&^>5 Co»'right}i ___L9i COPYRIGHT DEPOSED Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/studyofstateaidt01kent Wsgt 1feit«t0tlgi at IHinitfBotai STUDIES IN. THE; SOCIAL SCIENCES NUMBER Hi A STUDY OF STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA . BY RAYMOND ASA KENT, Ph.D. Sometime Assistant Professor of Education, in: the University of Minnesotai MINNEAPOLIS Bulletin of the University of Minnesota! April 1918 Price: $1.00 RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA These publications contain the results of research work from various depart- ments of the University and are offered for exchange with universities; scientific societies, and other institutions. Papers will be published as separate monographs numbered in several series. There is no stated interval of publication. Application for any of these publications should be made to the University Librarian. STUDIES IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES 1. Thompson and Warber, Social and Economic Survey of a Rural Township in Southern Minnesota. 1913. $0.50. 2. Matthias Nordberg Orfield, Federal Land Grants to the States, with Special Reference to Minnesota. 1915. $1.00. 3. Edward Van Dyke Robinson, Early Economic Conditions and the Develop- ment of Agriculture in Minnesota. 1915, $1.50. 4. L. D. H. Weld and Others, Studies in the Marketing of Farm Products. 1915. $0.50. 5. Ben Palmer, Swamp Land Drainage, with Special Reference to Minnesota. 1915. $0.50. 6. Albert Ernest Jenks, Indian- White Amalgamation: An Anthropometric Study. 1916. $0.50. 7. C. D. Allin, A History of the Tariff Relations of the Australian Colonies. 1918. $0.75. 8. Frances H. Relf, The Petition of Right. 1917. $0.75. 9. Gilbert L. Wilson, Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians: An Indian Inter- pretation. 1917. $0.75. 10. Notestein and Relf, Editors, Commons Debates for 1629. In press. 11. Raymond A. Kent, State Aid to Public Schools in Minnesota. 1918. $1.00. 12. Rupert C. Lodge, The Meaning and Function of Simple Modes in the Philosophy of John Locke. In press. STUDIES IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS 1. Frankforter and Frary, Equilibria in Systems Containing Alcohols, Salts, and Water. 1912. $0.50. 2. Frankforter and Kritchevsky, A New Phase of Catalysis. 1914. SO. 50. STUDIES IN ENGINEERING 1. George Alfred Maney, Secondary Stresses and Other Problems in Rigid Frames: A New Method of Solution. 1915. $0.25. 2. Charles Franklin Shoop, An Investigation of the Concrete Road-Making Properties of Minnesota Stone and Gravel. 1915. $0.25. 3. Franklin R. McMillan, Shrinkage and Time Effects in Reinforced Con- crete. 1915. $0.25. (Continued inside back cover) Uty? Vtttwrattg nf iltmttfsflta STUDIES IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES NUMBER 11 A STUDY OF STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA BY RAYMOND ASA KENT, Ph.D. Sometime Assistant Professor of Education in the University of Minnesota MINNEAPOLIS Bulletin of the University of Minnesota April 1918 .MgKss Copyright 1918 BY THE University of Minnesota ©CI.A499151 IAY 27 1913 PREFACE Education is not a charity; it is a public duty. It took the people of this country many years to recognize this principle. Gradually the rights of sovereignty changed from groups that voluntarily taxed themselves to groups that compulsorily taxed themselves. Gradually these groups extended their influence until they taxed all the property of the state for the education of all the children of the state. This relationship between democratic society and popular education is one that the people of this country feel with responding devotion. The Federal Government long ago recognized the principle that its strength and safety depend upon the general level of intelligence maintained by its citizens. As early as 1875 it established its policy of granting lands to the states for the maintenance of schools. Since then other land grants have been made, and in addition large sums of money have been appropriated for the teaching of Home Economics and Agriculture. In every state there has grown up a permanent school fund, which combined with the revenue raised by taxation is used for the encourage- ment of public education. There are two fundamental principles or purposes governing the distribution of this money: one is the equalization of educational opportunities and the other is the stimulation of local educational sentiment. Apparently the administration of state funds for the purpose of realizing these principles has resulted in many evils. Injustice, inequality, and inequity frequently characterize the distribution of state moneys for school purposes. Equality of educational opportunities does not exist. Instead of stimulating local educational sentiment com- munities are frequently pauperized. The consequence is that practically every state is concerned just now with the problem of securing a more satisfactory and equitable distribution of state aid. Progress thus far has been made by more or less blind experimenting. State school funds have not infrequently been subject to legislative jugglery. Unfairness and injustice have often resulted. Practically no attempts have been made to work out a sensible program. No practical studies or investigations are available with the exception of Mr. Kent's. Mr. Kent's study of state aid in Minnesota thus represents a pioneer attempt to study one of the most important problems relating to our social welfare. That it should be duplicated in many states every one will admit, and that it should be used as the basis for determining a more sensible and rational program in our, own state, every one who is familiar with the local situation will agree. Not every question relating to state aid is answered by Mr. Kent, but he does deal with the more fundamental considerations. The careful and systematic development and solution of his problem commends itself to the scientific man, and should commend itself to the wise citizen and the competent legislator. L. D. Coffman CONTENTS Preface iii Chapter I — Problem and data 1-17 A. Problem 1 B. Data 4 C. Sources of error Rural schools 10 High schools 12 Graded schools 14 D. Method 16 Chapter II — Historical summary of legislation affecting state aid 18-31 Territorial provisions 18 State provisions I. General aid 18 II. State aid to high schools 19 III. Graded school aid 22 IV. Rural school aid ' 23 V; Industrial aid 25 VI. Rules in force 1912-13. 28 Chapter III — Special aid to high schools 32-55 Introductory 32 Size of corporate units 33 Attendance per pupil 34 Cost per pupil per day 34 Aid per pupil per day 35 Local school tax 35 Comparisons of tax levies 36 Per cent of state aid 37 Assessed valuation per pupil 38 Effect of state aid on enrollment 39 Enrollment and expense 40 Correlation tables State aid and cost per pupil 44 State aid and local tax 45 Local tax and attendance 46 Attendance and aid per day 47 Population and local tax 48 Population and expense 49 Population and state aid 50 Population and aid per day 51 Summary 52 Chapter IV — Special aid to graded schools 56-64 Attendance per pupil 56 Length of school year 56 Cost per pupil per day 57 Aid per pupil per day 57 Per cent of state aid 58 Local tax 59 CONTENTS v Assessed valuation per pupil 59 Summary 60 Correlations 60 Correlation tables Local tax and state aid 62 Summary table 63 Chapter V — Special aid to rural schools 65-91 Attendance per pupil 65 Length of school year 66 Cost per pupil per day 68 Aid per pupil per day 68 Per cent of state aid 69 Local tax 69 Assessed valuation per pupil 70 Monthly salary of teachers 71 Correlations 75 Four hundred sixty-one districts Local tax 77 Per cent of state aid 78 Increase in small schools 80 Changes in population 83 Changes in rural schools 85 Per cent of high school enrollment from outside 88 Summary 90 Chapter VI — Special aid to high, graded, and rural schools compared 92-104 Length of school year 92 Assessed valuation per pupil 93 Attendance per pupil 94 Cost per pupil 96 Aid per pupil 96 Per cent of state aid 99 Local tax 99 Summary 102 Proposed principles for governing state aid 103 Chapter VII — Special aid to industrial departments 105-125 Introductory 105 Salaries 107 Special instructors 108 Regular teachers 109 All teachers 109 Time unit cost Ill Comparisons 119 Correlations , 120 Effect on student personnel 121 Summary and conclusions 125 Chapter VIII— Conclusions 126-133 Data from Swift's Common School Funds 126 Essentials of a permanent school fund 127 Public school aid a policy in Minnesota 128 Three forms of aid, three stages of development 129 Conclusions of the study 132 vi CONTENTS APPENDICES A. High school board rules 137-166 B. Three tables from the report of the education commission 167-168 C. School laws passed by the legislature of 1915 169-176 D. Extracts from the Eighteenth Biennial Report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction 177-181 Bibliography 182-183 TABLES I. Chart used for tabulation of data 6-7 II. School districts 7 III. Industrial departments 8,9, 10 IV. Outline of state aid development 28, 29, 30 State appropriations for public school aid 31 V. Size of corporate units in which Minnesota high schools are located 33 VI. Attendance per pupil per year in high school districts 34 VII. Cost per day of attendance per pupil in high school districts. ... 34 VIII. Aid per day of attendance 35 IX. Local school tax in mills 35 X. The per cent that state aid is of the annual maintenance income in high school districts 37 XI. Assessed valuation per enrolled pupil 38 XII. Per cent of a district's total annual enrollment that is in the high school 40 XIII. Per cent of a district's total annual cost that is devoted to the high school 41 XIV. Per cent of a district's total enrollment and annual cost to be found in the high school 42 XV. Per cent of school expenditure devoted to high school in thirty- seven cities 43 XVI. Per cent of total average daily attendance to be found in high schools in thirty-seven cities 43 XVII. Relation of per cent of aid received to cost per pupil day of attendance 44 XVIII. Relation between local tax levy and per cent of annual income derived from the state 45 XIX. Relation between local tax rate and number of days attended per pupil 46 XX. Relation between number of days attended per pupil and aid per day of attendance per pupil 47 XXI. Relation between population and local tax rate 48 XXII. Relation between population and expense per day of attendance 49 XXIII. Relation between population and per cent of annual income derived from the state 50 XXIV. Relation between population and aid in cents per day of attend- ance 51 XXV. High school summary 52 XXVI. Attendance per pupil per year by districts 56 CONTENTS vii XXVII. Cost per pupil per day of attendance by districts 57 XXVIII. Aid per pupil per day of attendance by districts 57 XXIX. Part that state aid is of total annual income by districts 58 XXX. Special school tax in mills by districts 59 XXXI. Assessed valuation per enrolled pupil 59 XXXII. Correlations in graded schools 60 XXXIII. Relation between local tax levy and per cent of annual income derived from the state 62 XXXIV. Grade school summary 63 XXXV. Number of actual days attendance per pupil by district 65 XXXVI. Length of school year in months 66 XXXVII. Cost per pupil per day of attendance by districts 68 XXXVIII. State aid per pupil per day of attendance by districts 68 XXXIX. The per cent that state aid is of the total annual income for maintenance by districts 69 XL. Local tax for maintenance as per mills of real taxable valuation 69 XLI. Assessed valuation per enrolled pupil by districts 70 XLII. Monthly salary of rural teachers 71 XLIII. School districts 72, 73 XLIV. Correlations in rural schools 75 XLV. Local tax rate in mills 77 XLVI. Per cent that state aid is of district's annual income 78 XLVII. Increase in the number of schools having a total annual enroll- ment of less than ten pupils each 80 XLVIII. Increase in the number of schools having a total enrollment of ten to twenty pupils each 81 XLIX. Per cent of changes in population in thirty-four counties of Minnesota between 1900 and 1910 83 L. Distribution of per cent of decrease in population in thirty-four of the counties of Minnesota between 1900 and 1910 84 LI. Changes in rural schools and in rural population in twenty- eight counties of Minnesota between 1900 and 1910 85 LII. Table LI arranged as array of percentage of rural population changes 86 LIU. Changes in schools by counties 87 LIV. Per cent of high school enrollment from outside 88 LV. Distribution of 1,185 rural schools according to annual enrollment 89 LVI. Rural school summary 91 A. Length of school year in months 92 B. Assessed valuation per enrolled pupil 93 C. Attendance per pupil in days per year 94 D. Cost per pupil per day in cents 96 E. Aid per pupil-day in cents 96 F. Per cent of state aid per year 99 G. Local tax levy in mills 99 LVII. Summary 102 LVIII. Plan of original data sheet for cost of high school instruction. . . 106 LIX. Salaries of special instructors 108 LX. Salaries of regular high school teachers 109 LXI. Salaries of all groups of high school instructors 109 LXII. High school salary distributions Ill ii CONTENTS LXIII. Time-unit cost of departments in seventy-one high schools maintaining four departments of work 112 LXIV. Unit cost of academic instruction in industrial and non-indus- trial high schools 115 LXV. Unit cost of academic teaching in one hundred and sixty-four high schools 116 LXVI. Unit cost of academic instruction in Minnesota 116 LXVII. Time devoted by industrial instructors to teaching academic high school subjects 118 LXVIII. Pupil recitation cost in Newton, Massachusetts, high schools. . . 118 LXIX. Academic 118 LXX. Comparisons of unit cost of high school instruction 119 LXXI. Correlation of unit cost in high school 120 LXXII. Teacher training departments 121 LXXIII. Schools receiving $2,500 industrial aid 122 LXXIV. Schools receiving $1,800 industrial aid 122 LXX V. Per cent of outside enrollment in industrial high schools for the last eleven years 123 LXX VI. Divisions of high school enrollment for the state on the basis of per cent of total high school enrollment 123 APPENDIX B I. Relation of valuation and taxation to cost of instruction 167 II. Relation of state support to total cost of maintenance 168 III. Attendance and salaries 168 APPENDIX D I. Growth of permanent school fund since 1862 177 II. Permanent school fund July 31, 1914 177 III- A. Appropriations for public schools 177 III-B. Increases in state aid 178 IV. Apportionment of the current school fund from 1864-1914 178 V. Summary for last fifty-two years 179 VI. Special aid summary 179 VII-A. State aid to high schools, year ending July 31, 1913 180 VII-B. High schools, year ending July 31, 1914 180 VIII-A. Graded schools, year ending July 31, 1913 180 VIII-B. Graded schools, year ending July 31, 1914 180 IX-A. State aid to consolidated schools, year ending July 31, 1913. . . . 180 IX-B. Consolidated schools, year ending July 31, 1914 181 X-A. Semi-graded schools, year ending July 31, 1913 181 X-B. Semi-graded schools, year ending July 31, 1914 181 XI-A. Class A, year ending July 31, 1913 181 XI-B. Year ending July 31, 1914 181 CONTENTS FIGURES 1. Per cent of district's total expenditure and enrollment in the high school department 41 2. Increasing length of term, in days 67 3. Changes in the rural schools of Minnesota during a period of ten years.. 74 4. Increasing cost of education per pupil in average daily attendance 75 5. Increase in ten years in schools enrolling less than ten pupils 82 6. Distribution of 1,185 rural schools according to annual enrollment 89 7. Assessed valuation per enrolled pupil 93 8. Pupil attendance in days per year 95 9. Cost per day of attendance per pupil 97 10. Aid per day of attendance per pupil 98 11. Per cent that state aid is of total maintenance income 100 12. Local tax levy 101 13. Salaries of high school instructors by departments 110 14. Unit cost of high school instruction by departments 113 A STUDY OF STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA CHAPTER I PROBLEM AND DATA A. Problem The biennial Legislature of Minnesota in April, 1913, created a Public Education Commission "to make careful study and investigation of conditions in this . state with respect to public education, including the public school system and public educational institutions, and the relation of the educational institutions one to another and to the public school system; to recommend a general plan for the organization and adminis- tration of public education and public educational institutions. The general purpose of the Commission shall be to effect economy and efficiency with respect to the several branches of public education in this state." 1 The Governor appointed as members of this Commission: W. D. Willard, cashier, First National Bank, Mankato; W. G. Crosby, attorney, Duluth; J. A. DuBois, physician, Sauk Centre; Marie Lovsnes, county superintendent of schools, Norman County; W. F. Webster, principal of East High School, Minneapolis; J. A. Hartigan, president Farm Mortgage Bond Company, St. Paul; C. G. Schulz, state superintendent of education. The Commission organized in June by electing W. D. Willard as chairman, and the writer of this study as secretary. 2 The report of the Commission 3 does not include any comprehensive statement of the method or of the data en which its conclusions and recommendations were founded. After the Commission had concluded its work the data compiled were placed on file in the office of the State Superintendent of Education. As stated above, the work of the Commission was "to effect economy and efficiency with respect to the several branches of public education in the state." A part of the problem was to determine where economy could be most reasonably looked for and how the test of efficiency could be applied. So far as these problems affect the state one would naturally think of them first as applying to the funds which the state distributes as its share of the support "to the several branches of public education." Especially does this application seem the proper one in the light of the total amount of money thus involved annually. "Minnesota's per- manent school fund .... is now, in round figures, $25,000,000, and is expected to reach $100,000,000, or even $200,000,000, from the sale of 1 General Laws of Minnesota, 1913 ch. 571. 2 Report of the Minnesota Public Education Commission, 3, 7. 8 State of Minnesota, Public Education Commission, Report to the Governor. 2 RAYMOND ASA KENT school lands and timber and the royalties on iron ore. 4 The income is approximately $1,000,000 a year." 5 ' 'The state adds to the current school fund for distribution in the same way, the proceeds of a one-mill tax, which now yields above $1,250,000 a year." 6 "State aid to schools for special purposes, now amounting to $2,000,000 a year, is distinct from the school funds and is given from the general revenue funds." 7 Here, then, is a total of four and a quarter millions of dollars given by the state each year to its public schools. Plainly and simply asked, the inquiry becomes: What is the effect of state aid? Is state support securing satisfactory results commensurate with the amount of money given? These questions have never been answered. When one tries to secure evidence outside of Minnesota that might help in answering them, one finds a similar dearth of information. State aid to high schools was begun as early as 1871, in Maine. 8 Wis- consin was the second 9 and Minnesota was the third state in the Union to make such provision, 10 but up to the time of this investigation, as far as we know, a careful study had never been made as to how state aid was actually affecting public schools. So far as we know no aims that have been set up and no statements of accomplishments in connection with state subsidy of public education have been based on any careful, intensive study. The Commission, therefore, was face to face with finding its own answer to its inquiry. FORMS OF AID As will be explained more in detail in Chapter II, there are two general forms of state aid. The first is the current school fund, which is distributed to all schools, irrespective of their classification, number of departments, enrollment, or any factor, 11 except the number of children between six and twenty-one years of age attending public school forty days or more during the year. 12 The second form of aid includes special aid to each of the following groups of schools: 1 . High schools 2. Graded schools 3. Semi-graded schools 4. Rural schools 5. Consolidated schools * For further explanation see Chapter 2. 6 Report of Minnesota Commission, 21, 22. See also Appendix C. 6 Report of Minnesota Commission, 22. ■> Ibid. 8 Johnston and others, The Modern High School, 51. » Ibid., 52. « Ibid., 53. 11 Except the legal length of the school year, which is practically no condition now. See table 35. 12 References to all legal data are given in Chapter 2. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 3 Aid for special departments in high or graded schools is of three kinds: 13 1. Aid for departments of teacher training 2. Aid for the three industrial departments — agriculture, shop work, and home economics 3. Aid for agriculture and either shop work or home economics The ramifications of special state aid are complex. They have become so because a school may receive more than one form of special aid. 14 But whatever the combinations of aid received, for purposes of aid distribution, all schools are classed in one of the fundamental divisions of high, graded, semi-graded, or rural. Inasmuch as special state aid to industrial departments comprises so large a part of state support to high schools, 15 this particular form of aid was made a special part of the investigation and a separate chapter of this report is devoted to it. Among the forms of special departmental aids we are not particularly concerned here with the one for teacher-training departments. These departments sustain relations to the high school, to the community, and to the state entirely different from the other specially aided departments. They were not established, nor are they maintained, for the benefit of the local community, for the children of the community, or for the pupils of the high schools of the state. Their primary purpose was and is to benefit the rural schools of the state. 16 High school, high school community', and pupil benefits are quite secondary to their aim. For this reason the state has from their inception consistently pursued the policy of almost if not quite complete support of such departments. They exist for the state as distinct from the community. Notwithstanding their tremendous impor- tance, the money spent for them has such different purposes to serve from those of other funds about which we are here concerned that teacher- training departments are considered only incidentally. In determining the total amount of state subsidy which a high school district received in a given year, special aid for teacher-training departments, therefore, has not been included. Our problem, then, becomes one of a study concerning state aid to 1. Certain separate groups of schools 2. Special departments of work We wish to find out : first, what these schools or departments receive in special aid from the state; second, what the effect of this aid is upon the schools or departments; third, whether the aid now given is productive of educational "efficiency" and "economy." 18 For changes in force in 1915, see Appendix B. 14 This fact is made clear in Chapter 2. 18 Only two graded schools, one at Lewiston and one at Westbrook, had taken advantage of this support up to the time of this study. See Eighteenth Annual Report of the Inspector of State High Schools, 39; Nineteenth Report, 34, 35; and Twentieth Report, 52, 53. 18 See Thirteenth Annual Report of the Inspector of State High Schools, 37. 4 RAYMOND ASA KENT The problem is treated in two aspects. One chapter is devoted to a brief historical summary of the legislative enactments which relate to state support of public education since Minnesota was created a territory. By far the greatest proportion of the report, however, deals with the problem from a study of its statistical aspects. In the remaining chapters, therefore, the following divisions of subject matter are treated : a. Historical summary of legislation concerning state support. b. Special state aid to high schools. 17 c. Special state aid to graded schools. d. Special state aid to rural schools. e. Special state aid to industrial departments. B. Data SOURCES OF DATA In trying to determine what facts should be collected from which the desired information might be obtained, it was soon discovered that certain basic information was as essential concerning one group of schools as con- cerning another. In the beginning, therefore, there was no need to divide the schools into the three main groups in seeking information. The latest school year for which data were then available was 1912-13. That year there were 216 18 high schools and 217 19 graded schools in Min- nesota receiving state aid. It seemed quite feasible to attempt to collect information from each of these several schools. On the other hand, there were over 7,5Q0 20 districts maintaining schools classified as semi-graded and rural. To collect the desired information from each of these districts was impracticable and unnecessary. Some plan of selecting typical rural schools, chosen from the various parts of the state so as to be truly repre- sentative of the entire state would satisfy the purpose, require much less work, and give quite as satisfactory results as to attempt to include all of the 7,500. The plan finally adopted was that of selected counties. The state as a whole was surveyed. Certain counties distributed over the state were chosen because they were representative of the whole state — geo- graphically; educationally, so far as rural schools were concerned; eco- nomically; industrially; and socially, as to distribution of population. The number of such counties that should be included was not fully decided upon until the selection had been fairly well determined. It was then decided that fourteen counties would satisfy the conditions and needs of 17 Each of the school divisions will be described in detail in the next chapter. 18 Twentieth Annual Report of the Inspector of Slate High Schools, 36. 19 Eighteenth Annual Report of the Inspector of State Graded Schools, 8. 20 Eighteenth Biennial Report, Superintendent of Public Instruction, 16. Fourteen counties used in rural school computations 1. Carlton 4, Fillmore 7. Kittson 10. Pipestone 2. Dodge 5. Hubbard 8. Meeker 11. St. Louis 3. Douglas 6. Isanti 9. Norman 12. Scott 13. Wilkin 14. Watonwan 6 RAYMOND ASA KENT the problem. The location and names of the fourteen counties are shown in the accompanying outline map of Minnesota. Table I shows one of the pages used for the tabulation of the data first collected. The first space to the left gives the number of each district. In column 1 is stated the total enrollment of each school for the school year 1912-13. Column 2 gives the number of pupils enrolled for whom the current fund money was given their district for 1912-13 — that is, the number of pupils who attended school in each district forty days or more that year. Column 3 gives the number of total days attendance for the pupils in each district. Column 4 gives the average number of days at- tended per pupil enrolled. Column 5 states the number of teachers em- ployed in each district that year. 21 Column 6 contains the sum of the figures for the same district as listed in columns 7 and 8. Column 8 states the amount of money raised by special school tax levied upon the assessable property of the district for the year 1912-13. Column 7 contains the sum of the figures for the same district as listed in columns 9 and 10. Column 9 states the amount paid the district by the state because of the number of pupils listed in column 2 — that is, it states the amount of the current school fund which the district received for 1912-13. 22 Column 10 states the amount of special aid which the districts received for the same year. Column 11 gives the assessed valuation of the districts, and column 12 is the rate of special local school tax in mills. The figures in the first five columns were obtained directly or indirectly from the original reports of the county superintendents, which were on file in the office of the State Superintendent of Public Education. The figures in column 2 are those which were actually used by the State Department of Education for dis- tribution of the state apportionment fund. The figures in columns 11 and 12 were furnished directly to the Commission at its request by the county auditor of every county of the state on the blank shown in Table II. The amount in column 8 was in every case secured by multiplying the assessed valuation by the rate of special school tax. The amounts in columns 9 and 10 were taken directly from the original lists on file in the office of the State Superintendent. Column 13 states the per cent which the amount in column 7 is of the total amount in 'column 6, that is, the proportion (per cent) that all money received from the state is of a district's total school revenue for support in 1912-13. 23 The information covered by the 21 Number of annual teaching positions. If one instructor worked four months and another five, in the same district, this counts as only one for the year. 22 In discussing any class of schools the current fund is treated as part of the total state aid. For the year which this study covers it amounted to about $5.30 per annum per child attending forty days. This is a large enough part of the total per capita cost to be considered of material value to the local community in supporting its schools. The fact that the method of distribution of the current fund is different from that employed in the case of any other aid given is no reason for studying this fund separately from special state aid. 23 None of these figures includes the amount raised for bonded indebtedness. The county auditors did not include in the special local school tax the amount of mills levied because of bonded indebtedness. TABLE I District Basic Data Present Sources of Revenue State aid at present Per cent o state aid tc - Remarks Enrollment Days attendance Teachers 3tate and local State aid Local revenue total at Special present Rural Total For appor- Total Average Number Total State Local Apportion- Assessment Rate tionment per pupil ment (Mills) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 85 17 15 1,270 115 $ 551 $169 $382 S 79 S 90 S 34,767 11.0 S169 30.6% Class B 86 37 31 2,816 76 564 299 265 164 135 53,052 5.0 299 35.2 Class A 87 17 16 1,538 90 488 175 313 85 90 39,118 8.0 175 35.8 Class B 88 18 18 1,543 85 467 163 304 95 68 60,827 5.0 163 34.9 Class C 89 90 91 26 IS 17 22 9 16 2,301 644 1,899 88 43 112 432 453 451 117 48 220 315 405 231 117 48 85 135 62,972 101,127 53,662 5.0 4.0 4.3 117 48 220 27.0 10.5 48.7 Class A 92 17 15 2,014 118 432 169 263 79 90 62,691 4.2 169 39.1 Class B 93 19 17 2.131 111 625 225 400 90 135 55,519 7.2 225 36.0 Class A 94 43 39 5,102 119 788 392 396 207 135 65,972 6.0 392 49.0 Class A 95 96 16 24 10 24 1,328 2,802 83 116 313 451 53 217 260 234 53 127 90 59,125 58,571 4.4 4.0 53 217 16.8 48.1 Class B 97 31 30 3,455 111 637 249 388 159 90 88,222 4.4 249 39.0 Class B 98 24 19 2,052 96 886 236 650 101 135 86,720 7.5 236 26.6 Class A 99 100 20 19 10 19 1,010 2,532 50 133 286 625 53 236 233 389 53 101 135 55,593 51,899 4.2 7.5 53 236 18.5 37.7 Class A 101 102 103 11 16 12 9 14 11 1,167 1,338 1,293 106 83 117 179 266 403 48 74 148 131 192 255 48 74 58 90 29,781 63,976 44,814 4.4 3.0 5.7 48 74 148 26.8 27.8 36.7 Class B 105 18 16 1,968 109 429 153 276 85 68 49,201 5.6 153 35.6 Class C 106 19 16 2,118 111 505 175 330 85 90 78,472 4.2 175 34.6 Class B 107 24 22 2,578 107 1,084 257 827 117 140 55,145 15.0 257 23.0 Class B 109 11 25 7 21 669 2,385 61 95 281 601 37 246 244 355 37 111 135 44,413 53,032 5.5 6.7 37 246 13.1 40.0 110 Class A 111 16 13 1,809 106 473 159 314 69 90 52,380 6.0 159 33.6 Class B 113 3 3 232 77 310 16 294 16 36,723 8.0 16 5. 16 114 10 9 1,166 116 395 138 257 48 90 59,720 4.3 138 34.9 Class B 115 29 29 3,327 115 599 294 305 154 140 32,748 9.3 294 49.0 Class B 116 25 23 3,063 123 674 307 367 122 185 55,605 6.6 307 45.0 Class A 117 118 119 1 1 10 1,054 95 484 103 381 53 50 65,719 55,285 55,177 5 .8 103 21 .0 20 12 1,390 70 423 64 359 64 6.5 1.0 64 15. 1 55 55 Jt. Olmsted 120 17 12 1,520 89 560 199 361 64 135 51,636 7.0 199 35.5 Class A and Mower 121 14 14 1,653 118 '579 164 415 74 90 69,102 6.0 164 28.3 Class B 122 14 11 1,466 104 486 193 293 58 135 42,387 7.0 193 39.7 Class A 123 11 8 1,077 98 467 104 363 14 90 51,919 7.0 104 22.2 Class B 124 30 30 3,148 105 859 249 610 159 90 63,578 9.6 249 28.9 Class B 125 25 21 1,941 78 562 246 316 111 135 63,174 5.0 246 43.7 Class A 126 20 17 1,805 90 359 180 179 90 90 33,145 5.4 180 50.1 Class B Jt. Mower 127 18 18 2,143 119 511 230 281 95 135 25,561 11.0 230 45.0 Class A Jt. Mower 128 9 9 1,279 142 516 138 378 48 90 34,373 11.0 i38 26.7 Class B 129 23 16 2,081 90 789 175 614 85 90 65,272 9.4 175 22. 1 Class B 130 21 18 1,746 83 547 95 452 95 53,158 8.5 95 17.3 131 132 29 8 19 7 2,134 1,025 73 128 457 541 191 92 266 101 42 90 48,306 5.5 191 92 41.7 19.0 Class B 449 50 47,716 9. 4 No school. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 7 above outline was secured for as many as possible of the rural schools in the fourteen counties. The number of rural districts which it was finally possible to include from each county chosen is as follows: 1. Carlton 23 2. Dodge 74 3. Douglas . . 