess at least a two-year high school education, or 
 its equivalent, as outlined in the Nebraska High School 
 Manrial. 
 
 With 500 high schools offering free high school 
 privileges under the free high school law, this in- 
 
 9 
 
creased entrance requirement is altogether fitting and 
 proper. The place for children to receive their educa- 
 tion is at home so far as possible. Besides, it will 
 greatly relieve the crowded condition at the state nor- 
 mal schools. 
 
 School Tax Levy in Joint Districts. — S. F. 270, by 
 Clarke of Adams, provides that the county board in 
 any county in which a joint school district is situated 
 shall make a levy for such joint district sufficient only 
 to produce an amount bearing an equal proportion to 
 the whole amount required for such joint school dis- 
 trict which the valuation of the fractional part of the 
 district lying within said county bears to the valuation 
 of the entire district. Emergency. 
 
 Vote in District to wliich Transferred. — 5". F. jog, 
 by Clarke of Adams. Parents or guardians of pupils 
 transferred under the provisions of section 4a, sub- 
 division 5, school laws, are given the right to vote in 
 the district to which they are transferred on all school 
 matters except that of issuing bonds. Emergency. 
 
 Compulsorj^ Education. — S. F. 50, by Thomas of 
 Douglas. Section i of the compulsory education" law 
 is amended so as to require attendance at school of all 
 children under sixteen years of age during the full 
 time that school is open in the district of their resi- 
 dence. This provision applies only to schools in cities 
 and metropolitan cities. This amendment was made 
 to make the compulsory education law conform to the 
 new child labor law. Emergency. 
 
 School District Boundaries. — H. R. 42g, by Whit- 
 ham of Johnson. .When a school district contains 
 three sections of land or less, on petition of the dis- 
 trict board or board of education, the county superin- 
 tendent, county clerk, and county board shall have 
 the right to change the boundaries of such district 
 and of districts contiguous thereto so as to make the 
 same just and equitable. Emergency. 
 
 School District Bonds. — 5. F. lyS, by Wilsey of 
 Frontier, decreases the required number of school 
 children from 200 to 150 in districts which may issue 
 bonds in an amount equal to ten per cent of district 
 valuation. Emergency. 
 
 Eminent Domain. — H. R. 221 by tValsh of Douglas, 
 enables school districts to condemn ground for en- 
 largement of schoolhouse site; and allows school dis- 
 tricts in cities the right of eminent domain. 
 
 County Institutes. — 5. F. 151, by Epperson of Clay, 
 provides that county institutes shall be held during 
 the months of June, July or August. Emergency. 
 
County High Schools. — S. F. sy6, by Epperson oj 
 Clay, {Duplicate of H. R. jjd, by Farley of Hainil- 
 lon). This measure enables counties to establish and 
 locate county high schools; to call a special election 
 for the establishment of a county high school upon 
 the petition of loo freeholders of the county; provides 
 that the county board shall constitute the board of 
 trustees for each county high school and to take and 
 have control of the affairs of such school; that the coun- 
 t}' superintendent shall be the superintendent of such 
 school ; to authorize the board to employ teachers and 
 other employees; to include in the course of study 
 manual training, domestic science and the elements 
 of agriculture; to levy a tax for the support and main- 
 tenance of such count}' high school, exempting school 
 districts maintaining a course of study beyond the 
 eighth grade; authorizes the board to issue certificates 
 and diplomas; provides for the issuance of bonds and 
 the levying of taxes not to exceed five mills for the 
 payment of the same; makes tuition free to all pupils 
 in the county. Emergency. 
 
 DiscoiitinuMice of School District.—//. R. 113, by 
 Wilson of Custer, provides for the closing of the af- 
 fairs of school districts which for a continuous period, 
 of one year have less than tv^o legal voters residing 
 therein, or which for two consecutive years shall fail 
 to maintain a district organization. 
 
 J. L. McBrien, 
 
 April 20, 1907. Superintendent. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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