88 4. Fillmore 166 5. Hubbard 61 6. Isanti 62 7. Kanabec 61 8. Meeker 86 9. Norman 91 10. Pipestone 66 11. St. Louis 51 12. Scott 63 13. Watonwan 54 14. Wilkin 65 1,011 TABLE II County I certify that the following is a correct statement of the school tax rate and assessed valuation for the school districts of County for the school year ending July 31, 1913. Signed County Auditor. SCHOOL DISTRICTS Include in the special school tax the local 1-mill but not the state 1-mill. NAME OR NUMBER ASSESSED VALUATION SPECIAL SCHOOL TAX NAME OR NUMBER ASSESSED VALUATION SPECIAL SCHOOL TAX Information similar to the above was obtained also for as many as possible of the graded school districts and the districts maintaining high schools. In these two latter groups, out of all the districts maintaining 8 RAYMOND ASA KENT graded schools, 206 were finally included; and out of all the high school districts, 197 were included. Most of the basic data concerning special departments in the high schools were secured from the original reports sent by the schools to the State Inspector of High Schools. 24 A copy of one of these report-blanks is shown in Table III. The distribution of the time of the instructors in departments receiving special aid was checked by correspondence with the superintendents of the several schools involved. Other data are to be found in this study. The sources of such data are stated at the appropriate places. TABLE III Special Instruction Statistics. Return not later than June 15. INDUSTRIAL DEPARTMENTS OF THE Instructors: Name High or Graded School For the school year 1913-1914 Institution Position Where Educated Salary . Superintendent $ . Agriculture . Home Economics . Shopwork Total $ Enrollment: Agriculture: Home Economics: High School High School Short Course Short Course. . . . Grades . . Grades Shopwork : High School . Short Course. Grades Expenditure: Agriculture: Salaries (Not including Superintendent) Real Estate Agriculture Home Economics Shopwork Not Classified Total $. Attach a typewritten statement of expenditure showing the outlay in each of the three departments. This statement should be itemized to show in a general way how the money has been spent. It must be certified by the secretary of the board. 24 The use of these reports covering the year 1912-13 was kindly allowed the Commission by Mr. George B. Aiton, at the time State Inspector of High Schools. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 9 TABLE III (Continued) Association: No. of associated districts Total area of associated districts Area of central district No. of pupils from associated districts in central school Amount of tax contributed by associated districts $ Amount of tuition charged to home districts of non-residents $ On page two state service rendered to associated districts. Let each special instructor add a signed statement (preferably typewritten and on paper of this size) of the methods and the activities of his department, including class work, field work, extension work, meals served, articles of farm utility, school gardens, etc. Instruction (fill these forms) 1. Agriculture: subject NUMBER WEEKS ENROLLMENT LENGTH OF RECITATION Home Economics: subject NUMBER WEEKS ENROLLMENT LENGTH OF RECITATION 10 Shopwork: RAYMOND ASA KENT TABLE III (Continued) SUBJECT NUMBER WEEKS CLASS ENROLLMENT LENGTH OF RECITATION Extension Work: Farmers' Short Course Length in days of short course Attendance . Farmers 1 Institute Dates when held . Total attendance . Rural Meetings No. held Total attendance . Other Meetings, Contests, and Fairs held Signed . Superintendent C. Sources of Error I. RURAL SCHOOLS 1. Some may object to the method by which the districts were selected. A selection by counties, it may be asserted, is less representative of the state than a random selection of the same, or even of a less, number of districts from the entire state with every county represented. The pre- sumption of representativeness in several items is the reason why each of these counties was originally chosen. This presumption is verified by the distributions as they appear later in the statistical tables. They approach normal distribution. 25 2. The regular meetings of the Legislature are biennial. All forms of special aid received by any of the schools come solely from legislative 26 See also Woods, The Influence of Monarchs, 27. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 11 appropriation. It sometimes occurs during the year of legislative recess that the number of schools accepted for a particular form of aid is larger than was contemplated. The aid is then prorated among all those schools that year. The Legislature at its next meeting almost without fail makes up in part or in whole the amount of the previous deficiency, and this deficiency appropriation is distributed during the school year following the legislative session. 20 Was 1912-13 a year when such a deficiency might have been distributed as additional state aid? If so, was there such aid actually distributed that year? The regular sessions of the Legislature are held beginning in January of each odd-numbered year. The Legislature convened in January, 1911. There was no reimbursement in special aid. There was a deficit to every class of rural school except the semi-graded. 27 State apportionment, which is included in this study as a part of the state's contribution to the local district, though it is not special state aid, is in no way affected by legislative appropriation. The result of the first condition is to make the effects of state aid less noticeable than they would be if the aid had been paid in full. Both positive and negative figures of correlation are smaller than they would be if there had been no deficit for the year which the study covers. 3. The correlation figures are not corrected for attenuation; they are gross. The nature and sources of the data made such correction out of the question. All scientific work presupposes that the measurements of facts are as nearly accurate as possible. There will, however, in such measurements as these commonly be considerable error in each individual fact of those to be related. One district might have levied a much larger tax one year than ordinarily. For sound reasons another district might have found itself with a greater surplus than usual and so for the year in which we happened to study it, it might have levied a school tax much less than its usual levy. To correct this kind of an error (called attenuation) arising from chance, it is necessary to have at least two independent measures of the items to be related, or to have data from a larger area. In this case we ought to have data covering two years instead of one year, in all these items. The result of this lack of attenuation is to make the correlation figures in all probability less than they would have been if corrected for attenu- ation. 28 26 See deficiency appropriation amounts, table at end of Chapter 2. 27 Eighteenth Report, Superintendent of Public Instruction, table l\ p. 10. 28 Adapted from Thorndike's Mental and Social Measurements, 127-129. 12 RAYMOND ASA KENT II. HIGH SCHOOLS 1. There is no source of error from selection. Over ninety per cent of the total number of cases were included. 29 2. There is no source of error from reimbursement because there were no shortages in aid to be made up to high schools or to any of their depart- ments. 30 3. All that has been said with regard to non-attenuation of rural school figures of correlation applies with equal force here. 4. In computing the costs of instruction in high schools there has not always been as accurate a distribution of every instructor's time as could be desired. In figuring the cost of academic instruction there is an equiva- lent of individual distribution by including all the time of all the instructors. In the cases of special instruction the total time of each instructor was ac- counted for as far as it could be done. The special reports from the in- dustrial departments to the State Inspector of High Schools included such information in only a negligible number of cases. Definite data for each school were secured through personal correspondence with the school's superintendent. There is probably some error from this source, but it is very small. 5. Statements of expenses in these special departments (see Table III) are not so accurate as one wishes they might be. This is particularly true in the departments of agriculture. Under this division were presumed to be placed expenses for maintenance. By the actual statements of the reports, however, equipment expenses were sometimes included. Where they were so listed they were subtracted. That equipment was included in instances where it was not so itemized, is but to be supposed. The Commission felt the desirability of securing accurate data here. It realized, however, the impossibility of such an undertaking in the time allotted. In not a few cases, the reports had attached to them some statements of expense from the local boards of education. From exami- nation of these reports and from over ten years of personal acquaintance with school boards of districts from graded to city systems, some of which time has been spent attempting to ferret out separate items of maintenance, support, etc., from the reports of a salaried clerk, the writer believes that under the conditions of school accounting now prevalent in the state these reports are as accurate as are any available for a representative group of high schools in Minnesota. This belief is supported by those with wider and longer experience in the state in these matters than the writer has had. The crudeness, from the scientific point of view, of such data and the unreliability of results computed from them are fully realized. There are *» See accompanying list. 80 Eighteenth Report, Superintendent of Public Instruction, 10. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 13 some things to be said in favor of including the data, however. In the first place, the presentation of the data so gathered with an understanding of their unreliability, and the reason for the same, may hasten better ac- counting and the possibility of authentic information for future computa- tions. In the second place, the item of greatest proportion and importance in even such expensive departments as shop work and agriculture is that of salary, and the data on this are reliable. In the third place, these reports are the bases for the distribution of the special state aid to these depart- ments, and therefore, though inaccurate, bear a relation to the amount of aid distributed that is both logical and of significant importance. In the fourth place, some concepts of the respective costs of these depart- ments, inaccurate though they may be, can not but help to clear the situa- tion. We know that the state has been distributing large sums of money for these special departments. Our idea of just how and where this money has been used and how justifiable its local consumption, has been entirely lacking, vague, or based merely on personal opinion. The state has sorely needed standardization in determining these matters. The first step in this direction, short and faltering though it may be, more than justifies itself. In the fifth place, some of these specific items can be and have been compared with and checked by investigations elsewhere. In this way an idea of the nature and of the amount of error can be more definitely and accurately judged. High School Districts Included in This Study Ada Adrian Aitkin Akeley Albert Lea Alden Alexandria Amboy Annandale Anoka Appleton Argyle Arlington Atwater Aurora Bagley Barnesville Belle Plaine Bemidji Benson Bird Island Biwabik Blackduck Blooming Prairie Brainerd Breckenridge Browns Valley Buffalo Buhl Caledonia Cambridge Canby Cannon Falls Cass Lake Chaska Chatfield Chisholm Clarkfield Cloquet Cokato Coleraine Cottonwood Crookston Dassel Dawson Delano Deer River Detroit Dodge Center Eagle Bend East Grand Forks Elbow Lake Elk River Ely Eveleth Excelsior Fairfax Fairmont Faribault Farmington Fergus Falls Fertile Fosston Frazee Fulda Gaylord 14 RAYMOND ASA KENT Gilbert Glencoe Glenwood Graceville Grand Rapids Granite Falls Hallock Halstad Harmony Hastings Hawley Hector Henderson Herman Heron Lake Hinckley Hibbing Hopkins Houston Howard Lake Hutchinson International Falls Jackson Janesville Jordan Kasota Kasson Kenyon Kerkhoven Lake Benton Lake City Lake Crystal Lake Park Lakefield Lamberton Lanesboro LeSueur Le Sueur Center Litchfield Little Falls Long Prairie Luverne Mcintosh Mabel Madelia Madison Mankato Mantorville Maple Lake Mapleton Marshall Milaca Minneota Montevideo Monticello Montgomery Moorhead Mora Morris Morton Mountain Lake New Prague New Richland New Ulm Northfield North St. Paul Norwood Olivia Ortonville Osakis Owatonna Park Rapids Paynesville Pelican Rapids Perham Pine City Pine Island Pipestone Plainview Preston Princeton Red Lake Falls Red Wing Redwood Falls Renville Rochester Royalton Rush City Rushford St. Charles St. Cloud St. James St. Louis Park St. Peter Sandstone Sauk Center Sauk Rapids Shakopee Sherburn Slayton Sleepy Eye South St. Paul Springfield Spring Grove Spring Valley Staples Stillwater Stephen Stewartville Thief River Falls Tracy Two Harbors Tyler Virginia Wabasha Wadena Walker Waseca Warren Waterville Wayzata Welcome West Concord Wheaton White Bear Will mar Windom Winona Winthrop Worthington Zumbrota III. GRADED SCHOOLS 1. There is no. source of error from selection. Nearly ninety-five per cent of all possible cases were included. 31 2. There was no reimbursement, because there had been no shortage. 32 31 See accompanying list. ^-Eighteenth Report, Superintendent of Public Instruction, 10. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 15 3. The same principle regarding attenuation holds here as with rural and high school computations. 4. There were no instructional costs computed for graded school districts. Graded School Districts Included Ashby Columbia Heights Avoca Comfrey Audubon Comstock Badger Crosby Balaton Cyrus Barnum Dayton Barrett Deephaven Battlefield Deer Creek Battle Lake Deerwood Baudette Delhi Beardsley Donaldson Beaver Creek Donnelly Becker Doran Belgrade Dover Bellingham Dundas Bel view Dunnell Bertha Echo Big Falls Eden Valley Big Lake Edina Bingham Lake Edgerton Boyd Elgin Braham Ellendale Brandon Ellsworth Brewster Elysian Brook Park Erskine Brooten Evansville Browerville Eyota Brownton Fisher Bruno Floodwood Buffalo Lake Foley Burtrum Forest Lake Byron Fountain Campbell Foxholme Canton Franklin Carlton Gary Carman Geneva Carver Gibbon Ceylon Glenville Champlin Glyndon Chokio Goodhue Clara City Good Thunder Claremont Granada Clarissa Grand Marais Clear Lake Greenbush Clearwater Green Isle Clinton Grey Eagle in This Study Grove City Hancock Hanley Falls Hartland Hayfield Hendricks Hendrum Henning Hill City Hills Hofman Hokah Ivanhoe Jasper JefTers Kellog Kimball Lakeville Lake Wilson Lester Prairie Lewiston Lindstrom Lowry Lynd Madison Lake Mahnomen Marietta Maynard Mazeppa Meadowlands Medford Melrose Milan Montrose Moose Lake Morgan Morristown Motley Mount Iron Murdock Nashwauk Nemadji New Auburn New London New York Mills Nicollet 16 RAYMOND ASA KENT North Branch North Mankato Nymore Oak Park Odessa Ogilvie Onamia Osseo Parker's Prairie Perley Peterson Pierz Proctor Raymond Reading Richmond Robbinsdale Rockford Roseau Rosemount Rothsay Round Lake Rushmore Ruthton St. Clair St. Francis St. Hilaire St. Joseph St. Paul Park St. Vincent Sacred Heart Sanborn Saum Scanlon Sebeka Silver Lake South Haven South Stillwater Spooner Starbuck Stewart Swanville Taylors Falls Tenstrike Tintah Tower Triumph Truman Twin Valley Ulen Verndale Vernon Center Villard Wabasso Waconia Walnut Grove Wanda Warroad Watertown Watson Waverly Westbrook Willow River Wood Lake Woodstock Wolverton Wrenshall Wykoff D. Method The method of the study, as indicated before, is largely statistical. The historical summary of legislation affecting state aid, which precedes the statistical, is merely a groundwork for the latter. The former, however, describes to us the formal steps by which we have arrived where we are. The latter attempts to clarify the present situation. The steps taken in the statistical procedure are briefly : First. The tabulation and summarization of the basic data collected concerning a. High schools b. Graded schools c. Rural schools This was done in order that clearly denned working concepts might be formed concerning each of these groups of schools and the relation of state aid thereto. In the chapters dealing with these respective groups of schools, tables of distribution and central tendencies have been com- puted in each of the following items: a. Number of days attended per pupil per year. b. Cost per pupil day of attendance. c. State aid per pupil day of attendance. d. The proportion that state aid is of the annual maintenance in- come for schools. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 17 e. Local school tax. f . Assessed valuation per enrolled pupil. g. Length of the school year in months. In addition to these items certain other miscellaneous items have been computed in these chapters. Second. An attempt has been made to discover whether there are any important relations between the factors for the separate groups. This is done by the use of distribution tables and correlation coefficients. Third. The three groups of schools are compared with respect to the above eight common factors. Comparisons are made in term's of distri- butions and of central tendencies. Fourth. The method employed in the treatment of special departments is comparable to the one just described. By distributions of salaries and other items of cost, certain facts are established concerning the expenditure for each of these departments. Comparisons are then made between similar items in different departments. CHAPTER II HISTORICAL SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION AFFECTING STATE AID The aim in this chapter is to present a brief historical statement of the facts concerning state aid to public schools in Minnesota. Territorial laws, the state constitution, statutory provisions of the state, and High School Board rulings, are considered as they affect each of the three groups of schools to which state aid is given. Territorial Provisions The Organic Act which created the Territory of Minnesota was passed in 1849. 1 This act provided that two sections in each township be reserved as public school land. 2 A territorial act of the same year provided that the county commissioners should levy an annual tax of one-fourth per cent, or two and one-half mills, to be apportioned in proportion to the number of scholars between four and twenty-one years of age in each district. 3 Two years later it was voted that if this tax was insufficient the balance could be raised by levying upon the taxable property of the districts or by a fifty-cent tax on each male inhabitant between twenty-one and fifty- five years of age, as might be directed at the school meeting. 4 In 1854 the apportionment by the county was limited to districts in which school had been taught for at least three months during the year preceding. 5 State Provisions i. general aid or current school fund In 1858 Minnesota was admitted as a state. 6 The constitution pro- vided 7 that the principal of all funds arising from the sale of lands granted for educational purposes should "forever be preserved inviolate and un- diminished," 8 and that the income from the lease or sale of such lands be distributed to the different townships "in proportion to the number of scholars in each township, between the ages of five and twenty-one years." 9 The general laws of 1861 provided that "the principal sum arising from all sales of school lands shall remain a perpetual school fund in the state 1 Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1911, 11. 2 Ibid., sec. 18, also Authorizing Act, sec. 5. 3 Laws of Minnesota, 1849 ch. 7, sec. 2. 4 Ibid., 1851 ch. 29, sec. 16. 5 Ibid., 1854 ch. 20, sec. 3. A good brisf historical account of Minnesota is given in Young, Civil Government of Minnesota ch. 2. 6 Legislative Manual, 1911, 62. 7 Ibid., 25 et seq. 8 Ibid., 45, State Constitution art. 8, sec. 2. 9 Ibid. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 19 and shall not be reduced by any charges or costs of officers, by fees or by any means whatsoever." 10 "All moneys received as interest on such permanent fund, or rents on leased lands, shall constitute the current school fund of the state, and shall be distributed by the state superintendent among the several counties of the state in proportion to the number of scholars therein between the ages of five and twenty-one years." 11 Li 1877 the income from the state school funds was directed to be ap- portioned among the several counties of the state on the first Mondays of March and October each year in proportion to the number of scholars between five and twenty-one enrolled in schools which had been in session at least three months during the previous year. 12 In 1877 the county tax was changed from a two-and-one-half-mills to a one-mill tax which was to be returned to the districts in the same proportion as it had been paid. 13 This provision made the county tax in reality a compulsory part of the local support. In 1887 a state one-mill tax was added to the income from the general school fund. 14 The money raised by this tax was to be called the "State School Tax Fund," and this money, together with the income from the general school fund, was to be called the "current school fund." 15 The same year (1887) the Legislature defined more explicitly the mean- ing of the word "scholar" which is used in the constitution for the basis of the distribution of the apportionment. Evidently the constitution did not mean to make school population the basis for this distribution. The Legislature therefore directed that all the current fund should be distributed "in proportion to the number of scholars between the ages of five and twenty-one years who have been enrolled and have been in attendance forty days in the public schools." 16 The same statute provided that all schools receiving such funds should be in session not less than five months the year preceding the distribution of the aid. II. STATE AID TO HIGH SCHOOLS In 1878 the "High School Board" was created. 17 It consisted of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the President of the University ex officio, and one member appointed by the Governor. 18 The same act 10 General Laws, 1861 ch. 14, sec. 41. » Ibid., sec. 42. " Ibid., 1877 sec. 1, sub-ch. 5 of eh. 74. 13 Ibid., sec. 10, sub-ch. 5 of ch. 74. 14 Ibid., 1887 sec. 3, sub-ch. 5 of ch. 41. (Amending sec. 84 of ch. 36, General Statutes, 1878.) i'°Ibid. 16 Ibid., sec. 1, ch. 41. (Amending sec. 75 of ch. 36, General Statutes, 1878.) See also discussion in Kiehle, Education in Minnesota ch. 2. » Ibid., 1878 ch. 92, sec. 1. 18 Ibid. 20 RAYMOND ASA KENT provided special aid of $400 to each high school 19 meeting the following requirements : 20 , "First, that there shall be regular and orderly courses of study, embracing all the branches prescribed as prerequisite for admission to the collegiate department of the University of Minnesota, not lower than the third, or sub-freshman class. (Note l.) 21 "Second, that the said school receiving pecuniary aid under this act, shall at all times permit the said board of commissioners, or any of them, to visit and examine the classes pursuing the same preparatory courses." (Note 2.) Schools receiving the aid were to admit both sexes free of tuition, but non-residents might be required to pass examination in all subjects re- quired for first grade teacher's certificate except algebra, plane geometry, and the theory and practice of teaching. 22 (Note 3.) Each school receiving the aid was to be visited by one or more com- missioners of the Board at least once annually, or by some competent person appointed by the Board and who was to report to them. 23 The Board was given power "to establish any necessary and suitable rules and regulations relating to examinations, reports, and other proceedings, under this act." 24 (Note 4.) A total of $9,000 was appropriated to cover all the expenses incurred in the administration of the act and the subsidies granted to the high schools for the same purposes. 25 The next year a total of $20,000 was appropriated. 26 In 1881 27 the act of 1879 was amended in such a form as to make the appropriation an annual one. 28 At a special session of the Legislature, held the same year (1881), the High School Board was reorganized. 29 The act provided that "the High School Board shall have full discretionary power to consider and act upon applications of schools for state aid, and to prescribe the conditions upon which said aid shall be granted, and it shall be its duty to accept and aid such schools only as will in its opinion, if aided, efficiently perform the service contemplated by law, but not more than three schools shall be aided in each county in any one year. Any school once accepted and continuing to comply with the law and the regulations of the Board made in pursuance thereof, shall be aided not less than three years." 30 The act 19 General Laws, 1878 ch. 92, sec. 5. 20 Ibid., sec. 3. - . 21 Notes referred to are in Appendix A. • . 22 General Laws, 1878 sec. 2. 23 Ibid., sec. 4. 2i Ibid., sec. 7. 25 Ibid., sec. 5. 26 Ibid., 1879 ch. 27, sec. 2. 27 Since 1879 the legislature has met in regular session in only the odd years, see chapter 23 of General Laws, 1878. 28 General Laws, 1881 ch. 144, sec. 5. 29 General Laws of Special Sessions, 1881 ch. 61. 30 Ibid., sec. 1. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 21 fixed the compensation of an "assistant examiner" but provided that "no compensation shall be paid to any person receiving salary from any state institution." 31 (Notes 5 and 6.) In 1883 the maximum number of schools that could be aided in one county was increased from three to five, 32 and $3,000 was added to the previous annual appropriation, 33 making a total of $23,000. (Note 7.) This act stood unchanged for four years. (Notes 8, 9, and 10.) In 1887, $2,000 was added to the appropriation, 34 thereby raising the total amount available annually to $25,000. In 1893, $7,000 more was added. 35 (Notes 11, 12, 13, 14.) Eighteen ninety-seven saw $10,000 added to annual high school aid, 36 making a total of $42,000. In 1899 the Legislature made more explicit the conditions prerequisite for receiving state aid. In order to receive high school aid the school must have been maintained at least nine months during the year pre- ceding. 37 Students of either sex, residents of any part of the state, must be admitted free of any tuition, and non-residents were admitted only after having satisfactorily passed examinations in all the common branches pursued and completed in the eight grades of the common schools. To receive aid, high schools must have regular and orderly courses of study, embracing all branches prescribed by the State High School Board, as prerequisite for admission to the collegiate department of the State Univer- sity. 38 Finally, the school must be subject to the rules and regulations prescribed by the High School Board, and be opened to visitation by any member of the Board or the High School Inspector at all times. (Note 15.) State aid was raised from $400 to $800 for each high school approved for aid. 39 (Note 16.) To carry into effect the above provisions the Legislature appropriated $85,000 annual aid to high schools. 40 Nine thousand five hundred dollars of the appropriation for high and graded schools was set apart to defray the expenses incurred by the board in inspection and in otherwise adminis- tering the act. The legislature of 1901 raised the aid for each high school to $1,000, 41 and appropriated $15,000 for aid and expenses, the same amount ($9,500) being similarly reserved as in 1899. 31 Ibid., sec. 2. 32 General Laws, 1883 ch. 40, sec. 1. 33 Ibid., ch. 151, sec. 1. 3i Ibid., 1887 ch. 256, sec. 1. 35 Ibid., 1893 ch. 101, sec. 1. 36 Ibid., 1897 ch. 155, sec. 6. " Ibid., 1899 ch. 352, art. 2, sec. 7. 38 Ibid. 39 Ibid., sec. 9. *° Ibid., 1899 ch. 352, art. 5, sec. 28. "Ibid., 1901 ch. 189, sec. 1. 22 RAYMOND ASA KENT m In 1903 individual high school aid was raised to $1,500. 42 The ap- propriation, with the $9,500 reservation as two and four years previous, was $217,000. (Notes 17 to 21.) In 1905 the High School Board was given full discretionary powers to supervise and to prescribe conditions under which aid should be given to high schools, except not more than seven schools in the same county could receive such aid, and aid was to be given any schools not less than two years in succession if regulations were complied with. 43 In 1909 individual aid was raised to $1,750 per school. 44 In 1909 and 1911 special aids to industrial work were granted. (See section V of this chapter.) Association aid came at the latter date. (Notes 22 to 31.) III. GRADED SCHOOL AID Special Aid The first aid for graded schools was authorized in 1895, to be adminis- tered under the supervision of the High School Board. 45 Each school was to receive $200 annually. 46 An appropriation of $10,000 was voted for the purposes of the act. 47 (Notes 32 to 35.) In 1899, when conditions for receiving high school aid were made more explicit by the legislature, the conditions to be met by graded schools to be entitled to aid were stated by the legislature to be : 48 1. A school session of at least nine months. 2. A school well organized, with at least four departments in charge of a principal and teachers having the qualifications stipulated by the High School Board. The principal, however, was required to be a graduate of the advanced course of a state normal school, or of the academic or pedagogical department of a reputable college or state university, or have a first grade certificate or a state professional certificate. 3. Suitable buildings, library, and other apparatus necessary for doing efficient work. 4. Regular and orderly courses of study taught, and all branches required by the State High School Board. Another feature of the law of 1899 provided that no graded school connected with, or in the same district with, a high school receiving state aid, should receive any aid for graded schools. 49 In 1901 aid was raised to $400 for each school, and the annual appropri- ation was made $52,000. 50 (Note 36.) 42 General Laws, 1903 ch. 184, sec. 1. 43 Ibid., 1905 ch. 320, sec. 1. "Ibid., 1909 ch. 334, sec. 1. 45 Ibid., 1895 ch. 183, sec. 1. 46 Ibid., sec. 2. 47 Ibid., sec. 3. « Ibid., 1899 ch. 352, art. 3, sec. 12. 49 Ibid., sec. 14. so See statement regarding $9,500 expense fund. General Laws, 1901 ch. 189, sec. 2, 5. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 23 In 1903 the aid was raised to $550 per school 51 and the appropriation was made $79,000. 52 (Notes 37 to 40.) In 1909 individual aid was made $600. 53 In the same year (1909) $500 was authorized for each graded school maintaining a course equivalent to two years of high school work. Such aid was to be paid from the appropriation for high schools and graded schools in as nearly proportionate amounts as might be. {General Laws, 1909, ch. 444.) This aid was to be given under the supervision of the High School Board. (Notes 41, 42, and 43.) Industrial aid of $2,500 per school, granted in 1909, and $1,000 per school, granted in 1911, applied also to graded schools. (See section V of this chapter.) Association aid came at the latter date. IV. RURAL SCHOOL AID (NOTES 44 AND 45.) Aid to Semi-graded Schools In 1899, twenty-one years after the first act granting special aid to high schools, and four years after graded schools had been subsidized, the first special aid was granted to country schools. These schools that might receive aid were divided into two groups. One group were called semi-graded, and were to receive $100 each from the state annually. 54 In order to be eligible for such aid a school was obliged to meet all the following requirements : 55 1. Have an eight months session. 2. Have two departments under teachers of whom one at least should be a graduate of an advanced course of a normal school, or must hold a first grade certifi- cate, or a professional certificate. Other teachers were required to hold a second grade certificate. 3. Have suitable buildings, a library, and necessary apparatus. • 4. Have a "regular and orderly" course of study. 5. Comply with the rules of the superintendent of public instruction. 6. Application for aid was to be made by the board to the county superintendent, who was to certify all deserving schools and forward their applications to the state superintendent. 56 An annual appropriation of $11,000 was made for this aid. 57 In 1901 the aid was raised to $200 per school 58 and the annual appropria- tion was made $25,000. 59 61 General Laws, 1903 ch. 366, sec. 1. nibid., 1913 ch. 184, sec. 2. 63 Ibid., 1909 ch. 334, sec. 1. " Ibid . 66 Ibid., sec. 17. Mlbid., sec. 18. «» Ibid., sec. 28, art. 5. «« Ibid., 1901 ch. 189, sec. 3. '» Ibid., sec. 5. 24 RAYMOND ASA KENT In 1903 the aid was placed at $250 per school, 60 and the annual appro- priation was raised to $67,000. 61 In 1909 the aid reached $300 per school. 62 In 1911 association 63 aid came. This is discussed in connection with industrial aid. (See section V of this chapter.) By chapter 207 of the Laws of 1911 the Legislature allowed consolida- tion aid. It established three classes of schools to be formed by con- solidation. Those of classes A and B were to have an area of at least eighteen sections. Schools of Class C were to be formed with twelve sections. There was to be possible consolidation including an area of less than twelve sections, but in such case the state aid provided would not apply. Each consolidated school was to be in session for eight months and was to employ a principal who had special training and preparation for direct- ing the teaching of agriculture and other industrial lines. A school of Class A was to provide a building of four rooms or departments and was to receive state aid of $1,500. A school of Class B was to provide a building of three rooms and was to receive aid of $1,000. One of Class C was to be a two-department school and was to receive $750 aid. Additional aid for the erection of a school building for either class to the amount of twenty- five per cent of the cost and not exceeding $1,500 was also provided. The same year the Legislature provided that "the aggregate attendance in days by children in either class of rural schools shall not be made a rule for granting such aid." 64 Aid to One-Room Schools The second class of country schools aided in 1899 were called "rural." They were to receive $75 each per year, 65 and had the same conditions imposed upon them as semi-graded schools had, except that two depart- ments were not required, and the teacher did not need to hold other than a first grade or professional certificate. 66 Forty thousand dollars annual aid was their appropriation. 67 In 1901 the aid was made $100 for each such school 68 and the appro- priation for such aid, $60,000. 69 In 1903 aid was made $125 per school, 70 and the appropriation, $100,000. 71 60 General Laws, 1903 ch. 366, sec. 2. « Ibid., 1903 ch. 184, sec. 2. « 2 Ibid., 1909 ch. 334, sec. 1. 63 Ibid., 1911 ch. 91, sec. 1. M Ibid., ch. 60, sec. 1. 65 Ibid., 1399 ch. 352, art. 5, sec. 25. 66 Ibid., sees. 23, 24. 6? Ibid., sec. 23. 68 ibid., 1901 ch. 1S9, sec. 4. 63 Ibid., sec. 5. '» Ibid., 1903 ch. 366, sec. 3. « Ibid., 1903 ch. 184, sec. 2. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 25 In 1909 the aid was set at $150 for a rural school fulfilling the conditions above enumerated, 72 and $100 was to be given each school meeting all the requirements except that the teacher held a second grade certificate. 73 In 1911 a reclassification of rural schools was made. They were divided as follows: 74 Class A — Schools having sessions of eight months and having teachers with first grade certificates Class B — Schools having sessions of eight months and having teachers with second grade certificates Class C — Schools having sessions of seven months and having teachers with second grade certificates The aid to these schools was set at : 75 Not more than $150 each for schools in Class A Not more than $100 each for schools in Class B Not more than $75 each for schools in Class C Association aid, explained later, applied to any of these three groups of schools, as did also the proviso excluding "aggregate attendance" as "a rule for granting such aid." Finally, there was, in 1911, provided a form of aid that can not be called association, consolidation, or transportation aid. Chapter 167 authorized the school board in any district to provide for the instruction of its pupils in an adjoining district by discontinuing its own schools, or for any grade or department in its own schools, and to provide free trans- portation for the pupils to another school, the school in the district so closed to receive state aid of $150, as provided for schools of Class A under Chapter 60. V. INDUSTRIAL AID To Separate Schools In 1905, the same year that special aid was first voted to graded schools, the Legislature provided for the establishment of country schools of agri- culture and domestic economy. 76 The first two schools established and approved by the state superintendent and the dean of the College of Agriculture of the State University were to receive such aid as might be prescribed by law or might be appropriated. 77 To Separate Departments There were no country schools established under the act of 1905. In 1909 another plan was passed by the Legislature. It was to be operated » Ibid., 1909 ch. 334, sec. 1. " Ibid. i* Ibid., 1911 ch. 60, sec. 1. « Ibid. « Ibid., 1905 ch. 314, sees. 1-9. 77 Ibid., sec. 10. 26 RAYMOND ASA KENT in direct connection with schools already existing. 78 High, graded, and consolidated schools were possible beneficiaries. 79 Each school was to maintain instruction in agriculture, manual training, and home economics. 80 Each school, so aided, was to maintain a demonstration tract of not less than five acres, suitably located. 81 Instruction was to be free to all resi- dents of the state. 82 The course of study was to be made out in full and was to cover all the details of agriculture. 83 The annual aid might equal two thirds of the cost of the department but was not to exceed $2,500 per school. 84 Not more than ten schools were to be so aided the first year, nor more than ten added to the list every two years thereafter, 85 and not more than one school in any county could be added in any two years. 86 Twenty-five thousand dollars was the sum appropriated for each of the next two years. 87 (Notes 46 and 48.) The next Legislature (1911) provided aid of $1,000 for every high or graded school that would maintain suitable courses in agriculture and in either home economics, or manual training. 88 This aid was to be taken from the amounts appropriated for general aid to high and graded schools. 89 (Notes 47 and 48.) Association aid was granted first by Chapter 82 of the Laws of 1911. Chapter 247 of the Laws of 1909, had, in connection with providing for special industrial departments and special aid for the same, made associa- tion permissive. Association is defined in terms of the law as follows: 90 Sec. 6. For the purpose of extending the teaching of agriculture, home eco- nomics, and manual training to pupils in rural schools, and for the purpose of extend- ing the influence and supervision of state high or graded schools over rural schools, one or more rural schools may become associated with any state high or graded school maintaining a department of agriculture, whether or not such high or graded school has been designated by the state high school board to receive aid under the provisions of this act. Any such state high or graded school shall for the purposes of this act be known as a central school. Sec. 7. To effect this, proceedings shall be had by petition and election on the part of the rural school, or schools as now provided by law for the consolidation of school districts, and ballots to vote upon this question shall read: To associate with District No for the teaching of agriculture and manual training Yes No The district or districts cast- 's General Laws, 1909 ch. 247. » 9 Ibid., sec. 1. 8° Ibid., sec. 2. si Ibid. 82 Ibid., sec. 3. 83 Ibid. Mlbid., sec. 4. 85 Ibid. 8« Ibid., sec. 5. 8' Ibid. *»Ibid., 1911 ch. 91, sec. 1. s» Ibid. •» Ibid., 1909. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 27 ing a majority vote upon the approval of such association by a majority of the school board of the central school become so associated and the rural school or schools together with the central school, shall thereafter be known as the as- sociated schools of ... . for the teaching of agriculture and manual training. Sec. 8. The members of the various school boards of the associated schools shall meet on the third Monday in June of each year at the central school building to act as a board of review and to examine into the amount of money expended in each department of work herein provided for and to determine the amount of tax which shall be levied on the associated rural school district or districts for the purpose of maintaining courses of instruction as provided in section 2 of this act, and for the purpose of extending such instruction to the pupils of the associated rural schools. Provided, however, that the tax shall not be less than one mill or more than four mills in the various rural school districts in the association and such tax shall be in addition to other general and special school taxes in such rural districts. The amount of such tax shall be certified by the chairman of the meeting to the county auditor to be by him levied against the property in the respective districts and when collected by the county treasurer, such tax shall be paid to the treasurer of the central school who shall furnish the board of review full and detailed statement of all money received and expended. Sec. 9. The school board of each rural school district associated with a central school under the provisions of this act shall designate one of its members by vote to act with the school board of the central school in carrying out the provisions of this act as to the teaching of agriculture, domestic economy, and manual training in such schools and in all matters pertaining to such instruction, both in the central school and in the associated rural schools, such member shall have equal power with the member of the school board of the central school. Sec. 10. The principal or superintendent of the central school shall have and exercise the same authority and supervision over the rural schools as over the central school. He shall prepare for the associated rural schools a suitable course of study embodying training and instruction in agriculture and such subjects as are related to farm life and can be taught successfully in rural schools. Sec. 11. The relationship and obligations between the associated rural school or schools and the central school may be terminated at any annual school meeting by a majority vote of the associated districts, but not until the central school has had at least one year's notice of the intention to vote on the question. By Chapter 82 of the Laws of 1911, the above was reenacted with the new provisions that $150 was to be paid to the central school district and $50 to the rural school district for each rural district associating with a central district. Rural districts associating were also permitted to levy a tax for an industrial building in connection with the central district. The minimum tax levy to be imposed on the associated districts was raised to two mills, and the maximum limit of four mills was removed. Per- mission was granted also for a tract of land for experimental purposes to be acquired in one or more of the associated districts. In interpreting this provision the state department makes the follow- ing statement: "When a school is closed, as provided under chapter 167, and its pupils are transported to another school, the district of the closed school may receive state aid of $150, if the pupils are sent to a school that 28 RAYMOND ASA KENT earns state aid under Class A, rural schools, or to a semi-graded, graded, or high school. The condition of the closed building is not a factor in earning the aid. The district must, however, provide proper transporta- tion for all its pupils to attend another school." 91 VI. RULES IN FORCE. 1912-13 The complete rulings of the High School Board relating to state aid which were in force during the year covered by this study are given in Appendix A in form similar to that in which they were published by the State Department of Education. 92 TABLE IV. OUTLINE OF STATE AID DEVELOPMENT Part I. Current School Fund 93 Year Sources Basis of Distribution 1858 Annual income from State Public School Funds 1877 Scholars, 5 to 21 years of age, attending in schools having at least 3 months session during the year 1887 Income from state public school funds and income from a state one- mill tax 40 days, in schools having at least 5 months session during the year Part II. Special State Aid to Public Schools 9 Schools and Amounts of Annual Aid Year High Graded Rural "Semi-graded" "Rural" 1878 $ 400 800 1,000 1,500 1,750 2,000 $200 400 550 600 750 $100 200 250 300 1895 1899 $ 75 1901 100 1903 125 Class A Class B 1909 $150 $100 Class A Class B Class C 1911 $150 $100 $75 1913 91 Department of Public Instruction, St. Paul, Circular no. 7. 1911. 92 State of Minnesota, Department of Education Bulletin no. 45. May, 1913. 93 For what this has amounted to per pupil as actually distributed, see Appendix C, table 4. 94 A resume of only regular lines of work. No aid for departmental work of any kind or for associa- tion or consolidation is included. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS Part III. Aid to High vSchools 29 Annual Aid for Different Purposes Year High School Industrial Association Consolidation Remarks 1878.. . $ 400 1881. . . Limited to 3 in a county 1883.. . Limited to 5 in a county 1899. . . 800 1901. . . 1,000 1903... 1,500 1905... Limited to 7 in a county 9 * 1909... 1,750 $2,500 1911... 2,500 or 1,000 $150 per each associated dist. $1,500 1913. . . 2,000 2,500 or 1,800 Aid for teacher training departments is in addition to all the above. Part IV. Aid to Graded Schools Annual Aid for Different Purposes Year Graded School Industrial Association Consolidation H. S. Dept. 1895 $200 1901 400 1903 550 1909 600 $2,500 $500 1911 2,500 or 1,000 $150 for each as- sociated district $1,000 1913 750 2,500 or 1,800 95 According to the general statutes of both 1905 and 1913 the limit as to number of high schools to receive aid in any one county is seven, although the general laws of 1909 give it as nine. The place where the maximum number was changed from seven to nine can not be found. The general statutes are sup- posed to be final by court practice. 30 RAYMOND ASA KENT Part V. Rural School Aid 1. "SEMI-GRADED SCHOOLS" Year Annual Aid for Different Purposes Semi-graded Schools Consolidation Association 1899 $100 200 250 300 1901 1903 1909 $750 1911 ated district 2. "RURAL SCHOOLS" Annual Aid for Special Purposes Year Rural Schools 1899 $ 75 1901 100 1903 125 CT( Class A Class B 1905 $125 150 $ 50 100 1909 Class A Class B Class C 1911 $150 $100 $75 o q t«J OO -* to O 00 On NO °i On" On >o On oo" O 1/3 00 •>*" NO On 00 On On -*• 00 © © 00 On On_ m 1 o oJ w NO O ■N* a o .2 'o o < s o q NO o On_ oo" •c On O "1 ■N* to On N* NO 00 NO (N C»3 >* a .2 r2 "o c o U On NO io <*> q o bo c "S t-l 6 o O u-; oo" o o "1 O O © NO O o © o o o o NO NO o o m oT nM "i3 3 no CO ^ oo" ©*-H On *V. LO lO (-1-hoo_ O ON On "Sobo O'HOO i/}ioi/T ■SO") NO-* tN OnOno On — < PoNRt»<* 1— no" oooT^O o otom On On CS 5< On On o" On to ro ■* NO o NO ION On lO NO ■o a> *d . as ■| CO ON On o oj o o Q"->00 tO cs to o o oo ON CN qSqSS r- On 00 On no O O"-"0 On On "5 On fO oo © NO to o NO 00 oo oo" NO o o q 00 to (4 O lO o On NO o On O On 00 o On On O On o On ON nOn to On icinOooiOM **"* i-O i^) ^ ^O A -O "O -O r-Q ,o -O 00^ s l ^t^— hio-^ gCN^coON00 , * t0t0t0t0nl~CS(NO4rNlCS iT3^3^3T3'N3*TS^3TaT3T3 , I — l' — I' — ll — |K-,»~.I — l >-^>^,l~ H l — , $ K, ?>0>Q^'tO<0>0'0>0" CHAPTER III SPECIAL AID TO HIGH SCHOOLS As was explained in Chapter II, a specified amount of state aid is given to districts maintaining high schools, for each such school maintained. The districts receiving this aid receive no special aid for that part of the schools below the high school. The money from the state is paid to the district, and in general practice, turned in with the local general school fund. There is no separate account kept of high school costs except by a very few of the larger cities or in some items by other districts. This method of bookkeeping compels us at this point to consider such general items as tax expense and support, for the whole district instead of for the high school department alone. In another chapter 1 certain items are considered for the high school alone, but in this part of the discussion, unless otherwise distinctly specified, "high school district" refers to the whole district or system of schools in the district and not to that division of the system — the high school proper. The whole system includes the high school and the grades. In an associated district it may include, besides the central system with the two parts above named, one or more one-room schools. The number of districts of the last kind, however, is very small. We realize that this method is not so desirable as it might be. On the other hand, when one stops to consider that the aid is given to the district as the unit, that the common practice is for the district to lump this con- tribution with all other forms of support in one general source of main- tenance, it is clear that the method above indicated, unfortunate and inac- curate as it may be, is the method of procedure really applicable to study- ing the conditions as they actually exist. The three largest cities — Duluth, St. Paul, Minneapolis — are not in- cluded in this report. They do not represent conditions typical of the state as a whole. These are the only cities of the state that have more than one high school each. 2 Furthermore, in enrollment, in the total number of instructors, in the proportion of the school work that is indus- trial in character, and in the size of the corporate units in which the high schools of the state are located, the high schools of these three cities are in a group quite separate from the rest of the state. In 1914-15 there were 210 high schools in Minnesota outside of Duluth. St. Paul, and Minneapolis. These were located in villages and cities whose population ranged, accord- ing to the United States Census Report of 1910, as shown in Table V. 1 Chapter 7, Aid to Industrial Departments. 2 Duluth has 2; St. Paul, 4; Minneapolis, 5. See Eighteenth Annual Report of the Inspector of Slate High Schools, 19 et seq. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 33 TABLE V Size of Corporate Units in Which Minnesota High Schools Are Located' 5 high schools are in corporations o: under 500 people 71 " « u tt a it between 500 an d 1,000 people 43 " " a tt a a a 1,000 ' ( 1,500 ' 30 " « n tt a tt tt 1,500 ' ( 2,000 ' 14 " c< << tt it a n 2,000 ' 2,500 ' 6 " <( a tt ti a tt 2,500 ' 3,000 ' 5 " M a " tt a tt 3,000 ' 3,500 ' 4 " tt a tt it a tt 3,500 ' 4,000 ' 2 " tt a " it a " 4,000 ' 4,500 ' 3 " a a " tt tt " 4,500 ' 5,000 ' 1 " " a tt tt a <( 5,000 ' 5,500 ' 2 " « a tt it tt it 5,500 < 6,000 ' 2 " a tt tt it a a 6,000 ' 6,500 ' 2 " << tt " tt tt it 6,500 ' 7,000 ' 1 " u a tt a it ti 7,000 ' 7,500 ' 3 " " it tt a ti a 7,500 ' 8,000 ' 2 " « it tt a a " 8,000 * 8,500 ' 2 " u " " a tt " 8,500 ' 9,000 ' " << tt << ft a it 9,000 ' 9,500 ' 3 " << it << it if tt 9,500 ' 10,000 ' 1 " « a " it ti " 10,000 ' 10,500 ' 1 " « a « tt a tt 18,000 ' 18,500 " The typical village or city of the state that supports a high school has a population of less than 1,300 people. One half of the high schools are in places containing not over 1,550 people, while 163 or more than three fourths of all the high schools of the state outside of the three largest cities, are in territory that by both the federal authorities and by sociol- ogists is classed as distinctly rural. 4 In attempting to determine and interpret conditions for the state at large the omission of the three largest cities seems, therefore, amply justified. 5 The median number of days of attendance per pupil per year in 197 high school districts is 147.44. In the middle fifty per cent of these districts, the attendance per pupil is between 142.4 days and 154.9 days. 6 In ninety-nine per cent of the districts the average attendance is 120 days, or more. This is three times the length of attendance necessary to receive apportionment aid. It is two thirds of a nine-months year. In over ninety per cent of the districts the average attendance is 135 days or more, which is at least three fourths of the standard school year. 8 See Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 2:985-8. * Gillette, Constructive Rural Sociology ch. 2. 6 The above data on population were collected for the high schools on the state list in 1914-15. See Twenty-second Report of State High School Inspector, 6-10. 6 In this and in succeeding distributions, the central tendency is obtained by making the basic unit the district, and not the pupil. Considered from one view-point this is not the best method. It does not give an idea that is nearly so correct for the attendance of all the pupils as would be obtained if the computations were made merely on the pupil basis, irrespective of district records. This study, however, is an investigation of certain conditions by districts as units. A compilation of attendance merely by pupils would make impossible comparison of this and other items by districts. Such comparisons make up the bulk of this study. 34 RAYMOND ASA KENT TABLE VI Attendance per Pupil per Year in High School Districts' Number of Per Cent of Attendance — Districts All Districts Days 1 .5 101 to 103.9 1 .5 110 to 112.9 1 .5 120 to 122.9 6 3.04 126 to 128.9 3 1.52 129 to 131.9 6 3.04 132 to 134.9 7 3.55 135 to 137.9 IS 7.60 138 to 140.9 17 8.57 141 to 143.9 35 17.76 144 to 146.9 36 18.27 147 to 149.9 20 10.15 150 to 152.9 21 10.65 153 to 155.9 12 6.09 156 to 158.9 11 5.58 159 to 161.9 1 .5 162 to 164.9 3 1.52 165 to 170.9 1 .5 171 to 173.9 TABLE VII Cost per Day of Attendance per Pupil in High School Districts Number of Per Cent of Cost per Day — Districts All Districts Cents 1 .5 12 to 13.9 5 2.54 14 it 15.9 5 2.54 16 tt 17.9 18 9.13 18 It 19.9 25 12.69 20 tt 21.9 24 12.18 22 It 23.9 21 10.65 24 It 25.9 26 13.19 26 It 27.9 22 11.16 28 it 29.9 14 7.10 30 a 31.9 11 5.58 32 it 33.9 7 3.55 34 it 35.9 1 .5 36 it 39.9 2 1.01 40 ti 43.9 1 .5 44 tt 45.9 1 .5 46 tt 47.9 1 .5 48 it 51.9 1 .5 52 tt 57.9 1 .5 58 tt 59.9 1 .5 60 it 61.9 1 .5 62 tt 63.9 1 .5 64 a 65.9 3 1.52 68 tt 69.9 2 1.01 94 tt 95.9 1 .5 126 tt 127.9 1 .5 136 tt 137.9 7 It should be remembered that data collected made it possible to use 197 high school districts in the basic computations. These districts are the ones covered by the following tables of this chapter. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 35 The median cost per day of attendance per pupil is 25 . 66 cents. , For the middle one half of the districts this cost is between 21.5 cents and 29.87 cents. Although this unit cost reaches $1.36 in the case" of one district, over ninety per cent of the districts have a corresponding cost of not more than 35 cents. About fifteen per cent have a unit cost of less than 20 cents. Thus seventy-five per cent of the districts havea unit cost of between 20 and 35 cents per day of attendance. TABLE VIII Aid per Day of Attendance Number of Per Cent of Aid PER Day— Districts All Districts Cents 6 3.0 3 to 3.9 13 6.6 4 tt 4.9 23 11.7 5 tt 5.9 33 16.8 6 it 6.9 31 15.7 7 tt 7.9 28 14.2 8 tt 8.9 15 7.6 9 tt 9.9 22 11.2 10 it 10.9 10 5.1 11 tt 11.9 5 2.5 12 tt 12.9 3 1.5 13 tt 13.9 2 1.0 14 it 14.9 1 .5 15 tt 15.9 3 1.5 16 tt 16.9 .0 17 it 17.9 .0 18 it 18.9 1 .5 19 it 19.9 1 .5 20 tt 20.9 TABLE IX Local School Tax in Mills Number of Per Cent of Local School Districts All Districts . Tax— Mills 6 3.04 2 to 2.9 19 7.64 3 " 3.9 38 19.38 4 it 4.9 41 20.81 5 tt 5.9 40 20.30 6 a 6.9 26 13.19 7 a 7.9 7 3.55 8 tt 8.9 4 2.03 9 tt 9.9 7 3.55 10 it 10.9 3 1.52 11 tt 11.9 4 2.03 12 it 12.9 1 .5 17 a 17.9 1 .5 18 a 18.9 36 RAYMOND ASA KENT The median aid per day of attendance is 7.5 cents. There are some scattered cases of very high aid per day. In the middle half of the districts the aid ranges from 6 . 1 cents to 9 . 8 cents per day. Although the aid is as much as 20 cents per day in one district, it is 12 cents or more in only five and one-half per cent of all the schools. It is under 5 cents in less than ten per cent of all. In about eighty-five per cent of the schools, then, the aid ranges from 5 to 13 cents per pupil per day of attendance. The median special tax that these districts levy for school maintenance, computed on their total taxable valuation, is 6.26 mills. The middle half of the districts levy taxes between 5 . 03 mills and 7.81 mills. Although one district has a tax of more than 17.9 mills, only eight per cent have taxes of 10 mills or more, while the taxes of eleven per cent are less than 4 mills. Thus about eighty-eight per cent of all districts are taxed between 4 and 10 mills on the basis of their true valuation. Comparisons of Local Special School Tax Levies The report of the Minnesota Tax Commission for 1912 contains a care- ful study of the ratio between the taxable and true valuation of property throughout the state. 8 This report gives the ratio of taxable to true valua- tion for each separate county of the state. The median of this ratio is 32.49 per cent. In attempting a comparison of local special school taxes levied on the assessed valuation of the district, and any other item based upon or in any way dependent upon these items, one would be entirely in error to compare assessed valuations as they are stated, since the ratio of taxable to true valuation in the several counties of Minnesota ranges, as the above cited table shows, from 22.55 per cent to 43.35 per cent. The plan adopted in this study, therefore, was to reduce all special local school mill tax levies to the basis of the tax rate on the true valuation of the same property, the true valuation being computed by the use of the ratio of taxable to true valuation for the county in which such districts are located. It may be objected that rural real estate is not assessed the same as urban. This, however, can not constitute real criticism of the method at this point. Facts brought out in a later part of the study show clearly that the amount of mill tax voted for school purposes is considerably lower among rural districts than among districts maintaining graded or high schools, but that the assessed valuation to be drawn on for every pupil enrolled in school is considerably higher in the open country districts than in villages and cities. 9 If absolutely accurate figures were obtainable, there is no doubt that figures for the true valuation of rural real estate would be slightly s Table 1, pp. 430, 431. • Chapter 6, Summary. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 37 raised. The figures for the true valuation of urban real estate on the other hand, might be slightly lowered. Change in either place indicated would affect results only in an increase in the same direction which the present indications show. All the facts we have on hand tend to prove that if more accurate information in this particular respect were avail- able, comparisons in items of financial ability and taxable effort and re- sources between rural and graded and high schools would be even more striking than the obtained comparisons show. The actual ratios of the taxable to true valuation in the fourteen counties used for rural school computations are : 10 County Carlton . . , Dodge Douglas. . Fillmore. . Hubbard . Isanti Kittson. . Ratio of Taxable to True Valuation Per Cent 30.09 30.59 25.14 26.80 28.56 30.53 25.36 Ratio of Taxable to County True Valuation Per Cent Meeker 26.57 Norman 30 . 64 Pipestone 25.87 St. Louis 36.90 Scott 22.77 Watonwan 27.73 Wilkin 27.03 In the above table and in all others in this study where the amount of local school tax enters, tax on real valuation as above explained will be meant unless specific statement is made to the contrary. TABLE X The Per Cent That State Aid Is of the Annual Maintenance Income in High School Districts Number of Per Cent of State Aid — Districts All Districts Per Cent 5 2.54 3 to 5.9 4 2.03 .6 « 8.9 3 1.52 9 « 11.9 2 1.01 12 « 14.9 5 2.54 15 a 17.9 9 4.54 18 u 20.9 14 7.10 21 « 23.9 16 8.07 24 K 26.9 18 9.13 27 <( 29.9 30 15.22 30 tt 32.9 24 12.18 33 it 35.9 28 14.21 36 tt 38.9 13 6.59 39 a 41.9 11 5.58 42 it 44.9 5 2.54 45 tt 47.9 5 2.54 4S it 50.9 3 1.52 51 tt 56.9 1 .5 57 a 59.9 1 .5 60 tt 62.9 10 Report of the Minnesota Tax Commission, 1912 table 1, pp. 430, 431. 38 RAYMOND ASA KENT The median part that the total state aid is of the whole maintenance income of the districts is 32.15 percent. The middle half of the districts receive from the state between 25.26 per cent and 37.76 per cent of their maintenance. One district receives from the state as much as 60 per cent of its main- tenance, while between eight and nine per cent of all the schools receive less than 15 per cent. On the other hand, more than forty-six per cent receive in aid over one third of their annual maintenance, and about eighty per cent receive more than one fourth. TABLE XI Assessed Valuation per Enrolled Pupil Number of Per Cent of Assessed Valuation Districts All Districts PER Pupil 2 .96 $ 250 to $ 499 19 9.17 500 " 749 41 19.32 750 a 999 55 26.56 1,000 tt 1,249 29 15.00 1,250 a 1,499 21 10.14 1,500 u 1,749 9 4.34 1,750 tt 1,999 6 2.89 2,000 a 2,249 6 2.89 2,250 it 2,499 2 .96 2,500 it 2,749 1 .48 2,750 (i 2,999 2 .96 3,000 (i 3,499 .48 3,500 it 3,999 .48 4,000 it 4,139 .48 4,250 it 4,499 .48 4,500 it 5,749 .48 5,750 it 7,999 .48 8,000 tt 8,499 .48 8,500 a 8,749 .48 8,750 a 10,499 .48 10,500 tt 16,749 .48 16,750 it 18,249 .48 18,250 it 18,749 .48 18,750 it 23,999 .48 23,000 a 53,749 .48 53,750 it 53,799 The median assessed valuation per enrolled pupil is $1,186. In the middle fifty per cent of these districts such valuation is between $937 and $1,610 per pupil. The median and the mode fall in the same group. The distribution is extremely skewed toward low valuation. This is what we might expect. The highest valuations occur in those districts located in the northern part of the state. Several of the districts in this portion are almost or altogether iron mine territory. Over eighty per cent of the districts have a valuation per pupil of less than $1,750. The lowest fifty districts have a valuation between $250 STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 39 and $677 per enrolled pupil. The highest fifty range from $1,631 to $53,750 per pupil. The valuations per pupil in the five richest districts are, respectively: $16,964 $18,390 $18,790 $23,093 $53,752 In over ninety-five per cent of the districts a fifteen-mill tax 11 levied on the assessed valuation would bring between $7.50 and $37.50 per pupil. In over nine per cent of the districts the same levy would bring between $38.00 and $800.00 per pupil. 12 It should be remembered that all the figures discussed in connection with the above table are on the basis of assessed and not real valuation. Effect of Special State Aid on Enrollment in High School It is possible that one effect of special state aid to high schools has been to increase attendance from outside the district itself, to attract children from adjoining districts. The presence of a high school in a well- settled community means that it will attract from nearby districts a part of its enrollment. This fact is shown in a later part of the study. 13 In so far as special aid has furthered the establishment of high school depart- ments, it has doubtless been a positive factor in increasing the enrollment of pupils from outside the district. But aid to individual high schools increased from a maximum of $1,500 plus the apportionment in 1903, 14 to a maximum possibility of over $5,000 in addition to apportionment in 1914-15. 15 Later we shall discover that the per cent of outside enrollment in all the high schools of the state was 23.3 per cent in 1903 and 23.4 per cent in 1915. The question more to the point is whether the increase in special state aid per school increased the enrollment of pupils from outside the district in similar proportion. An examination of the per cent of outside enroll- ment in the high schools during the past decade compels us to give a neg- ative answer. Some may object that the above presentation omits one very important item, that of consolidation; that the pupils from the outlying territory in consolidated districts are as truly "outside" pupils in the sense the above 11 A rough central measure of special school levies among high school districts of the state. 12 Cf. Cubberley, School Funds and Their Apportionment chs. 3 and 4. « Chapter 7, table 76. M Chapter 2. 16 Eighteenth Annual Report of Inspector of State High Schools, 4. No decrease was made after 1911, but an increase to one group of industrial schools and to teacher training departments. See Chapter 2. 40 RAYMOND ASA KENT are considered as though they were not within the formal confines of the enlarged district. It should be remembered that districts receive special annual aid for consolidation in addition to aid received because they support accredited high schools. It is quite erroneous to confuse these two forms of aid or the effects of them. There is this much to be considered however. Every high school receives some of its pupils from outside its district. By consolidation a district takes in as its own members a number of pupils previously enrolled as outsiders. The number of such pupils included will depend partly upon the amount of rural territory included in the consolidation. In any consolidated district then, the number of outsiders enrolled will be nomi- nally less than before the consolidation. The number of consolidated schools has increased markedly during the past five years. This situation makes the per cent of outside enrollment seem somewhat less for this period than it actually has been. High School Enrollment and High School Expense Is there any relation between the part of a district's enrollment that is^in the high school and the part of the district's money spent in the high school? If there is a central tendency for, say, one fourth of all pupils in high school districts to be found in the high school department, is there a corresponding tendency for one fourth, one third, or any other fraction of expenditure to go to the high school department? |/|§ For eighty-five districts receiving no aid for industrial work, division of ^school enrollment and cost between the grades and the high school is as shown in the two following tables: TABLE XII Per Cent of a District's Total Annual Enrollment That Is in the High School High School Number of Per Cent OF Enrollment — Districts All Districts Per Cent 6 7.07 3 to 7.9 6 7.07 8 « 12.9 12 14.12 13 « 17.9 27 31.75 18 a 22.9 22 25.87 23 it 27.9 10 11.76 28 it 32.9 I ! 1.18 33 it 37.9 .0 38 tt 42.9 .0 43 a 47.9 1 1.18 48 it 52.9 .0 53 it 57.9 .0 58 tt 62.9 STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 41 TABLE XIII Per Cent of a District's Total Annual Cost That Is Devoted to the High School Number of Per Cent of High School Cost — Districts All Districts Pe R Cent 4 4.72 3 to 7.9 3 3.53 8 a 12.9 7 8.24 13 tt 17.9 12 14.12 18 (( 22.9 19 22.35 23 a 27.9 14 16.47 28 u 32.9 11 12.93 33 u 37.9 7 8.24 38 a 42.9 2 2.36 43 a 47.9 4 4.71 48 a 52.9 1 1.18 53 it 57.9 1 1.18 58 it 62.9 The relation between high school expenditure and enrollment is shown more clearly by changing Tables XII and XIII into curves of distribution. Figure 1 is the result. 30* 3 8 13 18 22 28 33 38 43 48 55 58 Erjro I I imc.r)t - — — Expenditure- Figure 1 Per cent of district's total expenditure and enrollment in the high school department Both tables and the figure indicate that there is a well-marked central tendency in each item. Districts maintaining high school departments have a median of 20 per cent of their total enrollment in the high school, and to maintain this department, spend slightly more than 30 per cent of their total annual expenditure to maintain all their school. The middle fifty per cent of the districts enroll between 16 per cent and 25 per cent 42 RAYMOND ASA KENT of all their children in their high schools. While one district enrolls "48 per cent to 52.9 per cent," only slightly more than two per cent of all districts enroll in their high schools over 38 per cent of their total enroll- ment. The limits of the middle half of the districts in expenditure fall both higher and lower than in enrollment. They are 21 per cent and 35 per cent for expenditure as compared with 16 per cent and 25 per cent for enrollment. One school spends on its high school "58 per cent to 62.9 per cent" of what it spends for all its schools each year. Yet less than one fifth of all spend more than 33 per cent of their money in their high school departments and about one sixth spend less than 18 per cent. Table XIV shows a marked positive correlation between per cent of enrollment in the high school and the money spent in that department, in these eighty-five districts. It is valuable to know how Minnesota compares in these items with other sections of the country. TABLE XIV Per Cent of a District's Total Enrollment and Annual Cost to Be Found in the High Schools Per Cent of Cost Enrollment 0\ i T 00 T <*2 1 00 1 1 00 1 to 1 00 1 l 00 o t^ io 1 CO CM *o 1 00 lO 3 to 7.9 4 2 1 3 2 2 1 3 4 3 1 1 2 11 5 1 6 5 2 2 3 3 2 1 1 6 2 1 2 1 1 8-12.9 13-17.9 18-22.9 23-27.9 28-32.9 1 33-37.9 38-42.9 43-47.9 48-52.9 53-57.9 58-62.9 Totals 4 5.5 3 6.3 7 13.3 12 20.5 19 20.5 14 23. 11 23.8 7 25.1 2 30.5 4 30.5 1 15.5 1 Medians 30 5 The Boise, Idaho, Survey 16 shows that in thirty-seven cities of the United States the lowest per cent of expenditure devoted to high schools is 10 per cent and the highest is 36 per cent. 17 Only seven of the thirty- seven spend over 30 per cent, the Minnesota median, in the department. Their mode is clearly marked at 21 per cent. Sixty-nine per cent of these eighty-five schools are above the group in which this figure falls. On the whole, the eighty-five high schools of Minnesota compare favorably with u Expert Survey of Public School System, Boise, Idaho, 1912. " Ibid., 18. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 43 the high schools of the thirty-seven cities. The variability, though, is con- siderably greater than that found among these cities. The distribution of expenditure for high schools among these cities is : TABLE XV Per Cent of School Expenditure Devoted to High School in Thirty-seven Cities Per Cent of Number of Expenditure Cities 10 per cent to 14.9 per cent 3 1 5 per cent to 19.9 per cent 9 20 per cent to 24 . 9 per cent 16 25 per cent to 29 . 9 per cent 2 30 per cent to 34 . 9 per cent 5 35 per cent to 39.9 per cent 2 This survey gives the per cent of children in the high school in these thirty-seven cities, not by enrollment but by average daily attendance. 18 The distribution of the total daily attendance in these cities that is to be found in their high schools is given in Table XVI. TABLE XVI Per Cent of Total Average Daily Attendance to Be Found in High Schools in Thirty-seven Cities Per Cent of Number of Attendance Cities 5 per cent to 9.9 per cent 7 10 per cent to 14.9 per cent 22 15 per cent to 19.9 per cent 5 20 per cent to 24 . 9 per cent 2 25 per cent to 29.9 per cent 30 per cent to 34 . 9 per cent 1 In the "10 per cent to 14.9 per cent" group, there are 6 schools at 10 per cent 4 schools at 11 per cent 6 schools at 12 per cent 3 schools at 13 per cent 3 schools at 14 per cent The modal per cent of attendance in high school among these cities is between 10 and 15 per cent. In Minnesota the median per cent of enroll- ment in high school is 20. Of the thirty-seven cities only three have more than 20 per cent of their average daily attendance in the high school. Making all due allowance for the fact that presence of pupils is meas- ured by average daily attendance in one group of schools and by enroll- ment in the other group, Minnesota's high schools rank high. It is very clear also that the districts maintaining high schools in this state are well disposed in the matter of supporting their high school departments. Whether the support is justly divided between the high school and the elementary school is a question which it is impossible to answer from any data at present available. is Ibid., 19. 44 RAYMOND ASA KENT > X H pq < E-" < h O H Z w o el w ft 6 0Z-0Z «-i o CO VO 6 61-61 6 - 8I-8T i— i O CO 6'H-iI f W U Z < a z a 6 91-91 o co • co co 6 "SI-SI •^ o < 6"tl-tl i— i i— i o co O 6"€I-CI i— I i— t r-t o CO • On CN 6'ZI-ZI CS i-H i-H i-H o On CN 6*11-11 -HNfOf) 1-H CO O • i-H On CN a Oh 6 - 01-01 csicsrO'* l "0'-ifOcs o CN • CN 00 CN H U3 O o 6"6 -6 i-H CS'HMfJrO'- liH i— 1 00 lO • ^H 00 CN o H Q a > M 6"8 -8 i-li-litfllONONOCNCN^H o 00 • CN liO CM 6L -I CN cs iO iO co co rC co co ^h »h 00 CO CN CN U 69 -9 i-l NO 00 TJH CO ^ CO 1-H i-H 1-H 1-1 1^- co • CO CN CN g < 6"S -S HtOHf0 1fl(0(NrHH(S 1-1 CO • OOv>'3(-^t-^ ,-i,-i,-i/}iOi'^0\00\OOCNco iiiijiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiii i 77 !N^v000ON^>OMON'*^000O( s )'*iO00ONif\000ON'*Mil , v3« rHr-lrHr-ICSMCSCSMfOf)tOf)t^^'<^Ti010IO'0\00\0\00^*NfO STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 45 > " W w H < 6'8I-8I »H "0 to CM 6"iWI t-H On 691-91 6'SI-ST 6"tT-tI I 6"et-fl 6ZWI T— 1 T— 1 T— 1 T-H O CM 6 TT-TI T— 1 T— 1 T-H lO CO • T-H CO 6'01-OT T— 1 T— 1 T— 1 tH t— 1 T-H t-H CO 6'6 -6 t-H T-H T-H T-H CM 68-8 i-H ,-H CS H H t-H lO 00 6'i -i t-H t-H ^H^ItHN'O'* WOtH o NO • NO CO 6'9 -9 t-h t-h f^ CO r|H t^ \0 >0 to fO NH t-h o • ^CO CO 6S -S ^ M h oo 00 00 fO ■<)< N tH T-H CO 6f -f fNWH T-H r* CO ■* t"» NO CO CS CO t-H CO 00 • CO »-t CO 6 - c -e T-H T-H CM T-H T-H CN tHNtJ CO T-H 00 • T-H NO CO 6'Z -Z T-H CM T-H T-H T-H o NO • CO a < o H z w o « a ft Totals . . . Medians. . On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On 1000»HT|NOcOMDOvNlOOOHTlH^OfO>00\IN HT-IHNNNMCOtOWTl^TjdOlOlOlO^ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 CONOONCNlOOOT-HTHHC^©CONOONCSlOOOT-lT4\0 46 RAYMOND ASA KENT w H < < 6 81-81 i-H 1H IT) 6it-iT 1— 1 HIT) •>* 1—1 6'9T-9I 6ST-SI 6"tI-*T 6£I-£I 6ZT-ZI "* ■*"-> -* 6"IT-II ^ - - CO to CM 6 01-01 rHNNN t- CM 6 - 6 -6 ^H CM t-I 6'8 -8 t-i tH CM *~- NO 6'i -i ■«* ITS t^ NO NO CM «# 6'9 -9 CM CM © NO CM r-l 6S -S ^ ON CO GO CM 6'f -f HiHlOfON'O CO On 6"e -e CM vON <* On CM 6'Z-Z tH i-i CM CM NO »0 lO t— 1 w o z < a z w H H < 100-109.9 110-119.9 120-129.9 130-139.9 140-149.9 150-159.9 160-169.9 170-179.9 en 5 •J 3 STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 47 o ■S3 Is O H Z W u « H ft 6 29-09 1 6"6?-iS r-t CM 6' 95-1-9 ~~~ ■* 6es-is 6 - os-8* ,-H ^H CM H lO CM 6'Lt-Sf CM c*5 IT) CM "0 6'^t-rt rttO-*NH 6Tf-6£ CO O -* CO O T-H 6 " 8f-9f ■-if^ooroto 00 vo CM ** 6se-cc 1-H NfOt^rH •<# vo CM rH 6zc-oe CM ** CM CM V—i T— t 6"62-£2 t-( rfi r-~ iO i— i 00 vO 6" 92-1-2 VO t— 1-1^ 6' £2-12 »-H C\ CJ ^H 6 '02-81 tHIOCSiH 6VT-SI HtOH 6"tI-2I *— ( *— 1 CM O in T— 1 6IT-6 *-H f—i *-H 68-9 T-H t-1 CM 6"S -£ *— 1 i— 1 CJ lO CM Attendance OnOnCnGVONOnOnOn OnO\0\OsO\0\OnOA 1 1 J 1 1 1 1 1 oooooooo O'-iCMC0'*i0v0t^ Totals. . . . Medians. . . 48 RAYMOND ASA KENT X X H >-) pq < o H ■« & <: > w o 1/1 ►j i-i g < 6'8T-8T tH H^) \ 6 - ZI-ZT i-l 1-H lO 6'frl-tl 6'fl-ei 6 2T-ZT CS CM Tf U0 6'TT-Il co o CO ■ NO 6 '01-01 IflHH CO 66 -6 CO i-H 00 6'8 -8 CN lO 6i -I O 1-H i-l i-H t-I CM t-H 1— I NO • CM i-H 69 -9 NlflOH i-l i-H i—l 1—1 i-H ON • CO i-i 6S -S 1— 1 1-1 CO O • 6'f -* N^TflO^CNH ^H 00 • CO <* 6 - e -c lf}*H CS CN CN i-C On • i-l CO i-H 67 -2 CM i-H CN i-l NO lO 55 o <; » PL. o (1h ■ * en 5 C\ On O^ O t> G\ On t> On C^ On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On On i-Tcn CO -*"iO no"j>^00 On O 00 1 J. Ji 1 1 1 1 1 I iIl oooooooooooo ooooooooooo ooooooooooo i-l CN CO "* i/> No"t> 00 On O 0 6t6-06 ^ ID 6 69-S9 *— 1 i-H v- 1 to 6"t9-09 -• — to 6"6S-SS - o 00 < a z 6'tS-OS - o to H H 6'6Hf rH T— i o o »o fa O > 6 - n-ot *-{ ^ T-H < Q w Oh W 6 6e-se »— 1 lO 6'te-oe r- 1 o CO On in W On 6 - 6Z-SZ rfi O t-» *— I t-ihh iO • n 6 - tZ-0Z O0 NO <* *— 1 < V 66T-SI V5NNHH TH y-i H li") . o H < 6*1-01 CN csio ►J Z o H < J & Oh O Oh n o Oh 'A W W £ |z| CQ * n H <1 J It) Ph CO 5 •J 3 On On On On On On O* On On On On On 0\ On On On On O* On 0\ On On On On OnOnOnOnOnOnOnOnOnOnO\On iHCNifj -^Tio No"t^- oo"oCo oo" ooooooooooo ooooooooooo 50 RAYMOND ASA KENT X o pq O 3 u ■ w Pi w £ u z Is O H z w o OS W 6 '29-09 - rtlfl 6 •fiS-ZS i-i 1-HlO 6 9S-T-S 6'eS-TS O! i-H ro to 6'0S-8f- CO OI to 00 6 - if-Sf ro N to CO 6'tt-Zt ON CS to »-H lO 6Tt-6e VO MO - o • CO *-H 6"62-Z£ NlONfO'H 00-* 6 '92-^ CN lO "* H rH H t-h io o i-H (N 6'£Z-U ro "0 H *h rHMrt rji 00 i-t r-t 6' 02-8 T -* 1-I--I r-lr-tr-l o to 6'iI-ST ,-H CM »-H -r-i to lO • 6fI-2T ~ CN O O0 6IT-6 -"-"- ro to 68-9 CN H *H •*s* lO 6S -e ro T-i ^— i to 00 Z o H < J D d. O Ph 0\0\0\0"\CnOsOnOnOnOnC\On *-h cs crT-^to vcTt^ oo os o oo ooooooooooo ooooooooooo J < STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 51 w o z < a Z w H H < h o (x T oo oT © oo 05 52 RAYMOND ASA KENT Each of the preceding eight tables shows the relationship between two factors already considered in the discussion of high schools. <^ No correlation of amounts large enough to be significant appears in any of these tables of distribution. TABLE XXV High School Summary Item Median QUARTILES 147.4 days 25. 7 cents 7 . 5 cents 32 . 2 per cent 6 . 3 mills $1,186 9 months 1 ' 142.4 days 21.5 cents 6. 1 cents 25 .3 per cent 5 . mills $937 154.4 days 29 9 cents 37.8 per cent 7 . 8 mills $1,610 Summary The typical Minnesota high school system is located in a village of be- tween 1,250 and 1,275 people. Its pupils attend 147 days each year, and each pupil costs his district twenty-seven cents each day he attends. The district receives from the state seven and five-tenths cents for each pupil for each day he attends, and thirty-two per cent of all the annual income provided for maintaining the school system. The district, to raise its share, levies a tax of six mills on its real valuation. The assessed valua- tion of the property amounts to $1,186 for every child enrolled in the dis- trict. The variability among the different high school districts is such that statements of central tendencies concerning taxes and per cent of aid are somewhat • misleading. There is a marked tendency for districts to put money into their high schools in direct proportion to the number en- rolled in the high schools. There is no tendency, as is sometimes asserted, for some communities to support a high school "at the expense of the grades." In the lowest twenty-one per cent of high school districts the average levy for all high school districts would bring between $3.75 and $11.25 per enrolled pupil. In the nineteen highest a similar tax would bring $37.50 to $800 per pupil. In the six districts of highest valuation the same levy would raise from $254 to $800 per pupil. And yet there is no distinction made by the state in distributing the aid because of this ex- tremely high variability. 19 The modal length. It is the minimum and is exceeded by a negligible number of the 197 schools. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 53 What is the object of state aid to high schools? The original question in this connection seemed to be whether it is not as legitimate for the state to assist high schools by a direct bonus as to assist elementary schools, normal schools, and universities, 20 or whether the state is not bound to give such assistance in order to make its policy consistent for all divisions of public education. But more specific aims have been attempted in applying such aid. In Massachusetts "the inference is that state aid is offered as an inducement to employ more than one teacher." 21 In Maine the result was to increase greatly the number of free high schools, to raise very materially the stand- ards of secondary scholarship, and to increase the number of courses offered by high schools. 22 The original aim "in Wisconsin was to encourage the development of township or rural high schools." The results have been more far reaching in greatly broadening the curriculum, maintaining high standards of teachers' qualifications. 23 In California the aid "has helped struggling country schools where some of the very best secondary work is being done." 24 The aim in Florida seems to be to encourage beginning and successive advancement in work of high school grade. 25 Dakota's desire is "to aid rural schools to high standards." 26 New Hampshire's aid is for supervision. 27 Pennsylvania's plan resembles Florida's. 28 The re- sults in Rhode Island have justified the expectation of bringing pupils in smaller towns into contact with high schools. 29 Summarizing, the author above quoted says that high school aid has made possible better teaching, better buildings, and better equipment. High school education is placed at the door of the child needing it. 30 In brief, state aid to high schools has aimed to make secondary educa- tion common, public education, inspected and standardized by the state, and .has aimed to overcome the handicap to secondary education arising from the fact that this type of education is on the whole more costly than that in the years below it. All these aims, state aid has accomplished in Minnesota to a highly commendable degree. The question of importance for the state to answer now is whether aid to high schools shall be continued after its original purposes have been fulfilled. The question may be thought of as whether high school aid 20 For general discussion see Johnston; and Bolton, Special^StateJiid to High Schools, Educational Review 31, February, 1906. 21 Ibid., Bolton, 143. 22 Ibid., 145. 23 Ibid., 145.151. ^Ibid., 153. 25 Ibid. **lbid., 155. 2' Ibid. ™Ibid., 157. 29 Ibid., 158. 3 ° Ibid., 163. 54 RAYMOND ASA KENT should be given with a view to accomplishing certain purposes and then discontinued, or whether the state has adopted a permanent policy of subsidy to secondary education. In the light of the historical development of secondary support, 31 practice points decidedly in the direction of con- tinued state subsidy in the future. If this judgment be true, two matters are of paramount importance at this time. The first is, what shall be the conditions governing the dis- tribution of this subsidy? If nothing else made this issue a vital one, the constantly and greatly increasing appropriations for the various forms of secondary aid would make it so. 32 The subsidy should be given where it is needed, if given at all. It is obvious that the district most needing it is the one which must impose the greatest tax levy in order to meet the minimum standards set by the state supervising agent. Why districts with valuations sufficient to raise from $600 to $800 per pupil by the average tax levy should receive the maximum state aid is inexplicable. Whether they should receive any special aid is extremely doubtful. If all special aid were withdrawn from them the state would still have the right of edu- cational supervision and standardization by virtue of the interpretation of scholarship prerequisites as a basis for the distribution of the apportion- ment income. The second question of great present importance is, why state aid to high schools is continued in such large amounts. If the primary aims connected with the establishment of this aid have been in large part served, what aims have grown out of this development? State aid to high schools in Minnesota has accomplished results highly commendable. It has caused high schools to increase in number very rapidly. It has made it possible for the state to be extraordinarily well provided with secondary education advantages in its small cities and villages. Requirements raised from time to time by a state board, with close inspection by an impartial, unattached, professional agent of the board, have given the state's system of high schools enviable rank. The important problems which the state now faces with respect to these schools are not merely those connected with continuing to maintain high ideals of scholarship, of educational accomplishment, of teachers' requirements, or adaptation of schools and courses of study to commonwealth and com- munity needs. One of the problems of greatest importance is a readjust- ment of the distribution of the special aid with distinct reference to the need, the effort, and the ability of the district concerned, with respect to the high school work of these districts. There should be a more thorough study of the high school districts to determine whether it is wise to continue 31 C. F. Brown, The Making of Our Middle Schools ch. 13. Johnston et al., The Modern High School ch. 3. 32 See summary at the end of Chapter 2. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 55 to give no aid nominally to elementary schools and to give all to the high schools of such districts, or whether each should be subsidized separately. The bases for any form of aid selected should be chosen with reference to specific aims. The methods by which it is thought that such aims are to be realized should be clearly outlined. The state should have a policy with respect both to what it is attempting and also of determining how its attempts are working. From time to time investigations and surveys should be made to determine whether the aid is accomplishing the results sought. Some such procedure is the only way of securing the desired "economy" and "efficiency." CHAPTER IV SPECIAL AID TO GRADED SCHOOLS At % the time that this study was made there were on the list of state graded schools 217 districts. 1 The data gathered made it possible to include in the study 206 of these. TABLE XXVI Attendance per Pupil per Year by Districts Number of Per Cent of Attendance — W» Districts All Districts Days 1 .5 93 to 95 6 2.9 111 3 1.5 114 7 3.4 117 8 3.9 120 11 5.3 123 18 8.7 126 15 7.3 129 16 7.8 132 22 10.7 135 25 12.1 138 20 9.7 141 12 5.8 144 15 7.3 147 11 5.3 150 8 3.9 153 6 2.9 156 1 .5 159 1 .5 162 The median time that each pupil enrolled in these 206 graded schools attends each year is 138.7 days. In the middle fifty per cent of the districts pupils attend between 128.6 and 147.2 days each. In less than one fifth of the districts the average attendance is lower than 120 days — three times the length of time a child needs to attend school in order for the district to be granted apportionment aid. In one district the attendance averages 162 days, or slightly more than eight ninths of the maximum, while in thirty-five per cent of all the districts the average is above 140 days, or seven eighths of the possible maximum. Length of the School Year Only a word here need be said about the length of the school year in these districts. There can not be less than nine months in order for any school to be on the list, to receive special state aid. 2 Only a few schools have longer school years. 1 Eighteenth Annual Report of the Inspector of State Graded Schools, 8. 2 See Chapter 2 and Appendix A, Rules of High School Board. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 57 TABLE XXVII Cost per Pupil per Day of Attendance by Districts Number of Per Cent of Cost per Day — Districts All Districts Cents 1 .5 8 to 9.9 3 1.5 10 tt 11.9 7 3.4 12 tt 13.9 12 5.8 14 a 15.9 13 6.3 16 a 17.9 25 12.1 18 a 19.9 29 14.1 20 u 21.9 24 11.1 22 tt 23.9 18 8.7 24 a 25.9 15 7.2 26 a 27.9 18 8.7 28 a 29.9 8 3.9 30 it 31.9 4 1.9 32 a 33.9 » 6 2.9 34 n 35.9 6 2.9 36 a 37.9 1 .5 38 a 39.9 4 1.9 40 << 41.9 3 1.5 42 << 43.9 2 1.0 44 a 47.9 1 .5 48 (i 49.9 2 1.0 50 a 63.9 4 1.9 64 u 64.9 TABLE XXVIII Aid per Pupil per Day of Attendance by Districts Number of Per Cent of Aid per Day — Districts All Districts Cents 3 1.5 3 to 3.9 4 1.9 4 tt 4.9 13 6.3 5 tt 5.9 53 25.7 6 tt 6.9 63 30.6 7 a 7.9 38 18.4 8 C( 8.9 8 3.9 9 a 9.9 10 4.8 10 it 10.9 3 1.5 11 a 11.9 5 2.4 12 (( 12.9 1 .5 15 a 13.9 .0 14 tt 14.9 1 .5 15 it 15.9 .0 16 n 16.9 .0 17 u 17.9 2 1.0 18 a 18.9 .0 19 u 19.9 .0 20 tt 20.9 1 .5 21 tt 21.9 1 .5 24 tt 24.9 58 RAYMOND ASA KENT The median cost per pupil per day of attendance is 22 . 98 cents. In the middle half of the schools this cost lies between 19.4 cents and 28.7 cents. The modal group represents a cost of 20 to 20.9 cents. In the lowest eleven per cent of the districts the cost per unit does not reach 16 cents, while in the highest eleven per cent the unit cost is not below 36 cents. The median aid per day of attendance is 7 . 1 cents. The quartiles are 6.4 cents and 8.4 cents. Sixty-five per cent of the schools receive 7 cents or more aid per day of attendance, or practically not less than one third the median cost per day of attendance. TABLE XXIX Part That State Aid Is of Total Annual Income by Districts Number of Per Cent OF State Aid — Districts All Districts Per Cent 4 1.9 to 2.9 1 .5 3 a 8.9 1 .5 9 it 11.9 1 .5 12 tt 14.9 3 1.5 15 tt 17.9 10 4.9 18 tt 20.9 4 1.9 21 it 23.9 24 11.1 24 it 26.9 16 7.8 27 it 29.9 38 18.4 30 it 32.9 28 13.6 33 it 35.9 29 14.1 36 it 38.9 18 8.7 39 it 41.9 10 4.9 42 tt 44.9 4 1.9 45 it 47.9 6 2.9 48 a 53.9 5 2.4 54 -it 56.9 2 1.0 63 tt 65.9 1 .5 81 tt 83.9 1 .5 87 it 89.9 The median part that state aid is of the total annual income for graded schools is 33 per cent. In one half of these schools this ratio falls between 27.55 per cent and 38.44 per cent. Nine per cent of the districts receive less than 20 per cent of their annual income from the state, while fourteen per cent of the districts receive 42 per cent or more from state aid. The median special school tax levied by these districts to maintain their graded schools was 5.05 mills on the basis of the real valuation. The middle fifty per cent of the districts levied between 3 . 85 mills and 5 . 96 mills. Eighty-five per cent of the districts had tax levies between 2 and 8 mills. One district had a levy of 19 mills, but only three per cent of all levied over 10 mills. \ STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 59 TABLE XXX Special School Tax in Mills by Districts Number of Per Cent of Special School Districts All Districts Tax— Mills 6 2.9 to 1.9 19 9.2 2 it 2.9 28 13.6 3 it 3.9 43 20.9 4 it 4.9 48 23.3 5 tt 5.9 27 13.1 6 tt 6.9 13 6.3 7 it 7.9 10 4.9 8 a 8.9 6 2.9 9 " 9.9 1 .5 10 tt 10.9 3 1.5 11 " 11.9 1 .5 16 tt 16.9 1 .5 19 tt 19.9 TABLE XXXI Assessed Valuation per Enrolled Pupil Number of Per Cent of Assessed Valuation Districts All Districts per Pupil 5 2.4 $ 250 to $ 499 9 4.2 500 it 749 31 14.6 750 tt 999 57 26.9 1,000 it 1,149 50 23.6 1,250 it 1,499 21 9.9 1,500 it 1,749 10 4.7 1,750 tt 1,999 5 2.4 2,000 it 2,249 7 3.3 2,250 tt 2,499 3 1.4 2,500 it 2,749 3 1.4 2,750 a 2,999 3 1.4 3,000 it 3,249 1 .5 3,250 it 3,499 .0 3,500 a 3,749 .0 3,750 tt 3,999 1 .5 4,000 tt 4,249 .0 4,250 it 4,499 .0 4,500 it 4,749 .0 4,750 it 4,999 1 .5 5,000 it 5,249 1 .5 5,250 it 5,499 .0 5,500 a 5,749 .0 5,750 it 5,999 .0 6,000 it 6,249 .0 6,250 it 6,499 .0 6,500 it 7,749 .0 7,750 it 7,999 .0 8,000 tt 8,499 1 .5 8,500 it 8,749 .0 8,750 tt 8,999 .0 9,000 it 9,499 .0 9,500 it 10,499 .0 10,500 tt 10,999 3 1.4 11,000 and up 60 RAYMOND ASA KENT The assessed valuation per enrolled pupil in 212 of these districts is $1,254. The middle fifty per cent have valuations between $1,034 and $1,582. Only four per cent have valuations over $3,250 per child, and only fourteen per cent over $2,000 per child. Over one fifth have valua- tions under $1,000 per child. Summary The typical graded school of Minnesota enrolls annually 119 pupils, 3 who attend 139 days, each pupil costing the district twenty-three cents each day he attends. Of the total income of this school one third is con- tributed by the state and the remainder is raised by the district through a tax of 5.05 mills on each dollar of real valuation of taxable property. The Pearson method shows the following relationships : TABLE XXXII Correlations in Graded Schools I. Number of days annual attendance per pupil and local tax levy + II. Number of days attended per pupil during a year and per cent that state aid is of total annual maintenance income + III. Cost per pupil per day of attendance and aid per pupil per day of attendance + IV. Cost per pupil per day of attendance and per cent that state aid is of total annual maintenance income V. Cost per pupil per day of attendance and number of days annual attendance per pupil ' — VI. Aid per pupil per day of attendance and local tax levy + .02 .009 ,26 — .25 11 11 8 In 2 districts, or 1.27 per cent of all, 1 district 5 districts 17 9 " 14 34 " 14 17 12 5 5 5 2 " 1 district 1 " 3 districts 2 " 2 " 1 district 2 districts 1 district 1 " 1 " .64 3.18 10.83 5.73 8.92 21.66 8.92 10.83 7.64 3.18 3.18 3.18 1.27 .64 .64 1.91 1.27 1.27 .64 1.27 .0 .0 .64 .64 .64 the enrollment is 50 to 59 pupils " " " 60 " 69 " " 70 " " " 80 " 90 " " " 100 " « « 110 " « 12Q " 130 "140 "150 "160 "170 "180 "190 "200 "210 "220 "230 "240 "280 "310 "330 "350 "360 "400 79 89 99 109 119 129 139 149 159 169 179 189 199 209 219 229 239 249 289 319 339 359 369 409 STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 61 Graded schools have only the department of grade work, with a few exceptions. By actual count nearly one hundred of the 216 have just four instructors each, including the principal. This similarity offers the opportunity to study the effect of state aid in a group of schools more nearly representing a clearly defined type of school than any other division that it has been possible to make. 4 The division "high schools" includes both secondary and elementary departments of work. Rural schools include the so-called semi-graded and ungraded or common schools. .Among the "common schools" are three classes with respect to aid. Graded schools, on the other hand, exist as a logically fairly well defined group. Special aid to graded schools came in Minnesota seventeen years after high school aid. By common practice these two aids seem to have been granted in similar order of precedence in other states. 5 State supervision, with all its implications of high standards and requirements with respect to buildings, equipment, teachers, length of school year, curricula, and scholarship, has been the aim sought. Graded school aid has without doubt increased the number of high schools and helped to improve the high school situation in the state. Conformity to state supervision and requirements is learned through meeting graded aid prerequisites. The state of mind and attitude of a district resulting from familiarity with requirements for grade school aid are without doubt much more favorable to the added requirements for a district's being placed upon the high school list. The general large increase of state aid through recent years indicates, too, that a district that once receives a state subsidy has an increasing appetite for more of the same kind of sustenance. Graded school aid has without doubt lengthened the school year, raised teaching efficiency, and bettered the physical conditions under which instruction is given in these schools. On the other hand, neither the effort the district makes nor the pro- portion it receives from the state seems to make any difference in the number of days a child attends (I and II). 6 There is no marked indica- tion that cost per day of attendance and the aid per day of attendance have any relation one to another (III). Neither is there any marked indication that where this daily cost is highest the districts are receiving any particular proportion of their total income from state aid (IV) . The re- lation between the proportion of aid and the local tax is not enough to be a basis for very definite conclusions. Table XXXIII shows a tendency toward negative correlation, however, which fact may be of some importance. 4 See Chapter 2. 6 See Special State Aid to High Sckools, 31:3rd div. 8 Roman numerals refer to items in table 32. 62 RAYMOND ASA KENT < 3 < >*! o X H < CM < O z w o a ft 6 - 68~£8 6 - C8-T8 r-l 6"S9-f9 - - HWN *-< 6*05-8^ T-l T^ *-H *n vO • _ 60%_ 50>_ i i i i 1903 '4 '5 '6 7 '8 -9 lb '11 12 STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 83 This condition presents a very serious situation. There ought to be many less ten-pupil schools in the entire state of Minnesota, even though the state is not yet fully developed. That this type of school has practically doubled in numbers in ten years and is near the four hundred mark is a condition that should demand immediate attention. There are four possible reasons for this increase. These reasons are: I. Development of previously unsettled portions of the state into sparsely settled regions. II. Shrinkage of rural population in previously developed portions of the state. TABLE XLIX Per Cent of Changes in Population in Thirty-four Counties of Minnesota between 1900 and 1910i» County Total Decrease Rural Decrease Blue Earth Per cent 9.1 .5 9.3 1.6 9.5 9.1 * * 7.2 2.0 * 8.0 4.6 .02 4.1 * 1.3 4.4 .02 2.7 * * 2.4 .6 1.7 7.8 2.3 4.9 4.1 2.0 8.8 1.0 6.4 3.7 Per cent 12.4 Carver .5 Dodge 9.3 Douglas 4.0 Faribault 9.5 Fillmore 9.1 Freeborn 7.2 Goodhue 4.3 Houston 7.2 Jackson 2.0 Kandiyohi 1.2 Le Sueur 8.0 McLeod 4.6 Mahnomen .02 Meeker 4.1 Mower 7.0 Murray 1.3 Nicollet 5.0 Norman .02 Olmsted 10.0 Otter Tail .4 Polk 7.4 Renville 2.4 Rice 9.0 Scott 1.7 Sibley 7.8 Steele 4.3 Stevens 4.9 Swift 4.1 Wabasha 6.3 Waseca 10.7 Watonwan 1.0 Winona 7.2 Wright 3.7 * Increase of less than 5 per cent. '» Thirteenth Report of the United States Census 2 :962. 84 RAYMOND ASA KENT III. Migration of rural school population to village or urban school enrollment. IV. Special state aid to rural schools. I. Let us consider the first possible influence, that of populating pre- viously undeveloped parts of the state. Very fortunately for this study the decade included in the last report of the Federal Census overlaps seven of the years above included. The census covers the years between 1900 and 1910, and this study, the school years 1903-04 to 1912-13 inclusive. Comparisons of items covering these two periods can thus be made and conclusions can be drawn concerning items or factors present throughout the two periods. According to the census report, thirty-four, or 43 per cent, of the counties in Minnesota decreased in rural population in the decade between 1900 and 1910. Nineteen of these thirty-four, or 24 per cent of all the counties, decreased in total population. Of the remaining forty-five counties, six showed, in spite of rural shrinkage, slight increases in their respective totals. Above is an alphabetical list of the thirty-four counties and the percentages of changes both in total and in rural population for each county. TABLE L Distribution of Per Cent of Decrease in Population in Thirty-four of the Counties of Minnesota between 1900 and 1910 Per Cent of Decrease Number of Counties Less than 1 ner rent 4 1 to 1.99 4 2 " 3 " 2.99 3.99 2 1 4 " 4.99 7 5 " 5.99 1 6 " 6.99 1 7 " 7.99 6 8 " 8.99 1 9 " 9.99 4 10 " 11 " 10.99 11.99 2 12 " 12.99 1 Twenty-seven counties in the state show more or less noticeable in- crease in the number of less-than-ten-pupil schools between 1903-4 and 1912-13. Below is an alphabetical list of these counties showing: First, increase in number of smallest division of rural schools. Second, per cent of decrease or increase of rural population in the counties. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 85 TABLE LI Changes in Rural Schools and in Rural Population in Twenty-eight Counties of Minnesota between 1900 and 1910 Number of 10 -pupil Schools Changes in Rural Population County 1903-04 1912-13 from 1900 to 1910 Blue Earth 6 1 3 10 2 11 4 2 2 2 3 2 7 2 1 1 2 2 6 10 5 11 4 . 10 16 12 5 12 10 4 8 14 4 7 5 12 12 9 4 3 13 3 5 5 8 8 15 8 Per cent minus 12.4 Clearwater plus 50. " 5. Cottonwood Crow Wing " 15. to 25 Dakota " 5. Dodge minus 9 . 3 Fillmore " 9.1 Goodhue 4.3 Grant plus 5 . minus 7 . 2 Houston Hubbard plus 25. to 50 minus . 2 Jackson Le Sueur 8. Marshall " .02 Morrison plus 5. to 15 minus 7.0 Mower Norman .02 Otter Tail .4 Pine plus 5 . minus 7 . 4 Polk Red Lake plus 15. to 25 5. Rock Sherburne " 5. to 15 Todd 5. Waseca • minus 10.7 Wabasha 6.3 Winona " 7.2 This distribution shows the relation between change in percentage of rural population and increase of less-than-ten-pupil schools. It is true that Hubbard and Crow Wing counties, with marked population increase, experienced a large growth in the number of such schools. But Morrison, Cottonwood, Rock, and Todd, each with small population growth, gained markedly in the same size schools; while Dakota, with little gain, but a well settled county, has almost as many such schools as either of the first two. We must conclude, then, that if opening new land and settling the frontier part of the state has had any influence in the increase of the prac- tical doubling in the number of less-than-ten-pupil schools in the last decade, that influence has been meager and localized. II. What influence upon the number of these schools has shrinkage of rural population had? Table LII shows that this factor has had an even less marked influence than population increase. No county had lost in 1912 as much as thirteen per cent of the rural population it had ten years before, while five had gained more than this in the same period. 86 RAYMOND ASA KENT All but four of the decreases occurred south of a horizontal line drawn on the map through Minneapolis. Of those four, one was seven per cent, but no one of the rest was as much as one per cent. The population shrinkage has then been small, and has occurred almost altogether in the thickly populated counties. These facts force us to conclude that the factor of shrinkage in rural population does not materially assist in explaining the great increase in small schools. TABLE LII Table LI Arranged as Array of Percentage of Rural Population Changes Population Changes County Increase Decrease School Changes 1. Clearwater Per cent 50 25 to 50 15 " 25 15 " 25 5 " 15 5 " 15 5 5 5 5 5 5 Per cent .02 .02 .2 .4 4.3 6.3 7.0 7.2 7.2 7.4 8.0 9.1 9.3 10.7 12.4 to 4 2. Hubbard 2 " 14 3. Crow Wing 3 " 16 4. Red Lake 2 " 3 5. Morrison 2 " 12 6. Sherburne " 5 7. Cottonwood 1 " 10 8. Dakota 10 " 12 9. Grant " 4 10. Pine 1 " 3 11. Rock " 5 12. Todd " 8 13. Marshall " 5 14. Norman 2 " 9 15. Jackson 2 " 4 16. Otter Tail 1 " 4 17. Goodhue 4 " 10 18. Wabasha 10 " 15 19. Mower 7 " 12 20. Houston 2 " 8 21. Winona 5 " 8 22. Polk 2 " 13 23. Le Sueur 3 " 7 24. Fillmore 11 " 12 25. Dodge 2 " 5 26. Waseca 6 " 8 27. Blue Earth 6 " 11 III. The third possible reason mentioned was migration of rural school population to urban school enrollment. Above is shown the number of grade schools and the number of high schools in each of the twenty-seven counties in discussion in 1903, and the number of new schools added in each county by 191 2. 20 20 A school transferred from the list of graded to high schools within this time is not counted as new if it was on the graded list in 1903. Only schools named in 1912 that were not named in either list in 1903 are counted in the list of those added, — that is. as new schools. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 87 TABLE LIII Changes in Schools by Counties Counties Graded Schools | High Schools Schools Added not Later than 1912 Changes in 1903 1903-1912 Crow Wing 1 3 to 16 Clearwater " 4 Dodge 3 4 2 " 5 Houston 3 1 2 " 8 Hubbard 1 2 2 " 14 Jackson 2 " 4 Le Sueur 2 2 3 " 7 Marshall 1 1 " S Pine 1 " 3 Red Lake 1 3 2 " 3 Waseca 6 " 8 Goodhue 4 1 4 " 10 Mower 3 3 1 7 " 12 Winona 2 1 5 " 8 Cottonwood 2 1 2 1 " 10 Dakota 1 2 2 10 " 12 Polk 2 4 2 2 " 13 Rock 1 2 " 5 Wabasha 1 3 2 10 " 15 Blue Earth 2 3 3 6 " 11 Fillmore 2 5 3 11 " 12 Grant 2 3 " 4 Morrison 1 o 2 " 12 Norman 2 1 3 2 " 9 Otter Tail 2 3 1 3 3 1 " 4 Sherburne " 5 Todd 3 1 3 " 8 But what of the graded and high schools already existing? Did they receive any increase in the number of children from rural districts? We are able to give only a partial answer. Sixteen schools were transferred from the graded to the high school list in these years and a total of thirty-four near schools were added. In no county was there any addition where there had been neither a graded nor high school before. Three counties added 1 school Five " " 2 schools Seven " " 3 " The distribution of these additions does not indicate any clearly marked relation between the above additions and the increase in small rural schools. The annual reports of the state inspector of high schools divide the high school enrollment between those residing in the district and those enrolling from outside. The following figures show what per cent have come from outside districts for nine of the years under discussion. RAYMOND ASA KENT TABLE LIV Per Cent of High School Enrollment from Outside** Per Cent of Outside Enrollment Years (Median) 1904-05 14.2 1905-06 14.3 1906-07 14.3 1907-08 14.6 . 1908-09 15.2 1909-10 16.0 1910-11 16.4 1911-12 16.2 Similar figures are not available for graded schools. From the above data one is not justified in drawing the conclusion that the presence and increase in the number of high schools may not have been a factor in the number of small rural schools. On the other hand, one would be far from justified in concluding that the small rural school situation for the state has been materially affected by this factor. IV. The fourth possible factor named as influencing this situation is state aid. There are two reasons why this appears as even a possibility. In the first place, we have already found out that state aid to the single- room school tends to reimburse the tax payers of the district for running their school. They accept the gift, pay no perceptibly higher salary to their teacher, have no more days attendance to the credit of their register, and have a smaller school tax to pay. The implication is strong that the school is about the same kind of a school as before the state helped, only the patron pays a little less for its up-keep. But secondly, the small school is an expensive one, per capita. To offset this expense there must be some counteracting incentive toward its continued maintenance. A part of such incentive is present in the very conservatism of the patron. 22 He wants things to go on as they have gone in the past. Add to this conservatism the knowledge by the conservatist that the state for a slight consideration stands ready to pay him to keep up old conditions, and the incentive is not only fostered, but the rural patron feels that his commonwealth sanctions his stand and gives him, so far as he is concerned, as high an endorsement as he can receive. The influence of the state aid upon the small school as compared with the typical rural school of the state is shown more clearly by a compari- son of items in the following table, based on 1,185 schools from the four- teen counties included in this study. 21 This is for all high schools receiving state aid. Data are computed from annual reports of state high school inspector. 22 See Rural Life and Education, 167, et seq. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS TABLE LV Schools Having an Enrollment of I Number of schools II Enrollment III Attendance per pupil per year IV Cost per pupil per day V Special school tax 46 282 478 281 98 7 IS 24 32 43 Days 96.5 95. 6 101.7 104.0 100.1 50.7c 30.4c 22.3c 17.8c 13.4c Mills 7.6 8.1 From 20 to 30 pupils 5.8 6.3 4.9 The figures in Column I are absolute. The figures in Columns II, III, IV, and V are medians. The meaning of the table becomes clear when we read, — The schools enrolling less than 10 pupils are 46 in number; they have a median enrollment of 7 pupils each; their pupils attend 96.5 days each during the year; each pupil costs his district 50.7 cents each day )he attends and each district levies a special school tax of 7.6 mills on its assessed valuation to maintain its schools. 4-28 Schoo/S 282 Schools j-6 Schoo/S 281 Schools Sis H 1 u 3 ft 4J U u o o bo ;3 > O O < ftxi I. Agriculture a. Crops I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X b. Agronomy II. Home Economics a. Domestic Science, etc. . III. Shop Work a. b The accompanying sheet shows what information was used and how it was tabulated. The first column at the left is for the listing of depart- ments and the courses offered in them. Column I shows the year in which these several courses were offered. Column II tells the number of weeks which the respective courses were taught; column III, the number of reci- tation periods per day devoted to the subject; column IV, the number of days per week which such recitations were held; column V, the enrollment in each course; column VI, is the product of the figures in columns II, III, IV, and V, and may be called the number of pupil-recitation periods each 4 Twenty-eight high schools received $2,500 each, and 68, $1,000 each. Report of Inspector of Stale High Schools, 52, 53. See Twentieth Annual STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 107 course covered. In column VII is given the salaries of the instructors. Column VIII states the other direct expenses of maintenance for the year. Column IX is in each case the sum of the amounts in columns VII and VIII. The figures in column X are obtained by dividing the amount in column IV by the sum of the figures for each separate department in column VI. Where the instruction covered two recitation periods daily, the two periods were counted as two. The problem here concerns the time unit cost of instruction of a given subject. If the conditions in two schools were such that a given subject occupied two periods of recitation time in one school and in the second school it occupied only one period, the first school is charged with twice the time cost for that subject; where the recitation period varied five minutes no account is taken of such variation, as between forty and forty-five minutes, otherwise it is reduced to a forty- five minute basis. Salaries Inasmuch as each school receiving aid under either of these acts was required to report upon the salary of its instructors in each department, the figures necessary seemed readily available. In some cases, however, the instructors in special departments gave a part of their time to teach- ing regular, that is, academic, high school work. On the other hand, some regular high school instructors devoted part of their time to teach- ing industrial subjects. The latter division of time was technically per- missible by principals of graded schools and by superintendents of high schools receiving the $1,800 aid. 5 In either such exceptions, the person's salary was prorated. That part of it corresponding to the proportion of time devoted to teaching a given industrial subject was charged against the salary expense of the industrial department in which that subject was listed. In order to make the information covering such data accurate a lengthy correspondence was carried on with the superintendents and principals where these industrial departments had been maintained. No school was finally included in the list from which definite information was not received. The median annual salary of fifty-eight teachers in shop work is $863, fifty per cent receiving between $759 and $1,074. Fifty-three of the fifty-eight receive less than $1,100 each. The median annual salary of seventy-two teachers in home economics is $700, fifty per cent receiving between $624 and $774. Two thirds of all receive between $600 and $800. The median annual salary of fifty-nine teachers in agriculture is $1,206, 6 See Chapter 2, note 46. 108 RAYMOND ASA KENT TABLE LIX Salaries of Special Instructors Number of Instructors Salary Shop Work Home Economics Agriculture $ 400 to $499 3 4 12 9 11 6 3 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 24 24 5 2 1 1 1 1 1 500 " 599 600 " 699 700 " 799 800 " 899 900 " 999 4 1,000 " 1,099 7 1,100 " 1,199 4 1,200 " 1,299 23 1,300 " 1,399 7 1,400 " 1,499 4 1,500 " 1,599 6 1,600 " 1,699 3 1,700 " 1,799 1 1,800 " 1,999 2,000 " 2,199 58 72 59 fifty per cent receive between $1,197 and $1,292; twenty-three, or nearly forty per cent, of them receive between $1,100 and $1,200 each. Up to $900 over forty-eight per cent of the shop salaries are included, and over ninety per cent of the home economics salaries, but not one in agriculture. Less than eighteen per cent of the shop salaries and less than five per cent of the home economics salaries are equal to or above the median salary in agriculture. After the salaries of instructors in industrial work had been ascertained, it seemed desirable to compare them with salaries of regular high school instructors. It would have been highly desirable could comparisons have been made directly between salaries by subjects in industrial departments and in specific academic departments. Such detailed comparisons could not be made on the basis of the facts known. The data available cover- ing salaries of instructors of regular high school subjects could not be divided even by departments as could the data for the cost of industrial departments. On account of the size of most high schools in the state one instructor usually teaches several subjects, the classes of one depart- ment often being divided among several people. It was impossible to make any accurate division of salaries on the basis of time devoted to the teaching of given subjects in the various high schools. The median annual salary of 789 teachers 6 in regular high school work, excluding superintendents, but including principals, is $725. The middle 6 These are chosen from both classes of specially aided schools and from schools in neither of these classes. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 109 one half of these individuals receive between $628 and $830. Seven hun- dred and sixty-five of the 789, or nearly 99 per cent, receive less than $1,200, the median salary of the agriculture teacher. How salaries of special instructors compare with those in regular high school work in departments and work which receive no special departmental aid, is answered by reducing the distributions of Tables LIX and LX to a per cent basis and then comparing them, as shown in Table LXI. TABLE LX Salaries of Regular High School Teachers Number of Per Cent of High School Teachers' Teachers All Teachers Salaries 1 .1 $ 400 to $ 499 110 13.9 500 it 599 251 31.8 600 n 699 194 24.5 700 it 799 117 14.8 800 it 899 56 7.1 900 it 999 19 2.4 1,000 u 1,099 17 2.1 1,100 n 1,199 13 1.6 1,200 it 1,299 9 1.1 1,300 u 1,399 .0 1,400 It 1,499 .0 1,500 it 1,599 1 .1 1,600 It 1,699 .0 1,700 it 1,799 1 .1 1,800 It 1,899 TABLE LXI Salaries of All Groups of High School Instructors Home Salary Shop Economics Agriculture High School 58 teachers 72 teachers 59 teachers 789 teachers $ 400 to $ 499 .0 1.4 .0 .1 500 " 599 5.1 15.0 .0 13.9 600 " 699 6.8 33.3 .0 31.8 700 " 799 20.6 33.3 .0 24.5 800 " 899 15.5 7.0 .0 14.8 900 " 999 18.9 2.8 6.7 7.1 1,000 " 1,099 10.3 1.4 11.8 2.4 1,100 " 1,199 5.1 1.4 6.7 2.1 1,200 " 1,299 8.6 .0 38.9 1.6 1,300 " 1,399 1.7 1.4 11.8 1.1 1,400 " 1,499 1.7 .0 6.7 .0 1,500 " 1,599 1.7 1.4 10.1 .0 1,600 " 1,699 .0 .0 5.1 .1 1,700 " 1,799 .0 1.4 1.7 .0 1,800 " 1,999 1.7 .0 .0 .1 2,000 " 2,199 1.7 .0 .0 .0 Comparisons among the salaries in all these departments can best be made by means of a summarizing table, and by curves plotted on the same base on a percentage distribution. 30% 20*.. 10?- ■fe H- 9-. ° e? c? o o o o o Home Lcoiiomics ' Ac8 Bobbitt, High School Costs, School Review 23:505. 19 The Cost of Instruction in Kansas High Schools, 32, 33, 34, 35. 120 RAYMOND ASA KENT 2. With the exception of Newton, the ranking in academic costs cor- responds roughly with the ranking in household arts costs. 3. Unit cost for household arts work never exceeds unit cost for academic cost. 4. Unit cost in shop work always exceeds academic unit cost by at least one fifth. 5. Costs in agriculture show greatest variability, both in unit costs and in ratio to academic costs. Even though one estimates that half of the school day of each agriculture instructor in Minnesota is devoted to extension work, the unit cost of the instruction for this work in the state is still in excess of both unit and ratio cost for corresponding work in the other groups. This estimated division of time given to extension work is too large. 6. Except in agricultural instruction, Minnesota is in the "safety zone" of unit costs for high school work. 7. In agriculture the cost of instruction is questionably high. Rather than allow this condition to continue indefinitely and unchallenged the state should make an exhaustive investigation to determine why these costs are as high as they are and whether they are justifiable. Correlations The correlations between the unit cost of regular high school work and that of the special departments were computed by the Pearson method for the group of seventy-one schools. The results are shown in Table LXXI. TABLE LXXI Correlation of Unit Cost in High School Item A Item B R20 Regular high school work Regular high school work Regular high school work Agriculture Home Economics Shop Work + .336 + .358 + .085 Expenses of instruction in agriculture and in home economics tend to rise and fall, to increase and decrease with expense of instruction in regular high school work in this group of schools. This tendency is most marked in the case of home economics. We are not surprised at this, knowing the rather close comparison of salaries among home economics teachers and regular high school teachers. The high correlation figure in the case of agriculture comes somewhat as a surprise. It tends to bear out the assertion previously made, however, that the industrial high schools as a group are not only the best organized, but the best supported as public educational institutions. 20 Each correlation coefficient is unattenuated. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 121 After the two preceding rather high correlation figures the low one in shop work is hard to explain. There is without doubt, though, a very great variability in the kind of work here included. The cost of this work .varies greatly with the kind of work given. It varies not only in the nature and shop costs of the work given but also in the salaries paid. The table of salaries shows the variability of the salaries of teachers in this department to be the greatest for any group of teachers studied. In attempting to ascertain the results of the support of these indus- trial departments a question naturally arises as to the effect the depart- ments have had upon the personnel of the student body. Are more people drawn to the high school? Are more people drawn from the country to attend these departments than attended the high schools before? .Tables LXXII, LXXIII, LXXIV, LXXV, and LXXVI were com- piled in the attempt to get some light on these questions. Teacher- training departments were taken into account. When they were estab- lished, "it was hoped that third grade teachers, young people who were rather mature for eight grades, would enter a special school of this sort — ." 21 If the results had been as expected the high schools with such departments would have had an increase in enrollment both in total and from outside, which should not be confused with outside enrollment due to industrial departments. TABLE LXXII Teacher Training Departments Total Number of Total Per Cent High School Per Cent of Year Departments Enrollment Enrollment 1905-06 1905-06 (13) 13 (38) 229 (38) 1.0 22,106 (15) 1906-07 (14) 10 (27-8) 182 (28) 0.8 23,687 (13) 107.1 1907-08 (15) 10 (36) 253 (36) 1.0 24,530 (16) 110.9 1908-09 (16) 7 (39) 173 (39) 0.7 26,583 (18) 120.2 1909-10 (17) 28 (35) 489 (35) 1.7 28,562 (17) 129.2 1910-11 (18) 56 (50) 740 (50) 2.5 29,971 (27) 135.5 1911-12 (19) 81 (49) 1,018 (49) 3.1 33,295 (29) 150.6 1912-13 (20) 80 (61) 974 (61) 2.8 34,854 (36) 157.9 1913-14 (21) 106 (43) 1,256 (43) 3.4 36,703 (31) 166.0 1914-15 (22) 119 ( 5) * 39,520 (28) 178.7 * No data given in the report. Note: The figures in parentheses after the years are the respective annual reports of the state inspector of high schools from which the data have been taken. The figures in parentheses other than these are the pages in these reports from which the respective data have been secured. Results did not meet hopes. The state inspector two years later reported the enrollment in these training departments "confined almost entirely to high school pupils." 22 The establishment of the departments resulted only in opening a possible new field of work for pupils already attending. Similar results seem to have followed the spread of this work 51 Thirteenth Annual Report of State High School Inspector, 37, 38. 21 Fifteenth A nnual Report, 36. 122 RAYMOND ASA KENT in more recent years. Computations for the department are included} nevertheless, in order that no data may be lacking. Tables LXXII, LXXIII, and LXXIV aim to give an idea of the rela- tive growth of departments operating under the teacher-training aid, $2,500 industrial aid, and $1,800 23 industrial aid, respectively. Enroll- ment in agriculture only is taken for the industrial departments. There is no enrollment given for the entire department. One could add the agriculture and the home economics enrollment, or the shop and home economics. But the relative growths in agriculture are the most typical and fairest to take since agriculture was the only one of the three subjects that was required in the second group of industrial schools. TABLE LXXIII Schools Receiving $2,500 Industrial Aid Year Number of Departments Agriculture Nine Months Enrollment Short Course Per Cent of To- tal High School Enrollment* 1905-06 None 9 (36) 9 (41) 28 (33) 28 (51) 37 (49) 38 (56) 245 (38) 266 (41) 937 (37) 1,118 (55) 1,678 (48) 1,760 (60) 187 (38) 256 (41) 532 (37) 544 (55) 489 (48) 426 (60) 1906-07 1907-08 1908-09 1909-10 0.9 1910-11 0.9 1911-12 2.8 1912-13 3.2 1913-14 4.5 1914-15 4.5 * Computed for those enrolled in the nine months' course. Note: See note to Table A. TABLE LXXIV Schools Receiving $1,800 Industrial Aid Year Number of Departments Agriculture Nine Months Enrollment Short Course Per Cent of To- tal High School Enrollment 1911-12 50 (35) 68 (53) 82 (46-47) 91. (57-58) 1,538 (37) 2,125 (55) 2,491 (29) 2,767 (61) 584 (37) 656 (55) 689 f49) 595 (61) 4.6 1912-13 1913-14 6.1 6.8 1914-15 7.0 Table LXXV shows the per cent of outside enrollment for the last eleven years in the high schools receiving special industrial aid in 1914-15. The fact that the number of schools is not the same every year is accounted for by the fact that certain of these schools have been added to the state high school list each year. The per cent of outside enrollment in such schools when they were on the list of graded schools would have been computed had the graded school inspector's report given the necessary 2« At first $1,000. See Chapter 2. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 123 data. All the computations of this table arc made on the enrollment figures in the reports of the high school inspector as referred to in Table LXXII. TABLE LXXV Per Cent of Outside Enrollment in Industrial High Schools for the Last Eleven Years Per Cent 1904-05 1905-06 1906-07 1907-08 1908-09 1909-10 1910-11 1911-12 1912-13 1913-14 1914-15 0- 4.9 7 s 9 6 5 3 3 3 7 5- 9.9 9 14 8 11 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 10-14.9 15 18 15 15 10 13 13 9 9 5 9 15-19.9 14 15 11 17 21 18 10 15 16 15 9 20-24.9 12 10 18 12 19 22 19 23 18 16 23 25-29.9 13 6 14 12 16 12 16 15 28 22 17 30-34.9 13 17 16 12 11 16 16 22 15 18 25 35-39.9 6 5 8 15 13 10 7 10 9 17 13 40-44.9 11 8 5 11 6 7 8 12 9 11 6 45-49 . 9 1 7 6 3 3 6 12 3 2 4 7 50-54.9 3 4 3 4 1 2 4 5 4 4 55-59.9 1 3 1 2 5 3 5 1 4 60-64.9 2 1 1 1 1 5 65-69 . 9 1 70-74.9 1 1 75-79.9 1 80-84.9 1 105 110 116 119 119 119 120 124 126 126 130 Medians . . 23.3 20.0 19.3 19.6 18.9 19.1 22.3 22.7 21.9 24.9 23.4 Table LXXVI gives the summaries of the preceding four tables and states also the per cent of outside enrollment in all the schools of the state. TABLE LXXVI Divisions of High School Enrollment for the State on the Basis of Per Cent of Total High School Enrollment In Teacher Training Departments IN PUTNAMf Schools in Agriculture In Benson-Lee $ Schools in Agriculture Total Outside Enrollment Year All schools Industrial schools 1904-05 .0 1.0 .8 1.0 0.7 1.7 2.5 3.1 2.8 3.4 0.9 0.9 2.8 3.2 4.5 4.5 4.6 6.1 6.8 7.0 13.6 14.2 14.3 14.3 14.6 15.4 16.0 16.4 16.2 17.0 16.7 23.3 1905-06 20.0 1906-07 19.3 1907-08 19.6 1908-09 18.9 1909-10 19.1 1910-11 22.3 1911-12 1912-13 22.7 21.9 1913-14 24.9 1914-15 23.4 * No data given in report, t Schools earning $2,500.00. % Schools earning $1,800.00. From the data in the last five tables these conclusions seem warranted : 1. Teacher-training departments have acted largely as a new field of work for regular students and have not attracted non-high school students to a great degree. 124 RAYMOND ASA KENT 2. The schools receiving special industrial aid are a group of schools that have always had a larger per cent of outside enrollment than the group of non-industrial schools. 3. For the state at large the industrial departments have to some degrees drawn non-residents. This result has not been very marked and up to date has succeeded in scarcely more than bringing back to relatively the same group of schools a proportion of outside enrollment equal to what was theirs ten years ago. 4. Except for the short courses and the extension work of departments receiving industrial aid, their most marked service and by far the greatest part of their work has been among the high school children, who in all probability would be in school even if these departments did not exist. 5. In other words, excellent as the industrial work may be, for the state at large its maintenance means only new departments for regular high school pupils rather than any decided change in the personnel of the high school group. Objections and exceptions to these conclusions may be anticipated. One will be that no account has been taken of consolidated schools. Nor should there be. When consolidation is considered, then aid for consolidation immediately becomes a partial cause for all results. It is true that the added attraction of industrial aid may have helped toward consolidation in some instances. The present consolidation aid is so liberal, however, as to raise a very serious question as to how much influ- ence industrial aid alone would have had. 24 Some may say that associated districts have made some industrial schools possible. It must not be forgotten that association has been well baited by association aid for both parties concerned. The Twenty-second Annual Report of the High School Inspector is the only one that gives any data on association. 25 Forty-one high schools have such associations, with 831 children included by reason of the associations. We know that in some cases these children are not even transported to the central school, but remain in their own districts under central supervision. Judging according to rural schools in general, the greater proportion of those pupils who go to the central district enter the grades and not the high school department. Let one estimate the number in the high schools, due to association and then let him compute, if he wishes, the ratio of credit between association aid and industrial aid, for the presence of those pupils, and it will be quite clear that the source of error in the previous conclusions on this account is almost negligible. M At the date of completing this study, 1916, there is only one pure consolidated school on the high school list. See Twenty-second Annual Report of Stale High School Inspector, 4. 56 Ibid., 64. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 125 Summary and Conclusions 1. The group of schools having industrial departments seems to be better organized and standardized as typifying a group. 2. Industrial schools do not have quite so high a unit cost in academic work, as is shown (1) by their close grouping, and (2) by the scattered cases in the non-industrial group. 3. There is a decided lack of standardization of the cost of high school instruction for the state as a whole. 4. Among the industrial departments the cost of home economics is least and seems most nearly uniform. 5. Shop work seems fairly uniform in cost. 6. Agriculture costs are much lacking in uniformity. Without doubt this work lacks standardization. 7. Salaries of agriculture instructors are too greatly out of proportion to other high school salaries. 8. If salaries of agriculture instructors are to include payment for extension work, then a specific part of their total time and salary should be definitely set aside for such purpose. We should know what extension work costs as an item separate from high school instruction. 9. Comparative unit costs indicate that industrial work for boys costs more than academic, but that industrial work for girls never costs more. 10. On the other hand in certain schools special industrial aid results directly in lessening the cost of regular high school instruction by special instructors devoting part of their time to regular high school teaching. 11. The establishment and state support of special departments have meant the enlargement of the curricula for those already attending high school and have not materially increased high school enrollment. 12. Except in the matter of agriculture, unit costs for high school instruction in Minnesota are neither extremely high nor extremely low, as compared with similar costs elsewhere. 13. Standardized methods of accounting and of reporting expenditures should be required so that there can be a strict checking of all expenditures of each department annually. 26 14. There should be more adequate provision for close supervision of all special work by the state. 15. The work of all departments should be standardized in direct ac- cordance with the work that the Minnesota communities need. 16. All schools which receive industrial aid should be required to con- form to such standards. 17. Through the formation and use of these standards and their proper revision, from time to time, there should be a definite attempt to distribute state aid more equitably among the several departments of the high school. *• See blank for Industrial School Report. CHAPTER VIII CONCLUSIONS After a consideration of all the facts presented can we answer our first inquiry, "What is the effect of state aid in Minnesota? Is state support securing satisfactory results or results commensurate with the amount of money given?" 1 Before attempting to make a final answer let us try to lay down some criteria or principles which may guide our judgment. Considerable assistance is given us here by a careful examination of some of Swift's findings in his study of "Public Permanent Common School Funds." 2 "The decline of the common school system of Connecticut under the influ- ence of the school fund was a most convincing demonstration of the prin- ciple that an endowment which relieves the community from the necessity of raising money by local effort is an injury to the community and to the cause the endowment is seeking to advance." 3 In New York, the act of 1812, passed three years prior to the first distribution of the revenue of the New York School Fund, required "a local contribution equal to the amount received from the state." 4 The House Committee on Education of the Massachusetts Legislature in 1828 stated that if the state gave local communities about one third the amount they themselves raised, such grant would act as an incentive to interest and to effort. 5 The Special Commission on the Permanent Common School Fund of Vermont, 1906, stated, as one of the purposes of a permanent school fund that it should "lay the foundation of a true and actual supervision by the state, of public instruction, in connection with its actual direction of and accounting for school moneys disbursed, particularly such funds as the state itself sup- plies to towns by taxation or through permanent investment for the sup- port of schools." 6 Swift concludes that "there has been little uniformity in the objects to which different states have permitted the income of the permanent common school funds to be applied." 7 At the same time a survey shows quite clearly defined aims. "The earlier methods of apportionment .... were adopted simply as means of distributing the school revenue equally, as it was supposed, among the different communities of the state .... The more complex methods of apportionment .... have aimed directly 1 See Chapter 1, p. 2. 2 Swift, Public Permanent Common School Funds in the United States 1795-1905. a Ibid., 168. 4 Ibid. 6 Ibid., 169. 6 Report of the State Commission of Permanent School Funds of Vermont, 32, quoted from Swift, 170. 7 Permanent Common School Funds, 171. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 127 to equalize the cost of maintaining schools and to equalize also the oppor- tunities of education throughout the state .... The second aim revealed in the more complex methods of apportionment is to encourage local communities to employ supervision, more teachers, to increase aver- age attendance, to increase taxation for schools and the number of schools." 8 He finds that the results of these funds have been: first, to make state provision for a fund to pay teachers' wages, and hence to increase the efficiency of teachers; 9 second, to secure returns to the state from local school units, and thus to establish a state system of schools and to lay the foundation for state supervision of common schools; 10 third, to decrease the "ratio of the total common school revenues derived from the income of the permanent common school funds; 11 fourth, to improve school build- ings; 12 fifth, to raise the standards of educational opportunities and facili- ties by securing 13 1. Better courses of study 2. Enforcement of truancy laws 3. Libraries, apparatus, free texts 4. Transportation and tuition of pupils That part of the state aid in Minnesota which is the income from the permanent school funds falls directly in the field of Swift's discussion and conclusions. 14 But before attempting to apply any of his discussion directly to the state situation we may raise the question whether it is fair to judge any of the rest of the state aid of Minnesota by standards the same as or similar to those by which the income from the permanent school funds is judged. The essential characteristics of a permanent school fund are only two — first, permanency, and second, state control with respect to the distri- bution of the income to local units. How does special state aid in Minne- sota compare in these respects with any permanent fund? The state has done three things through this special aid; (1) It has created a source of aid for its public schools; (2) It has maintained that aid, increasing it at times, over a series of years, thus making it tend to become in essence a permanent or at least a fixed source upon which the schools come to rely; (3) It continues to reserve to itself and to its duly authorized agents the determining of the conditions under which local units may receive this aid. Such aid and such revenue may be justly judged along with the s Ibid., 190. * Ibid., 191. "Ibid., 194-7. " Ibid., 198. " Ibid. 18 Ibid.. 199. "Ibid., ch. 31. 128 RAYMOND ASA KENT permanent school funds with respect to the results it has achieved, and without injustice be subjected to similar tests of aims, methods of distri- bution, and efficiency in general. The permanent fund income may itself even be supplemented by a form of special subsidy. This is precisely what has been done in Minne- sota. Since 1887 the income from a state one-mill tax levy has been added annually to the permanent fund income and the total sum has been distributed as if it all were the income from the permanent fund. 15 Certainly it would be inconsistent and illogical to attempt to make a division here and judge results by two sets of criteria just because the money, though all distributed in the same manner, represents two differ- ent sources of income. But Swift concludes, and forcefully presents the facts on which his conclusions are based, 16 that the existence of a permanent school fund and the distribution of its income do not imply, ipso facto, the attempt to reach a given aim or set of aims, or the existence of any given restrictions by which the desired aims are to be attained. It is quite clear then that the case of the permanent fund being augmented by subsidy, as it were, is not the only instance where school support from sources other than the permanent fund may justly be amenable to examination on the same basis as the fund itself. For fifty-five years preceding this study 17 the schools of the state have been recipients of the benefits of a permanent fund. The only change of importance that has been made in this fund during this more than half century is that its income has been augmented by a state one-mill tax levy. This change was made twenty-six years prior to our investigation. For thirty-five of those fifty-five years the high schools of the state have been a separate group receiving special aid. The only important changes in this aid in the last thirty-three of those thirty-five years have been the increases in amount and the changes in requirements prerequisite to its bestowal. For the last eighteen years of the fifty-five, special aid has been given to the group of schools called graded. The only changes in their aid have been those similar in nature to the changes for high schools. And finally, during the last fourteen years, rural schools have received special state subsidy, with similar changes accompanying this aid. The consistency of the state's policy in aiding its school, the unbroken series of years over which this policy reaches, indeed every important factor involved makes the whole situation the same as it might have been had the income from the permanent fund grown so fast that it had been distributed to the above named divisions of schools in the changing avenues 11 General Laws, 1887 sec. 3, sub-ch. 84 of ch. 41. 16 Permanent Common School Funds ch. 7. 17 Since Minnesota was admitted as a state in 1858. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 129 described. In the sixty-eight years between 1835 and 1903 the modifica- tions in the bases of the permanent fund apportionment for Massachusetts represent far greater change and variability than does the whole history of special aid in Minnesota. 18 There is therefore no justifiable reason, either theoretical or practical, why all state aid here considered may not be grouped together and judged by similar standards and principles. The present three forms of special aid to clearly defined, exclusive groups of schools seem to indicate three different stages of advance or development in the principle of state subsidy. Special aid as administered to high schools reveals no examples of overweening local complacency and community lethargy. The correlation tables show no clear tendency in this direction. The integrity of graded schools is not so unmistakably marked. Neither is there revealed any clearly defined tendency on their part toward using state aid to decrease local tax levy. Graded schools seem to represent the middle stage of development. The rural schools on the other hand are in a precarious situation. They are actually given what they do not need. They are consequently dangerously near the condition which caused a positive decline in the common school system of some of the states earlier in our history, as Swift points out. There is a point beyond which state subsidy tends distinctly to pauperize a local community. Special aid to rural schools, distributed on its present basis, is having this very effect upon the group of schools that receive it. The causes are not far to seek. In the first place it is very clear from evidence both within the schools and within the legislative field, that appropriations to these schools are made with no real reference to any existing conditions. In the second place, the distribution of the aid is very inadequately supervised. The difference in this respect between rural schools on the one hand and graded and high school systems on the other is significant. Special aid to each of the latter was identical in time with provision for special supervision. A special inspectorship for graded schools was created at the same time, as aid for them, and for high schools soon after special aid for them. Every one of these schools has been visited by its inspector every year until very recently. 19 The state has made very definite requirements for these schools. 20 They have be- come used to the enforcement of these requirements and to gradually but constantly rising standards. The state has known what could be justly asked of the schools because it was in constant close touch with them. Instead of communities saying what they are or are not willing to do, 18 Cf. Permanent Common School Funds, 184-5. 19 Assistant inspectors for both high and graded schools have been added since the time of this study. 20 Cf. Notes on high schools and graded schools in Appendix A. 130 RAYMOND ASA KENT they are now told what is expected of them. They are so satisfied with results as they see them that they practically never refuse compliance. What is the condition with respect to rural schools? Thirteen years before this study, they began to receive special aid. During the inter- vening time what special supervision or inspection have they had as a companion measure to the aid? Absolutely none that can begin to com- pare with the inspection of the other groups of schools. Who has deter- mined conditions prerequisite to their receiving aid? With respect to length of the school year and grade of the teachers' certificate, the legisla- ture, in all other standards, the state department of education, and the legislature has even gone so far as consciously to handicap the depart- ment in stating its requirements — the attendance at a school shall be no determining factor in deciding the amount of aid any school may receive. 21 What means has the state department of enforcing its requirements, or even of knowing that they are met by the schools to whom the aid is given? The certification of the county superintendents in whose counties are located the schools applying for aid. What kind of a state inspector of rural schools does the county superintendent make? 22 In many counties there are so many rural districts that it is a physical impossibility for super- intendents to make the round once a year, make real inspections, and do the other work expected of them. 23 This would not be so bad if this in- spector and inspection were expert and untrammeled. But it should be remembered that this superintendent occupies not only an educational position but a political one as well. He has a clientele to satisfy or else he runs the risk of losing his position. In some cases he is more of an educator than a politician. There have been and are notable examples of those who are real educators in these positions and on whose action no shade of administrational expediency falls. In such a system there are other county superintendents, unfortunately, for whom the education- al activities are rather formal and the political interests the more practical and urgent. Irregularities in reporting rural schools for special aid are bound to exist when inspectors are the political making of the patrons inspected. This combination of conditions lays a strong temptation before every county superintendent. A system of state aid of which this can be said is not only wholly unjustifiable, it is positively nefarious. Not only does special rural school aid smell of the "Pork Barrel," not only is it pernicious as a policy of republican government, but it is also a most ample reward for the perpetuation of a very unsatisfactory and even obsolete institution. The rural school is not obsolete, neither is the one- room school. But the special aid as it is at present given to these schools 21 General Laws, 1911 ch. 60, sec. 1. 22 Cf. Cubberley The Improvement of Rural Schools ch. 4. 23 The writer personally knows of districts unvisited for several years consecutively by the county superintendent. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 131 in Minnesota by prerequisite requirements creates no material betterment of the rural school situation. This is exactly opposite to the results which have come from special aid to high and graded schools. They have accepted more stringent requirements from time to time. At last, special depart- ments of industrial work seem to come in a measui j as their reward. The latter schools have been attempting to keep abreast of educational advancement and to discharge their debt to their educational constituents. It is true that aid to graded and high schools has been increased and special aid for industrial work has been added. But aid to rural schools has likewise been increased, — in the light of the schools' needs, ridiculously increased. Evidence regarding the course of study and subject matter taught is not definite. From answers to a questionnaire sent out by the Commis- sion one can conclude with very little chance of error that with exceptions so rare as to be striking, rural schools follow no courses of study. The lists of the text books now in use seem to indicate a remarkably wide spread satisfaction with texts used by previous generations. It makes no difference from what view-point the problem is approached, similar facts appear. One is compelled to conclude that the present method of distributing special aid to rural schools has little or no justi- fication whatever. It is a detriment to the educational advancement of the state and a positive handicap to the very group of schools which it is presumed to benefit. Special aid to high and graded schools, as was pointed out in the sum- maries of the respective chapters on them, has really made these groups of schools what they are to-day. As has already been pointed out, how- ever, there is a very definite need of readjustment of these aids with respect to well defined aims and standards. What is expected of a dis- trict in the way of educational accomplishment? What ought such accom- plishments to cost a district? How able is a district to meet these costs? How much encouragement and assistance does it deserve from state sub- sidy? All these questions should be answered in determining any just basis for state aid distribution. Aid to special industrial departments has without doubt been of great benefit to the schools and the children of the state. There is one imminent danger in connection with it, however. There is lack of definite aim and of adequate standardization in its distribution. In effect this will in the long run cause results the same as lack of proper supervision would bring. In fact the two things are in the end equivalent. In so far as supervision or inspection, well intentioned as it may be, lacks definite, adequate stand- ards of measurement, there is a lack of real supervision. The problem of the state's aid to industrial needs is a thorough, impartial reorganization on 132 RAYMOND ASA KENT the basis of standards to be determined and defined in terms of the actual conditions of the state's need in this field. No other basis can prove satisfactory in securing the results desired or expected. The apportionment aid has grown to be no small item. It is distri- buted on a basis of relatively less requirements than when it was first instituted. The income from the permanent fund will doubtless be dis- tributed on the basis of ' 'scholars" for some time to come since the con- stitution requires it. But since it has been proved that the legislature has the right to interpret what constitutes a "scholar," requirement bases for distributing this aid may be changed from time to time. Standards may presumably be advanced here as in connection with any other aid given. But the income from the one-mill state tax is wholly within the state's present control. Its continued distribution on the same time-worn basis as the permanent fund income is surprising to say the least. Such a method of distribution is but helping to perpetuate an antiquated, in- effective method of state aid to public education. The dynamic possi- bilities of this amount, redirected on a carefully determined basis, are very great indeed. This study began with the purpose of answering a question, of solving a certain problem. Anyone who has followed it so far must be clearly convinced that the attempted solution of the main problem has raised many others of great importance but which remain yet unsolved. It was not the purpose in presenting this study to include in it any detailed scheme of state aid. That is quite another matter. Though it is of immeasurable importance, it is quite outside the bounds of this work and will not even be touched upon here. The study clearly shows that: 1. The state includes communities of widely varying ability in main- taining schools. This is true for each of the three groups of communities included in the main divisions of schools as well as for the state at large. 2. The present method of distributing the apportionment aid is vener- able, rather than effective for achieving any particular purpose. 3. Special state aid is not distributed according to local needs among any of the three classes of schools, or according to the needs of industrial departments. 4. Special state aid as administered in Minnesota is a positive detri- ment to the rural schools. 5. Developmental changes of conditions in the high and graded school situations make the present plan of special aids to these schools out of date. 6. Special industrial aid is not at present adjusted to the actual needs of the departments assisted as shown by the actual costs of these depart- ments. STATE AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS 133 7. The state does not need greater appropriations for its public schools. 8. The urgent present need with respect to state subsidies for public schools is the careful formulation of a policy of aid to its schools and of objective standards according to which the aid will be distributed. 9. The future possibilities of public school development by a carefully worked out redirection of the present total amount of aid, with frequent rigid checking of results, are beyond computation and seem almost im- measurable. APPENDICES APPENDIX A 1 HIGH SCHOOL BOARD RULES RELATING TO HIGH AND GRADED SCHOOLS HIGH SCHOOLS 1. APPLICATION FOR STATE AID a. Applications shall be made on the official blank and not later than August 1 of the school year for which aid is asked. b. Applications shall be referred to the high school inspector. He or an assist- ant shall visit such schools during the ensuing year, and the inspector shall submit a special report to the high school board at the next annual meeting. c. The inspector shall not recommend the listing of schools in districts having an assessed valuation of less than $200,000 or a total enrollment of less than 200 pupils. The assessed valuation of associated territory may be counted. d. High schools hereafter listed are required to maintain two industrial depart- ments in charge of teachers holding special industrial certificates issued by the super- intendent of education. e. A state school shall be defined as a school which has received state aid to high schools, and is under the supervision of the high school board. The application of a school for supervision does not confer a right to the name before state aid has been granted. 2. GRANTING STATE AID a. At the annual meeting following a year during which a school has been under supervision, the high school board, taking into consideration the report of the inspec- tor, the report of the examiner, and such other information as may be at hand, shall grant state aid to schools whose work and organization are satisfactory and give promise of permanency. By provision of the law, no school receives aid in excess of the amount expended in carrying out the purposes of the act, exclusive of the cost of buildings and repairs thereon. b. The high school inspector shall report on the yearly expenditure of each high school. The special report shall include: (1) The part of the superintendent's annual salary in excess of $600. (2) The salaries of high school instructors. In case of instructors giving part time to high school work, proportionate credit shall be given, but in case the eighth grade is combined with the high school for purposes of instruction, the entire salary of at least one instructor shall be charged to grade work. No part of such salary shall be counted in reckoning high school expenditure. (3) The cost of library fixtures and library books. No credit shall be given for expenditure already balanced by gift or by state aid to school libraries. School boards are at liberty, of course, to make any purchase they may desire, but no credit shall be given for the purchase of subscription books or expensive sets unless the inspector's approval shall have been secured prior to such purchase. Free texts for ordinary class use shall not receive credit. (4) The cost of laboratory fixtures and apparatus. No credit shall be given for charts, for unusual or expensive apparatus, for sets of apparatus, or for any devices sold by traveling agents, unless the approval of the inspector shall have been secured prior to such purchase. 1 State of Minnesota, Department of Education Bulletin no. 45. May, 1913. 138 APPENDIX 3. REMOVAL FROM THE LIST Schools failing to comply with these regulations or not maintaining the required standard of efficiency may be dropped from the list. The inspector shall advise the local superintendent and the clerk of such possible action. 4. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO STATE HIGH SCHOOL LIST a. A suitable building providing not less than five grade rooms below the high school, and high school quarters consisting of at least an assembly room, a recitation room for each instructor, a laboratory and an office. The conditions for health and other sanitary appointments, including toilets, water supply, and disposal of sewage shall conform to the rules made by the superintendent of education. All school buildings hereafter constructed, remodeled or enlarged shall be equipped with a fan system of ventilation, sanitary drinking fountains, and flush toilets. Plans for new buildings or for reconstruction of old buildings must be submitted to the superintend- ent of education for approval before contract is let or work begun, according to provision in Section 6, Chapter 550, Laws of 1913. b. A well organized graded school, having not less than five distinct departments below the high school, and including not less than eight grades of elementary school instruction. c. An observance of the rules for the equipment of a graded school. d. A qualified superintendent having general charge of grading, instruction, discipline and care of building. e. A liberal schedule of salaries. f. Classes in four years of high school work, with a good prospect of classes to follow in regular succession. 5. CONDUCT OF THE SCHOOL a. Students admitted to the high school shall have satisfactorily completed the common school branches. b. Permanent records shall be kept to show where each grade pupil belongs, and what work each high school student has completed. A system of card records is recommended. Special and annual reports are to be made by the superintendent and the clerk to the state inspector and the county superintendent of schools. c. The school shall hold sessions of not less than nine months each year. d. The high school shall be open, free of tuition, to non-resident pupils upon passing the examination required by law. Note: This rule does not apply to industrial departments for which special aid is granted. e. The high school department shall be placed in charge of a qualified principal. Not counting the superintendent, or the industrial teachers for whose departments special aid is granted, a special instructor shall be provided for each 30 students or major fraction thereof. In addition to the superintendent, every school shall employ at least two teachers, who shall give their full time to high school work. f. The superintendent shall be provided with an ample recitation room and an office. He shall have reasonable time in school hours for general supervision and shall teach not to exceed four classes daily, laboratory subjects to count double. g. School boards shall adopt a liberal policy in supplying the following library facilities and scientific equipment as rapidly as classes come forward to need them: (1) Material in sets for a four years' course in high school reading. APPENDIX 139 (2) A botanical or zoological outfit of tables, inexpensive dissecting microscopes, one compound microscope, dissecting instruments, glass jars and alcohol or formalin for preserving material, etc. (3) Apparatus and equipment adequate to carry on a year's work in physics as outlined in manuals. (4) Suitable desks, chemicals and glassware for a year's work in chemistry. (5) A working school library for the use of students in the preparation of their daily work. It is better to equip the classes one or more at a time, and equip each thoroughly, than to scatter a small appropriation. The principal subjects which require assistance from a working library are: English litera- ture, general history, civics, political economy, senior American history, senior geography, physiography, chemistry, physics, zoology, botany, foreign lan- guages. h. The school board of each school shall issue diplomas to those students who shall be certified by the superintendent to have completed in a creditable manner the preliminary subjects and the work covered by twelve high school credits, a four years' course in English, reading and composition. A year's work in a subject is a credit. i. The superintendent shall receive a salary of not less than $1,200 a year. High school instructors shall be paid not less than $540 a year. j. The qualifications of teachers shall be those prescribed under "Requirements in Regard to Certificates of Teachers in High and Graded Schools." k. Before entering into contracts or paying salaries, school boards shall require all teachers and instructors to present their certificates to the superintendent for inspection and record. He shall keep this record on file in his office and shall fur- nish a copy of the same to the clerk of the school board. GRADED SCHOOLS 1. APPLICATION FOR STATE AID a. Applications for state aid shall be made on the official blank not later than October 1st of the first year for which aid is asked. b. Applications will be considered by the state high school board at its annual meeting, when the inspector will report on schools whose applications have been received. 2. REMOVAL FROM LIST Schools failing to comply with the requirements or neglecting to maintain a satisfactory standard of efficiency may be dropped from the list. The inspector shall advise the clerk or other officer of the school board of such possible action. 3. BUILDINGS a. Suitable grade rooms for not less than four departments must be provided. b. The system of ventilation shall conform to the rules and regulations issued by the Superintendent of Education. c. New and remodeled school buildings of eight rooms or more must be equipped with a fan system of ventilation, sanitary drinking fountains, and flush toilets. Plans for new buildings or for reconstruction of old buildings must be submitted to the superintendent of education for approval before contract is let or work begun, according to provision in Section 6, Chapter 550, Laws of 1913. 140 APPENDIX 4. CONDUCT OF SCHOOLS a. The school shall be in session nine months each year. b. Regular and orderly courses of study for eight grades, embracing all such branches as may be prescribed by the high school board, shall be maintained. c. The principal shall exercise general supervision over the school, direct the work of teachers, determine the grading, prescribe and give examinations, and per- form such other duties as the school board may require. d. Permanent records must be kept showing age, attendance, scholarship, and promotion of pupils. Special and annual reports are to be made by the principal and the clerk to the state inspector and the county superintendent of schools. e. The seating capacity of each school room shall be determined by allowing not less than eighteen square feet of floor space per pupil. f. The qualifications of teachers shall be those prescribed under "Requirements in Regard to Certificates of Teachers in High and Graded Schools." g. The salary of a principal of a graded school shall be at least $700 a year, h. The salary of a grade teacher shall be at least $450 a year. Note: The salary limit stated above becomes effective September, 1914. i. Before entering into contracts or paying salaries, school boards shall require the principal and teachers to present their certificates to the clerk for inspection and record. He shall place such record on file, after having satisfied himself that the principal and teachers are legally qualified and have complied with all the require- ments of the high school board. 5. EQUIPMENT Each school shall have: a. A library of at least 500 volumes, containing all needed reference books to- gether with special libraries for grade work in history and geography. Additions must be made each year and not less than twenty-five dollars shall be expended annual- ly for this purpose. b. Necessary wall maps, charts and globes for work in history and geography. c. At least three sets of supplementary readers for each grade. d. An international dictionary or its equivalent, and several copies of smaller dictionaries for use in intermediate and grammar grades. Note: In order that there may be some uniformity as to what constitutes a satisfactory equipment, it is suggested: 1. That for work in geography each school be supplied with a globe, preferably one suspended from the ceiling and not less than eighteen inches in diameter, and the following maps : The world on Mer- cator's Projection, the Eastern and the Western Hemisphere, the United States, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Minnesota. The three first named should be of a larger size than the remaining seven. 2. That for work in United States history each school be provided with a large outline map of the United States painted on slated cloth. With the aid of colored crayons very effective use can be made of this map. 3. That the supplementary reading be made up wholly of books not arranged in series for grades. 4. That one International Dictionary, or its equivalent, be considered sufficient for a school of six departments or less. 5. That pupils be encouraged to purchase small dictionaries after they have been admitted to the fourth grade, and that, in places where it is considered inadvisable to make this requirement, the school board furnish one dictionary for every four pupils above the third grade. 6. REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIAL GRANT $500 FOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT In addition to meeting the preceding requirements each school shall a. Have a suitable building of not less than six rooms, including a laboratory. APPENDIX 141 b. Employ not less than six teachers during the entire year for which aid is granted. c. Provide the principal a suitable office in addition to his regular recitation room, and allow him not less than two periods daily during school hours for general supervision. d. Place the assistant principal in charge of the high school department, includ- ing grammar school students seated in the room. e. Pay the principal a salary of not less than $1,000 a year, and teachers doing high school work, not less than $540 a year. Note: The salary limit of the principal becomes effective September, 1914. f. Enroll not less than fifteen pupils in the high school department. g. Maintain classes in not less than two years of high school work of such char- acter that it will admit students to the third year of any state high school. h. Adopt a liberal policy in making provision to supply the following library facilities and scientific equipment as rapidly as classes come forward to need them: (1) Material in sets for a four years' course in high school reading. (2) A botanical or zoological outfit of tables, inexpensive dissecting micro- scopes, one compound microscope, dissecting instruments, glass jars and alcohol or formalin for preserving material, etc. (3) Apparatus and equipment adequate to carry on a year's work in phys- ics as outlined in standard manuals. (4) Suitable desks, chemicals and glassware for a year's work in chemistry. (5) A working school library for the use of students in the preparation of their daily work. It is better to equip the classes one or more at a time and equip each thoroughly, than to scatter a small appropriation. The principal subjects which require assistance from a working library are: English literature, general history, civics, political economy, senior American history, senior geog- raphy, physiography, chemistry, physics, zoology, botany, foreign languages. i. Require the completion of work necessary to obtain sixteen credits before issuing a diploma to any of its students. A year's work in a subject is a credit. SCHOOLS RECEIVING $2,500 AND $1,800 INDUSTRIAL AID The following rules apply to both classes of schools, except as specifically stated. 1. APPLICATION FOR STATE AID a. Applications shall be made before the first day of August of the first year for which aid is asked on the blank form prepared for the purpose. b. Each school must be listed provisionally by the high school board before it begins work. If at the end of the first semester it has complied with the conditions, it shall be officially designated for that year. c. Each school district of less than eighteen sections listed for the $2,500 aid is required to effect association with rural school districts so as to embrace within its territory at least eighteen sections. 2. AWARD OF AID a. The annual award shall be made at the regular August meeting of the high school board and shall be based on a compliance with the statutes and the rules of this board relative to amount of aid for which the school has qualified. b. Each school qualifying for $2,500 aid shall receive not exceeding $2,500 per year, and in addition thereto $150 per year for each associated rural school district, 142 APPENDIX but in no case shall the total amount received by any such school exceed two thirds of the sum actually expended upon such agricultural and industrial department as certified to the state high school board. c. Each school qualifying for $1,800 aid shall receive not exceeding $1,800 per year, and in addition thereto $150 per year for each associated rural school district, but in no case shall the amount awarded exceed the actual expenditure of the school for an agricultural department and a department of home economics or manual training as certified to the high school board. d. In reckoning aid, credit shall be given for (1) Salaries of special instructors — in case part time is devoted to this work corresponding credit shall be given. (2) Equipment, including tools and apparatus. (3) Supplies, including seeds. (4) Labor and team work. (5) Reference books. (6) Extension work in rural schools and among farmers. (7) Transportation of instructors. 3. COURSES OF STUDY a. The industrial courses required by law and covered by these rules shall be maintained throughout the school year. b. The work in agriculture shall include: (1) A course based on textbooks, bulletins, and lectures. Agronomy and animal husbandry shall be given not less than a year each. It is desirable that botany, chemistry, zoology, and physics should be given an agricultural trend, but these subjects shall not be counted as a part of the four-years' course in agriculture. (2) A general course of one year to include gardening, fruit growing, dairy- ing and poultry raising. (3) A laboratory course, including physical examination of soils, prepara- tion of weed-seed cases, testing of seeds, testing for butter fat, grain judging, stock judging, etc. (4) Special work along some line of local interest, such as dairying, corn breeding, small grain, potatoes, fruit, meat products, poultry, etc. The school shall not only maintain a standard of general efficiency, but shall develop strength in chosen specialty. (5) The organization of institute work in cooperation with extension divi- sion of the College of Agriculture of the State University. (6) A short course of three months. In case local conditions are unfavor- able, the course may be discontinued with the written consent of the inspector. 4. INSTRUCTORS a. In a school receiving $2,500 aid the corps shall include not less than three special instructors, one qualified to teach agriculture, one shop work, and one home economics. The entire time* of each instructor shall be devoted to his department. b. In a school receiving $1,800 aid two industrial instructors shall be employed, one qualified to teach agriculture and one to teach either home economics or manual training. These instructors shall be in addition to the instructor per thirty students required for state high school aid. APPENDIX 143 c. The principal of a graded school having not to exceed five grade teachers may teach one industrial subject. In such case he must have the qualifications of an industrial teacher. d. The agricultural instructor shall be employed for the full calendar year of twelve months. The year of employment shall begin August 1st. His entire time shall be given to the teaching of agriculture and extension work, provided that in schools receiving $1,800 aid the instructor in agriculture may with the written con- sent of the inspector be permitted to teach one additional subject, particularly one related to agriculture. This rule shall not prevent the principal of a graded school from acting as instructor of agriculture. e. The instructor shall be provided with laboratory facilities. During the fall and the spring of the year he shall have not less than a continuous half day for out- side and extension work. He shall make a close study of local conditions and attend markets, horticultural meetings, meetings of creamery and stock-breeding and other associations, and such other gatherings as afford opportunity to make the acquaint- ance of farmers. f. The instructor in agriculture may not direct manual training, but in schools receiving $1,800 aid instructors in manual training or home economics may, if quali- fied, devote part time to academic work. The work in home economics may be divided between two instructors, one for sewing and the other for cooking. g. The legal qualifications of instructors shall be those prescribed under "Require- ments in Regard to Certificates of Teachers in High and Graded Schools." 5. DEMONSTRATION PLOT Each school receiving $2,500 aid shall maintain a demonstration plot of five acres or more. This plot shall be owned by the school district or be held under a long lease. It must be kept free of weeds and in a state proper for cultivation and for demonstration purposes. The border shall be seeded down into a sward. A part of the plot shall be devoted to a permanent rotation of field crops of which a record shall be kept by the instructor. 6. EQUIPMENT a. Agriculture. The instructor shall have one or more rooms exclusively for his work. The classroom shall be equipped with a well-arranged reference library, including bulletins, and facilities for displaying agricultural products. The labora- tory shall be provided with apparatus for testing soils, milk, and seeds. The agri- cultural quarters shall be easily accessible to visitors or persons bringing in farm products. An outside entrance is desirable. b. Home Economics (1) In schools receiving $1,800 aid a special room shall be fitted up with tables, cooking utensils, table service, cupboards, and conveniences for storing kitchen supplies. An adequate equipment shall also be provided, including cutting tables, one or more sewing machines, material suitable for patterns, the materials required for exercise, and such implements as are required in the usual sewing room. (2) In schools receiving $2,500 aid the quarters shall include a dining room or administration room, a kitchen laboratory, and a room equipped with tables and machines for sewing. 144 APPENDIX c. Manual Training A special room for woodwork shall be provided with benches and the neces- sary tools. Material for exercises shall be supplied free of charge. Lumber for articles taken home may be charged for at cost. Schools receiving $2,500 aid shall provide facilities for blacksmi thing. d. The rooms used for industrial purposes must be approved by the inspector. Where but one room is used for a department not less than 700 square feet of floor space shall be considered adequate, and all rooms must be properly lighted and well ventilated. e. Schools receiving $2,500 aid shall maintain a farm building large, enough to store supplies, tools, and machinery, in case the plot is remote from school building. 7. CREDITS If the work be done satisfactorily, two periods given daily to an industrial sub- ject or subjects for one year shall count as a credit. Circular No. 3, 1913 To Superintendents and Principals of High, Graded, and Consolidated Schools: Relating to Industrial Departments in high, graded, and consolidated schools and to Training Departments in high schools. State Aid Industrial. — For departments in agriculture, home economics, and manual training, under Chapter 82, -Laws of 1911, as amended during the present session $2,500 For departments in agriculture and either home economics or manual training under Chapter 91, Laws of 1911, as amended during the present session. . . .$1,800 (Present aid, $1,000) For training departments for rural teachers — applicable only to high schools. . . .$1,000 (Present aid, $750) The present Legislature has also approved an act increasing the annual aid for high schools from $1,750 to $2,200, and for graded schools from $600 to $750. This increase does not apply to the present school year, but will be included in the distri- bution of aid in 1914. The same rule applies to the increase in the industrial aid from $1,000 to $1,800, and that for training departments from $750 to $1,000. For the present school year the special aid will be allowed on the basis of the amounts provided in the old law. At its meeting on April 5, the High School Board voted: 1. That high schools, graded schools, and consolidated schools be notified of the requirements fixed by recent legislation for earning annual aid of $2,500, $1,800, and $1,000. 2. That schools desiring to continue present special departments, or to establish such departments next school year, be requested to make application in writ- ing to the State Superintendent, or one of the Inspectors. Schools maintaining any of these departments during the present school year, as well as those planning to establish industrial or training departments for next school year, will file their application with the State Superintendent, or with one of the Inspectors, prior to May 1. Proper blank applications are sent with this letter. APPENDIX 145 In order that schools may understand the requirements of the law, and the rules of the High School Board applicable to industrial and training departments, there are forwarded with this letter copies of the laws in their existing form, as amended by the present legislature. The new part of the law is indicated in bold type. Schools Receiving $2,500 Industrial Aid (Chapter 82, Laws of 1911, as amended at present session) The general provisions of law and the requirements of the State High School Board are practically the same as they have been in the past. In order, however, to increase the usefulness of the industrial departments, slight modifications have been made, to which attention is called. The High School Board, in considering the school demonstration plot, has concluded to require that this shall be owned by the school board or held under a long lease. In this way it will be possible to carry on consecutive work, which ought to prove of value to the community. The Board has also deemed it advisable to require of the schools that the facilities for kitchen and sewing shall include a dining room or administration room, a kitchen laboratory, and a room equipped with table and machines for sewing. Special attention should be paid at this time to the rule of the High School Board which provides that the agricultural director shall be employed for the full calendar year of twelve months, and that the year of his employment shall begin August 1st. Schools Receiving $1,800 Industrial Aid (Chapter 91, Laws of 1911, as amended at present session) Under this act each school is required to maintain a department of agriculture and also a department of either home economics or manual training. The present legislature has increased the amount of state aid from $1,000 to $1,800. These schools are entitled to the benefits under the association feature and the tuition feature, which the previous law accorded only to the schools drawing $2,500 state industrial aid. In addition to the regulations which have governed this class of schools, it should be noted that in each high school, two industrial teachers, in ad- dition to the instructors per thirty students required for the state high school aid, shall be employed. It is also well to remember at this time that the instructor in agriculture must devote his entire time to the teaching of agriculture and to extension work. In schools where the agricultural work is exceptionally light, the inspector under whose charge the school is placed is authorized to allow the instructor to teach an additional subject, particularly one related to agriculture. The written per- mission of the inspector must be secured, however. The technical qualifications of instructors in these departments rcmst be adhered to rigidly, and no requests should be made to the State Superintendent for a special permit, unless the application is one of exceptional merit. In every case it seems proper that the school board or superintendent shall present the request for a special permit for the instructor, rather than expect the instructor to make the application. In order that the instructor may have ample facilities for doing his work, it is necessary that he should have a laboratory for the exclusive use of his department. During the fall and spring of the year he should be given a continuous half day for extension work and outdoor work in connection with his department. 146 APPENDIX High School Training Departments Receiving $1,000 Aid (Section 1420, Revised Laws, 1905, as amended at present session) Aid for training departments is increased to $1,000, but only such amount will be awarded as is spent for the department. Credit will be given for the amount expended, under the following heads: 1. Salary of the instructor 2. Equipment of the room 3. Expenditure for department library 4. Transportation of teachers and students visiting the rural schools. Otherwise, the rules remain without material change. April 15, 1913. C. G. Schulz, Superintendent. The Rules of the State Department of Public Instruction governing rural school aid at the time of this study are reproduced herewith. State Aid, January, 1913 — Bulletin No. 40 STATE OF MINNESOTA Department of Public Instruction Rules and Regulations Governing semi-graded schools, and rural schools of Classes A, B, and C, applying for state aid 1. Semi-graded Schools To be entitled to state aid of $300.00, the law and the regulations of this Depart- ment require: 1. School Term. Must be not less than eight months in each department during the year. 2. Teachers. The principal must hold a state first grade common school cer- tificate, or one of higher rank, during the entire school year, and must have had sixteen months of successful teaching experience. Each of the other teachers must hold at least a state second grade common school certificate. Limited, or county certificates, are not sufficient. 3. School Buildings. Must be suitable for school purposes, clean and well kept. Each entrance must be provided with foot scrapers and cocoa or steel mats. 4. Equipment. Each school must be provided with the following: a. Blackboard. At least 100 square feet for each room. b. Unabridged Dictionary. Must be Webster's International, the Standard, or the Century. c. Abridged Dictionaries. Several copies — not less than five — of an abridged dictionary like Webster's Academic. d. Supplementary Readers. At least two complete sets of supplementary readers for each class or grade, in addition to the regular basic readers. e. Maps. A complete set of eight maps, and a state map, mounted on spring rollers, in a case — preferably a rotary case. f . Globe. A good twelve inch globe — suspension globe preferred. g. Desks. Each school must be equipped with suitable seats and desks, properly arranged and graded according to age and size of pupils. Only single desks should be used. APPENDIX 147 h. Primary Material. Ample material for seat work in primary grades must be provided. The original expenditure should not be less than $10.00 and worn-out material should be replaced without delay. 5. Library. Each school must have a well-selected library, suited to the school. Additions to the amount of $15 annually must be made. If the district purchases $15 worth of library books under the library law, the state will meet half this expense. Library books must be ordered before school begins, so that the pupils may have the benefit of them during the school year. 6. Heating and Ventilation. Each school building must be adequately heated and ventilated in one of the following ways: The system must be constructed and installed in accordance with the requirements of this Department as defined in Appendix A of this bulletin. a. Steam plant. b. Basement furnace. c. Patented system of room heating and ventilation. d. Home-made system of room heating and ventilation. Note: See Appendix A for detailed specifications and requirements. 7. Outhouses. For all schools not having indoor closets, the school board must provide and keep in good repair and in a cleanly and healthful condition two separate outhouses near the rear of the school grounds and concealed by lattice work and shrubbery. The buildings should have sufficient light and be supplied with sufficient toilet paper. They should be coated inside and outside with paint containing sand. The boys' outhouse should be provided with suitable urinals. 8. School Grounds. Must be clean and present an orderly and attractive ap- pearance. Every effort should be put forth to beautify the school grounds by planting choice trees and shrubs. Care should be taken that the school grounds are kept free from weeds, ash piles, and other rubbish. 9. Drinking Facilities. The water supply should be carefully safeguarded, as this is frequently more than any other one thing about the school a potent source for the spread of disease. A large earthen jar with tight cover and self-shutting faucet may be used. In this case each child should have his own drinking cup and use no other. The common drinking cup and water pail are prohibited by the State Board of Health. A better plan still is to provide a sanitary drinking fountain. This does away entirely with the use of drinking cups and there is a less opportunity for the spread of contagious disease. A good gravity bubbler drinking fountain can be obtained for about $20 and will last indefinitely. 10. Progress. Each school must show that it has attained a high standard of efficiency and has made marked improvement during the year. II. Rural Schools Class A 1. School Term. The school term must be not less than eight months during the year. 2. Teacher. The teacher must hold a state first grade common school cer- tificate, or one of higher rank, from the beginning of and through the entire school year. 148 APPENDIX 3. Library. Each school must have a well selected library suitable for the school. Books purchased under the library law must be added annually to the amount of at least $10. If the school purchases $10 worth of library books under the library law, the state will meet half the expense. Note: In all other respects the requirements for Class A are the same as for semi-graded schools. Class B The requirements for Class B rural schools are the same as for Class A, except that the teacher may hold a state second grade common school certificate in place of a first grade. This she must have from the beginning of and through the entire school year. Class C The requirements for Class C Rural Schools are the same as for Class B, except that the school term is seven months. (Pages 3 to 6 inclusive, Bulletin No. 40, Minnesota Department of Public Instruction, January 1913) RULINGS OF THE STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOARD AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OP PUBLIC INSTRUCTION I. High Schools. Note 1. The Board specified that the course of a high school should include elementary algebra, plane geometry, physiology, natural philosophy, English compo- sition, general history, Latin grammar and reader, two books of Cicero's Com- mentaries, "the writing of English in connection with the foregoing studies, with special reference to correct punctuation and use of capitals, also exercises in reading and declamation. When practicable, instruction in vocal music and drawing shall be added. For a full classical course an examination in the Greek grammar and reader will also be required, and by students taking this course, natural philosophy, physical geography, and physiology [not mentioned before] may be omitted." (Minutes of the State High School Board, April 18, 1878.) Note 2. The secretary is mentioned as the examiner (Minutes of the State High School Board, April 16, 1880) but the minutes clearly show that the different mem- bers of the Board, as well as several of the University faculty, were paid for acting in such capacity. Note 3. The Board required of those persons wishing to enter the high school examination in "orthography, reading, penmanship, arithmetic, English grammar, modern geography, United States History." The questions were sent out by the High School Board. (Minutes of the State High School Board, April 18, 1878.) Note 4. The Board did not put a limit upon the time which should be devoted to this high school work but suggested that it be not less than two years. (Minutes of the State High School Board, April 29, 1878) — "non-resident pupils upon ap- plication must be admitted without charge for tuition if they can pass the examina- tion prescribed." (Circular No. 1, State High School Board, 1878.) The Board directed that all examination questions should be made out by the state university and that the answers be marked by heads of the respective departments of the Uni- versity. (Mi'nutes of the State High School Board, May 5, 1879.) On account of the lack of appropriation for one year the High School Board in 1879 decided to select schools to be aided upon the basis of: 1. Date of application of the school. 2. Location of the school in the state. APPENDIX 149 3. Population of the districts adjoining the school. 4. The greatest good to the state to be subserved by the appropriation. (Minutes, May 5, 1879.) There was some doubt as to the Board's right to impose such conditions. The Board conferred with the attorney general. (Minutes of May 12, 1879.) In his decision, dated May 13, the attorney general stated that the Board had no right to exercise any discretionary powers but was to accept "all public graded schools" — "In the order of their application." (Minutes of May 13, 1879.) Note 5. In May 1881 the following regulations were adopted: 1. All districts receiving aid for high schools must maintain three departments below the high school corresponding to the primary, intermediate, and grammar departments, or their full equivalent. 2. Departments were to be graded "in view of the attainment and ability of pupils, having definite courses of not less than seven years total, not less than one competent teacher, and a comfortable room for each department, furnished with suitable seats, blackboards, and other agencies of successful instruction. 3. "There shall be a class in the high school, as the basis of state aid, consisting of not less than five members on the average for the term of the school year. This class shall pursue a course of study prepared by the High School Board, and the members thereof shall declare a purpose to complete their course; and no person shall be admitted to this class who has not passed a satisfactory examination under the direction of the Board of Education of such high school; such examination to be of sufficient extent and thoroughness to establish the ability of the applicant to pursue successfully the grades of the course. Instruction may be given to this class as well as to the other classes of the school in studies not included in this course, provided that such other studies do not interfere with the successful prosecution of the 'pre- scribed course.' " 4. "The teacher or teachers of this class shall furnish the High School Board satisfactory evidence of scholarship sufficient to teach successfully all the branches included in the prescribed course of study." 5. The school was obliged to accept non-residents into any of its departments if the applicant held a third grade certificate. All departments were obliged to have at least eight months of school. 6. " . . . the class which is the basis of state aid shall be examined in the last term of each school year by the President of the University or an examiner ap- proved by him." The course of study adopted by the High School Board was: first year, arith- metic, elementary algebra, English grammar, geography, United States history, Latin grammar and reader; second year, natural philosophy, physical geography, elementary astronomy, general history, plane geometry, physiology, Caesar com- pleted, Cicero begun; third year, elementary chemistry, geometrical drawing, botany, ancient history, algebra to quadratic equations, solid geometry, Cicero completed, Vergil completed. Exercises were made obligatory in reading, writing and public speaking throughout the course and when practicable instruction in vocal music and freehand drawing. The time which the course should take was not limited except that it should not be less than three years. Successful completion of the above course, as attested by final examination of the Board, admitted to the freshman class of the University in the scientific course. "The schools desiring to enable pupils to prepare for classical courses will modify the above course as follows: (1) For the scientific studies of the second year substitute Greek grammar and reader, and 150 APPENDIX (2) For the scientific studies of the third year substitute Xenophon's Anabasis with the usual collateral." "The work of the third year of the course will not be exacted as a condition of aid until after further notice from this Board. The completion of the first two years will secure admission to the sub-freshman class of the University." (Minutes of the State High School Board, May 2, 1881.) Note 6. When a school's application was accepted the school was entitled to aid upon completing its organization in the following respects: 1. The principal was to be a graduate of a college, university, advanced course of a normal school, or must have passed satisfactory examination in the studies taught in the department. 2. All pupils received into the high schools were required to pass satisfactory examination under the direction of the principal or the superintendent of the school, in reading, fourth reader; spelling, the same; arithmetic, including operation in the fundamental rules, decimal fractions and compound numbers; grammar, syntax and etymology of Green's Introduction, or its equivalent; geography, including a general knowledge of the location of the political divisions and climate of the world, and also a fuller knowledge of United States History. 3. The high school was to consist of at least twenty pupils and be provided with a separate room and teacher. 4. At the close of each term reports were to be made out by the principal to the secretary of the board as follows: (a) of the names of all students received, together with the standings of each student in the branches in which examination is required. (b) of the whole number attending. (c) of the number in each class. (d) of the classes prepared for examination. (e) of the money expended in support of the high school departments. (Minutes of the High School Board, October 27, 1881.) Note 7. It is definitely stated that the standings of schools was determined by 1. The certificate of the principal. 2. The "term" reports of the principal. 3. The reports of the visitors. (Minutes of the State High School Board July 19, 1883.) Note 8. Pursuant to an inquiry from "the convention of superintendents and principals" the Board passed the following resolution: "That the amount of $400 appropriated by this board under the statute should be expended for the purposes named in the statute, viz: for the encouragement of higher education; that for the purpose it should be set apart and not used to defray the general expenses of the schools; that the secretary be directed to require a report of the expenditure at the close of the year." (Minutes of the State High School Board, September 22, 1884.) Note 9. In 1885 the High Schools under the inspection of the State High School Board were divided into three classes: First class, schools that met the following requirements and conditions: 1. Thoroughly organized elementary grades, pupils graded and regularly pro- moted, departments carefully superintended, and records kept. 2. Thorough and complete preparation for the high school. 3. The high schools were to be provided with apparatus for natural philosophy and chemistry sufficient for the course of study, and properly arranged and well kept. 4. The course of study in the high school was to be pursued continuously in all years preparatory to the University. Final examinations were to be held in all APPENDIX 151 subjects and "a reasonable percentage of certificates received." Graduations were to be made only upon the completion of the course and upon the certificate of final examination of the High School Board. 5. The high school was to be provided with a library of books of reference and of general reading in history, biography, literature, and travel, such as was required by students in the pursuit of their studies and for their general information. The second class included all schools that were making decided progress in their organization, equipment, and supervision in all respects, although they had not yet reached the standards required for the first class. The third class included the schools in the "experimental stage" having the following general characteristics: 1. Imperfectly graded elementary department. 2. Preparation for high school imperfect in scholarly attainments and in com- mand of the elements of English in reading, composition, and arithmetic. 3. Not adequate supply of apparatus and books. 4. The course of study confined to the first and second years. The President of the University and the Superintendent of Public Instruction were made a committee to classify the schools annually. Schools of the third class were to make improvement sufficient for promotion "within a reasonable time." (Minutes of the State High School Board, May 16, 1885.) Note 10. In 1886 classification rules were changed in the following particulars: 1. High schools of the first class were required to give final examinations only in those subjects required by the board. 2. Classification of the schools hereafter was to be made for three years subject to revision in the discretion of the State Board. 3. The third class cf schools was required to do only two of three years of work prescribed by the Board. (There is no record of division of the previously named subjects according to the years of the course.) (Minutes of the State High School Board, November 17, 1886.) On August 26, 1889, Number I of the rules passed November 17, 1886 was rescinded. Note 11. "After the present scholastic year no high school shall be credited with an enrollment of any pupils who have not passed the preliminary examination in orthography, arithmetic, geography, and United States history. All others in the high school shall be reported as conditioned and shall not be graduated without having passed in these branches." " — all examination papers shall be first examined as to penmanship and orthography and any paper not deserving a mark of 65 in spelling shall be thrown out without further examination than spelling." (Minutes of the State High School Board, December 22, 1891.) Note 12. On May 22, 1893, the Board voted to accept state teachers' certifi- cates in the place of the certificates of the Board. The legislature of this year pro- vided for more thorough inspection of the schools. The Board at this meeting pro- vided formally for an inspector to act as its agent and fixed his salary at $2,000 per year. On June 29 following, George B. Aiton was elected as Inspector of High Schools. Note 13. On November 18 of the same year the following recommendations were made by the Inspector and adopted by the Board: 1. "That local boards be required to provide and adhere to a four-year college preparatory course as an essential feature of their high school work. 2. "That boards of education be required to provide their superintendents with adequate office facilities, and to enable them to devote reasonable time to super- 152 APPENDIX 3. "That high schools of the first class be required to provide library facilities and to employ methods of instruction calculated to give power to use the same, in the study of English literature, history, and kindred subjects; also that schools of this class be required to provide laboratory facilities, and to employ methods of instruction on systematic individual laboratory work in the sciences — particularly in physics, botany and chemistry. 4. "That schools accepted for supervision be known as 'schools under supervision,' and be not listed as high schools until they have been authorized to receive the special high school appropriation." (Minutes of the State High School Board, November 18, 1893.) Note 14. On September 10, 1896 the Board voted that city superintendents would not be required to hold state certificates unless they were to teach classes in addition to performing the duties of a superintendent. Note 15. On the recommendation of Mr. Aiton the following was adopted by the Board: 1. Classification into first, second, and third classes was abolished "and the inspector shall characterize the schools, either singly or by groups, both as to general efficiency and as to excellence in particular subjects." 2. State examinations were made optional "except that the inspectors may require any school to take the regular state examinations as a part of their instruc- tion." (Minutes of the State High School Board, July 12, 1897.) Note 16. Rules and Regulations of the State High School Board., Organization of the Board 1. The Governor shall act as President of the Board, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall act as Secretary, and the President of the State University shall act as examiner. 2. An annual meeting of the Board shall be held in August, as soon as practicable after the close of the fiscal year. 3. Special meetings may be held at the call of the Secretary. Application for State Aid to High Schools 1. All applications for state aid shall be made to the Secretary of the Board on the official blank prepared for that purpose, and shall be made not later than August 1 preceding the school year for which aid is requested. 2. All applications shall be considered at the annual meeting of the Board, and schools considered worthy shall be accepted for supervision. Applications shall be considered at special meetings only in cases where delay in making application appears to have a valid reason. 3. The applications of schools accepted for supervision shall be referred to the high school inspector, whose duty it shall be to visit such schools during the ensuing school year and to submit a special report to the high school board at the next annual meeting. 4. At the annual meeting following a year during which a school has been under supervision, the high school board, taking into consideration the report of the in- spector, the report of the examiner, and such other information as may be at hand, shall grant state aid to schools whose work and organization may appear to be satis- factory and to give promise of permanency. 5. A state high school is defined as a school which has received state aid to high schools and which is under the supervision of the high schocl board. The acceptance of a school for supervision shall not confer a right to the name before state aid shall have been granted. APPENDIX 153 6. Schools whose terms of state aid have expired and which have made reappli- cation for aid, may be replaced on the list unconditionally or if unfavorable conditions come to the knowledge of the board, such as a change of local policy or the employ- ment of a superintendent and instructors whose qualifications are not well known, the school may be accepted merely for supervision, and the question of a place on the list may be deferred until the next annual meeting. Conditions Requisite for Acceptance The following requirements are in accord with the past experience of the board and are made with a view to secure conditions which render efficient work practicable and give promise of permanence. The increase of state aid to $800 justifies great care in admitting schools to the list. 1. A comfortable building providing not less than four grade rooms below the high school, and high school quarters consisting of at least a main room, a large recitation room, a laboratory, and an office. 2. A well organized graded school, having not less than four distinct departments below the high school, and including not less than eight years of elementary and grammar school instruction. 3. A well chosen geographical library for the sixth and seventh grades. 4. An adequate library of American history for eighth grade work. 5. Suitable wall maps, a globe, and an unabridged dictionary for each of the upper grades. 6. A liberal supply of reading material in sets for each grade. 7. A well qualified superintendent having general charge of grading, instruction, discipline, and of the care of the building. 8. A liberal schedule of salaries. It is not the policy of the high school board to prescribe salaries, but in the light of experience the board expresses a want of confidence yi the ability of a school to earn the state grant of $800 without salaries liberal enough to secure the services of a competent superintendent and instructors of approved experience. Experience also demonstrates that towns having a popula- tion of less than 1,000 people, and an assessed valuation of less than $200,000 are seldom justified in undertaking the expense of supporting a state high school. 9. Scholarly classes, well started in at least the first two years of high school work, with a good prospect of classes to follow in regular succession, to maintain a full four years' course. Conduct of the School 1. Students admitted to the high school shall have satisfactorily completed the common school branches. 2. Permanent records shall be kept to show where each grade pupil belongs, and what subjects each high school student has completed. 3. The school shall hold sessions of not less than nine months each year. 4. A high school shall be open, free of tuition, to all non-resident pupils, upon passing the examination required by law. 5. The high school department (including grammar school students, if necessary) shall be placed in charge of a well qualified assistant. 6. The superintendent of the school shall be provided with an ample recitation room and office, and shall have reasonable time in school hours for general super- vision. 7. Boards of education shall adopt a liberal policy in making provision to supply the following library facilities and scientific equipment as rapidly as classes come 154 APPENDIX forward to need them. The amounts named represent the cost of respectable beginnings for small classes. a. Material in sets for a four years' course in high school reading, $50. b. A botanical or zoological outfit of tables, inexpensive dissecting micro- scopes, one compound microscope, dissecting instruments, glass jars and alcohol or formalin for preserving materials, etc., $80. c. Apparatus and equipment adequate to carry on a year's work in physics as outlined in the manual, $200. d. Suitable desks, chemicals, and glassware for a year's work in chemistry, $90. e. A working school library for the use of students in the preparation of their daily work. The amounts named below are sufficient, if expended with judgment, to equip the various classes fairly well. It is understood that none of these books are required until classes are formed that need them. It is better to equip the classes one or more at a time, and equip each thoroughly, than to scatter a small appropriation. The principal subjects which require assistance from a working library are: English literature, $100; general history, $100; civics, $40; political economy, $60; senior American history, $75; senior geography, physiography, $50; chemistry, $30; physics, $40; zoology, $50; botany, $75; foreign languages, $25, each. 8. The board of education of each school shall issue diplomas to those students who shall be certified by the superintendent to have satisfactorily completed the pre- liminary subjects and the work covered by twelve high school credits and a four years' course in reading. A year's work in a subject is called a credit. Teachers 1 Qualifications 1. The superintendent and high school instructors shall hold professional state certificates of the first class. These certificates are issued by the state superintendent of public instruction on the basis of a written examination, or upon the presentation of a diploma from an institution of higher learning, as provided in Section 3749 of the General Statutes of 1894. To obtain a professional state certificate, candidates must have taught with success in the state for at least one year. All candidates not graduates of a full four years' college course adjudged equal to that of the Univer- sity of Minnesota may obtain the professional certificate by examination only. Ex- aminations under the direction of the state superintendent of public instruction are held by an examining board twice a year, at the State University near the close of the University summer school, in August, and again at the Capitol in St. Paul during the Christmas holidays. As stated in rule three this regulation does not apply to superintendents and high school instructors who have had successful experience in state high schools previous to the adoption of these regulations. Professional cer- tificates from other states are not accepted. 2. Candidates who have passed the required examinations or who hold a college diploma as above defined, but who are debarred from obtaining state certificates only by want of experience or shortness of residence may have their diploma or record of examinations endorsed for one year by the secretary of the High School Board. Candidates thus debarred from obtaining a professional state certificate and desiring the endorsement of the secretary of the High School Board for a year must submit therewith a legal certificate or license issued by local authority. 3. Before entering into contract or paying salaries, boards of education shall require the superintendent and high school instructors to have their state certificates or diplomas or records endorsed by the secretary of the high school board with the APPENDIX 155 words, "valid for state high schools." Boards failing to comply with this regulation shall, at the discretion of the high school board, forfeit their claim to state aid, provided, however, that nothing in these rules shall operate to disqualify a present instructor, of known scholarship and successful experience in high school work from continuing to hold a position in a state high school. State Examinations 1. State high school board examinations are offered to all schools in the state twice a year, beginning on the last Monday in January and the last Monday in May. (Not all subjects are offered at the mid-year examination.) 2. Ungraded schools arrange for examinations through their county superin- tendents. All other schools apply to the examiner of the state high school board for questions on blanks prepared by him for that purpose. 3. All examinations must be conducted in strict compliance with the rules of the examiner. 4. Examinations are optional for all schools, except that the inspectors may require examinations as part of their inspection. By order of the State High School Board J. H. Lewis, Secretary Department of Public Instruction. St. Paul, August 8, 1899. Note 17. "After 1903-4 no teacher will be accepted by the State High School Board as qualified to teach in such schools (specially aided high or graded) who has not at least a second grade state certificate, and no teacher shall be deemed qualified to teach above the sixth grade in such schools who has not at least a first grade state certificate." (Minutes of the State High School Board, August 23, 1902.) Note 18. The High School Board allowed permits to be granted by the state superintendent to expert teachers to teach their specialties. (Minutes of the State High School Board, March, 1903.) Note 19. By reason of a communication of August 21, 1903 from the attorney general the president of the Normal School Board was declared a member of the State High School Board, under Section 6, Chapter 86, Laws of 1895. (Minutes of the State High School Board, October 29, 1903.) Note 20. "Resolved that first, after this year, no credit be given in the state- aided high schools for the cost of fuel; and second, that the boards of education be required to provide at least one high school instructor for each thirty students or major fraction thereof." (Minutes of the State High School Board, May 14, 1904.) Note 21. On August 22, 1904 when special aid was distributed, out of the total of 151 high schools aided, eleven were allowed the state funds on the basis as stipu- lated by the rule of the preceding May, prorating their receipts to their expendi- tures. "Schools under the supervision of the State High School Board are required to employ teachers for primary grades who have had at least an elementary course in a state normal school or in professional training schools of rank equal to a normal school. This rule does not apply to teachers now at work in the primary grades of the schools, but is intended to regulate the employment of new teachers for such grades." (Minutes of the State High School Board, November 21, 1904.) Note 22. "A graduate from the advanced course of Minnesota state normal school shall be accepted as superintendent of a state high school on the recommenda- tion of the president of the normal school from which the student is graduated, the inspector of high schools, and the inspector of graded schools, provided that this recommendation is to be given only on satisfactory evidence that the applicant has 156 APPENDIX attained high standing as supervisor and instructor." (Minutes of the State High School Board, April 21, 1905.) Note 23. Inspectors were instructed to report to the High School Board concern- ing the heating and ventilation of each school visited by them and request improve- ments where the same were found to be manifestly deficient. (Minutes of the State High School Board, December 11, 1905.) Note 24. Upon the recommendation of the state high school inspector the Board voted that after the school year 1909-10 the minimum salary of the superin- tendents should be $1,000. (Minutes of the State High School Board, April 28, 1909.) Note 25. On the recommendation of the state high school inspector, the follow- ing rule was adopted: "Every school shall employ at least two teachers in addition to the superintendent, who shall give their full time to high school work. (Minutes of the State High School Board, August 20, 1909.) Note 26. Beginning September 1912, high school districts were obliged to pay their superintendent not less than $1,200 annually. (Minutes of the State High School Board, January 22, 1901.) Note 27. After September 1912 the following rules were to be null and void: "Teachers in grades from the second to the sixth, inclusive, shall hold at least second grade certificates, teachers of seventh and eighth grades shall hold at least first grade certificates." In place of the above the following was to take effect September 1, 1912: "Teachers of the second to the eighth grade, inclusive, shall hold at least first grade state certificates." (Minutes of the State High School Board, April 2, 1910.) Note 28. "Resolved that the valuation and population of school districts which associate with a high or graded school under the Putnam Act shall be counted toward the valuation and population required by the rule of the High School Board for high and graded schools." (Minutes of the State High School Board, November 4, 1910.) Note 29. On August 10, 1911 the requirement that a high school district have not less than 1,000 population was repealed. Note 30. "Beginning with the school year 1912-13 no superintendent shall be employed in connection with a high school who has not had at least two years' ex- perience as a teacher of graded work or in rural schools, or in supervising grade work. This rule shall not affect the reappointment of present superintendents." (Minutes of the State High School Board, October 25, 1911.) Note 31. "In schools seeking to earn $2,500 industrial aid the director of agri- culture shall give his entire time to agriculture and extension work; in schools seeking to earn $1,000, the director of agriculture shall give his entire time to agriculture and extension work, except that additional subjects, 'particularly those relating to agri- culture' may be authorized by the state inspector." (Minutes of the State High School Board, April 13, 1912.) II. Graded Schools Note 32. Regulations for graded schools to receive $200 aid. 1. Applications considered in the order of their receipt. 2. Nine months session. 3. Each school to have not less than three "full-sized, cheerful, well-kept rooms." 4. Well organized graded school, having not less than three distinct departments. 5. Each school to pursue a course of study corresponding essentially to the graded course in the high school manual. APPENDIX 157 6. Upper or grammar school department to be open, free of tuition, to non- resident pupils, subject to regular entrance examinations at the discretion of the prin- cipal. 7. Each school to be "supplied with maps, dictionary, a globe, charts, primary material, and supplementary reading befitting an intelligent, progressive manage- ment." 8. "The school shall build up a library well supplied with books for the study of geography and American History." 9. It shall annually present a class, properly prepared for examination in the common branches. 10. "The annual apportionment of $200 shall be voted by this Board at the end of the school year upon evidence of satisfactory work." 11. "The principal shall hold a special certificate granted by the High School Board, which in addition to promise of professional success will require one of the following in evidence of scholarship: a. a diploma of a reputable university or college. b. the advanced diploma of a state normal school. c. the diploma of a high school known for scholarship and giving a full four years' course. d. a creditable examination in the common branches and such academic branches as may be required by this Board. (Minutes of the State High School Board, May 1895). Note 33, A. W. Rankin was appointed Graded School Inspector. (Minutes of the State High School Board, August 8, 1896.) Note 34. The Board passed a resolution to the effect that "Graded schools receiving $200 must maintain three departments throughout the year." (Minutes of the State High School Board, February 5, 1896.) Note 35. It was directed that the principals of graded schools must hold a special certificate of the High School Board "issued to applicants of high character and successful experience," otherwise the requirements for such principals were the same as those designated May 3, 1895, except that at this time the Board reserved the right to issue a permit to an applicant eligible except for experience, and no more special certificates were to be issued. (Minutes of the State High School Board, August 17, 1896.) Note 36. See the minutes of August 23, 1902, under High Schools. Note 37. "Graded schools after July 31, 1903 must pay principals not less than seventy- five dollars per month and grade teachers not less than forty dollars." (Minutes of the State High School Board, May 13, 1903.) Note 38. See Minutes of November 21, 1904 under High Schools. Note 39. See Minutes of December 11, 1905 under High Schools. Note 40. On August 20, 1907 a new set of rules governing the requirements for graded schools was adopted. Ventilation — School buildings must be provided with a system of ventilation which shall meet the approval of the State Board of Health. Equipment — Each school shall have: 1. Necessary wall maps, charts, and globes for work in history and geography. 2. At least one set of supplementary readers for each grade. 3. An International dictionary, or its equivalent, and several copies of small dictionaries for use in intermediate and grammar grades. 158 APPENDIX Qualifications of Teachers: 1. No teacher who has not been graduated from a course affording special training in primary work shall be qualified to teach a primary room in any graded school. 2. Teachers in grades from the second to the sixth, inclusive, shall hold at least second grade certificates. 3. Teachers of the seventh and eighth grades shall hold at least a first grade state certificate. 4. The principal of a graded school is required to hold a professional state certificate, or a diploma from the advanced course of a Minnesota state normal school, or of a reputable college or university, or a diploma of an equal rank from a state normal school outside of Minnesota, which diploma must first be endorsed by the superintendent of public instruc- tion before it is valid. 5. A limited certificate is not valid in any graded school. 6. Before entering into contracts or paying salaries, school boards in districts maintaining state graded schools shall require the principal and teachers to present their certificates for inspection and record to the clerk of the school board. Teachers 1 Salaries: No principal of a graded school shall receive less than seventy-five dollars a month for his services as principal and no teacher less than forty dollars a month. Removal from List: Schools failing to comply with the above requirements or neglecting to maintain a satisfactory standard of efficiency may be dropped from the list. It shall be the duty of the inspector to warn the clerk or other officer of the school board of such possible action. By order of the State High School Board. J. W. Olsen, Secretary Department of Public Instruction, St. Paul, August 20, 1907. Note 41. On April 28, 1909 the following rules were passed by the High School Board concerning graded schools receiving $500 special grant for high school work: 1. A suitable building of not less than six rooms, including a laboratory, shall be provided. 2. Not less than six teachers shall be employed during the entire year for which aid is granted. 3. The principal shall be provided with ample recitation room and office, and shall have reasonable time in school hours for general supervision. 4. The assistant principal shall be in charge of the high school department, including grammar school students seated in the room. 5. The assistant principal must hold a state professional certificate, or a diploma from the advanced course of a state normal school or of a reputable college or uni- versity. 6. The salary of the principal shall not be less than ninety dollars a month. 7. Not less than twenty pupils shall be enrolled in the high school department. 8. Not less than two years of high school work of such character that it will admit students to the third year of any state high school shall be maintained. In the report of the state inspector of graded schools for 1910 equipment is de- scribed more in detail. APPENDIX 159 1. That for work in geography each school be supplied with a globe, preferably one suspended from the ceiling and not less than eighteen inches in diameter, and the following maps: the world on Mercator's Projection, the Eastern and Western Hemi- spheres, the United States, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Minnesota. The three first named ought to be a larger size than the remaining seven. 2. That for work in United States history each school be provided with a large outline map of the United States painted on slated cloth. With the aid of colored crayons very effective use can be made of this map. 3. That the supplementary reading be made up wholly of books not arranged in series for grades. 4. That one International dictionary, or its equivalent, be considered sufficient for a school of six departments or less. 5. That pupils be encouraged to purchase their own small dictionaries after they have been admitted to the fourth grade, and that, in places where it is considered inadvisable to make this requirement, the school board furnish one dictionary for every four pupils above the third grade. Note 42. On January 22, 1910 the Board passed a ruling that graded schools with high school departments should pay their principal not less than $900 annually. Note 43. On August 10, 1911 the number of students required in high school departments of graded schools was changed from twenty to fifteen. III. Rural Schools Note 44. The writer has been unable to secure or find reprints of the rules of the Department of Public Instruction governing state aid to rural schools previous to 1909. A pamphlet entitled "Special Aid to Semi-graded and Rural schools — Depart- ment of Public Instruction, Minnesota, May 20, 1909," is reproduced here in toto. SPECIAL STATE AID TO SEMI-GRADED AND RURAL SCHOOLS Rules Governing Semi-graded and First- and Second-Class Rural Schools Applying for State Aid In effect August 1, 1909 Semi-graded Schools To be entitled to special state aid of $300 as a semi-graded school, the law and regulations of this department require: 1. School must have maintained, in each of the two departments, for the full period of eight months during the year. 2. The principal must hold a first grade common school certificate, its equiva- lent, or one of higher rank, during the entire school year. The other teachers must hold at least second grade common school certificates. Limited certificates, and county third grade certificates are not sufficient. Unless school officers are themselves thoroughly familiar with the rules relating to certificates, they should confer with their county superintendent. 3. The school building and each room must be clean and well kept. Proper provision must be made for heating and ventilating in accordance with in- structions in closing portion of this pamphlet. 160 APPENDIX 4. The district must have a suitable school building, outhouses, library, and apparatus necessary for doing efficient work. 5. The school must be provided with sufficient blackboard, slate preferred, and a Webster's International, an Unabridged Standard, or a Century Dictionary. It must have at least one complete set of supplementary readers for each grade or class in addition to the regular readers used, and a well selected library, to which there must yearly be made additions to the amount of at least $15. If the district purchases $15 worth of library books under the library law, the state will meet half the expense. The books must be ordered early in the school year and not later than January 1st, so that the pupils may have the benefit of them during most of the school year. 6. The application of each school must show that it has maintained its standard of efficiency in both work and equipment, and that some improvement has been made during the year. The school grounds must be kept neat and clean, and present an orderly and attractive appearance. Each building should have two outhouses properly built and cared for, some distance apart. Where co nditions seem to demand it, these may be built together, provided they are separated by a strong wall, imper- vious to sound, and the approaches are separated by a tight board fence at least eight feet high. Outhouse conditions not complying with these rules must be cured at ONCE. 7. The school must have an aggregate attendance of at least 3,200 days. Rural Schools, First and Second Class Schools employing first grade teacher and applying for the $150 state aid will be known as first class rural schools; those employing a second grade teacher and applying for the $100 aid will be known as second class rural schools. To be entitled to special state aid as a rural school of the first or second class the law and the regulations of this department require that: 8. School must have been maintained for the full period of eight months during the year. 9. The teacher in a school of the first class must have held a first grade com- mon school certificate, its equivalent, or one of higher rank, from the beginning of and through the school year. In one of the second class the teacher must in like manner, have held a second grade common school certificate. A limited certif- icate does not meet the requirements of law. Unless school officers are thoroughly familiar with the rules relating to certificates, they should confer with their county superintendent. 10. For both classes of rural schools the district must have a suitable building, outhouses, a library, and apparatus necessary for doing efficient work. For rural schools of the first and the second class this department makes the same requirement it makes of semi-graded, the school building and its equipment, heating, ventilating, blackboards, sets of supplementary readers and dictionaries. Books to the amount of $10 must be added to the library yearly. The rule regarding outhouses will be strictly enforced, and is the same as for semi-graded schools. Aid will not be granted to either class of rural schools in which the aggregate attendance is less than 1,600 days. Teachers 1 Certificates 11. It will be observed that the certificates required of the teacher in each state- aided school is a state certificate of either the first or the second grade. A limited certificate or a county third grade certificate will not be sufficient for any teacher in any department of a semi-graded, or in a first or second class rural school receiving special state aid. APPENDIX 161 Application and Award 12. Under the provisions of Chapter 142, Laws of 1905, this special aid will be paid to the various school districts by the County Treasurer, after October 1st in the same manner as other school funds. County Superintendents are required by law to make recommendation of dis- tricts for this aid. The department must rely very largely upon the intelligence, discrimination and judgment of the superintendents. An application should NOT BE FORWARDED, OR DISTRICT RECOMMENDED UNLESS THE SUPERINTENDENT IS FULLY SATISFIED THAT THE DISTRICT HAS COMPLIED WITH BOTH THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER OF THE LAW, AND WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS DEPARTMENT. The State Superintendent apportions the aid awarded to each school that has fully complied with the law; but if the amount available under this act be not suf- ficient to apportion the full amount to each school entitled to receive aid, it will be divided pro rata. The County Superintendent will please observe that we prefer to have all the applications from his county at one time, and that they must reach this office before August 15th. Heating and Ventilating of One- and Two-Room Schoolhouses As Required for Special State Aid. Supplementary to Bulletin No. 15, this information is intended to make clear the attitude of the state department on various questions that have been raised by county superintendents and school officers relative to the heating and ventilating of school buildings. It aims to state the essential requirements as definitely and as briefly as possible. Stove Heating with Home-made Ventilating System 13. The chimney shall be at least 20x20 inches clear on the inside, throughout its entire length. This is the standard size for a room in which the average attendance does not exceed 30. It should be set into the side of the building so that only one side of it is exposed, and should extend at least 25 feet above the level of the floor, and at least 4 feet above the highest portion of the roof. Inside the chimney shall be a stack, 8 inches in diameter, made of No. 16-gauge steel. This stack shall rest on the floor of the chimney for support, shall be held in place by side braces, and shall extend two feet above the chimney top. The smoke shall enter the stack at the usual smoke-pipe height. Proper provision for removal of the soot is to be made in the lower part of the stack. Ventilation 14. The foul air shall be drawn into the chimney through a register at the floor. Two registers are preferable. The lower edge of each shall be level with the floor, and the top not more than 14 inches above it. The total area of the registers used is to be one quarter greater than that of the chimney flue. Stove 15. The stove shall be surrounded by a shield or casing standing at least 6 inches away from it and not less than 12 inches above the floor. Shield 16. This is to be built of Russian iron, or polished or plated steel, with a lining of asbestos, and an inside fining of corrugated tin, to make it as nearly as possible radiation-proof. Fresh Air 17. The fresh-air intake shall have an area as great at least as that of the foul- air flue, exclusive of the smoke stack. It must not diminish in size toward the inside. 162 APPENDIX It must so enter the space between shield and stove as to insure that the fresh air will be thoroughly warmed before it finds its way into the room. It has been proved that a fresh-air register under the stove does not do the work intended, and this would not, therefore, be accepted as meeting the requirements. Such registers tend to spread cold air over the floor before it is heated. (See Bulletin No. 15, pages 9 and 10.) Furnace Heating and Ventilating of a One-Room Schoolhouse 18. The requirements in this case as to chimney, smokestack, and fresh-air intake are the same as those laid down regarding a home-made ventilating system. Where more rooms than one are to be heated, there must be a corresponding increase in the measurements indicated for ventilation purposes. The heat should be carried from furnace to schoolroom, either by means of a galvanized duct leading up through a partition wall, if possible, or through a separate flue in the chimney. The heat should enter the room about 7 feet from the floor — in no case through reg- isters in the floor. (See Bulletin No. 15, Pages 10 and 11.) Patent System Heating and Ventilating of a One-Room Schoolhouse 19. The chimney shall be not less than 12x16 inches clear on the inside through- out its entire length, and unobstructed in any part of it. The foul-air ventilator leading into the chimney shall be at least the equivalent of 12 inches in diameter. The fresh-air intake shall be as large, at least, as the foul-air ventilator, and preferably larger. The stove shield and the fresh-air devices must meet the re- quirements set forth for a home-made system in these particulars. Explanatory Statement 20. Heating and ventilating systems that entail the use of a double-flue chim- ney, one compartment of which acts as a foul-air ventilator, have proved inade- quate and unsatisfactory, and will not be accepted after the present school year, except as explained in Rule 21 of this pamphlet. A shield that rests on the floor, and a fresh-air register that opens under the stove, have also proved inadequate and unsatisfactory, and will in no case hereafter be accepted. Systems that have foul-air ventilators unheated or smaller than the requirements demand will not be accepted. 21. A building having a heating and ventilating system installed in accordance with the provisions of Bulletin No. 3, issued by this department in 1904 (with chimney not less than 16x24 inches clear on the inside, or the equivalent of it) will not be required to change the plans or system for a continuance of the aid so long as the system and the chimney are in good usable and working order. Previous to the issuance of Bulletin No. 15 in May 1908, the department ac- cepted, as meeting the state aid requirements, a patented system with a fresh-air intake and foul-air ventilator the equivalent of 10 inches in diameter; and districts which had such a system installed before that time will not be debarred by it from still receiving aid while the chimney and the system continue in good working order. It is not the purpose to require frequent or unnecessary changes in heating and ventilating systems. The department will recognize any practical and workable system heretofore in use, which complied with the requirements as they existed at the time it was installed. General Suggestions 22. Means of Heating. Stoves of the round-oak type with firepots 20 to 24 inches in diameter — according to the size of the room — are well suited for ventila- tion purposes. Box stoves are unsightly and unsatisfactory; their use should be APPENDIX 163 abandoned as soon as possible. Base-burners are not adapted for ventilation systems, and should not be used. Placing of Chimney. Whenever practicable, the chimney should be in the same end of the building as the entrance. This makes it possible to have the heater near the door, convenient for the bringing in of fuel and the carrying out of ashes, and also serves as a means of checking cold drafts occasioned by the opening of the door. Cost. School boards should bear in mind that the installation of a proper system of heating and ventilation is a permanent improvement, as well as a funda- mental requisite for a successful school. It is usually economy in the end to pay a little more for something that is right than to try to get along with makeshifts. Before putting in a new and untried system of heating and ventilating, or making any changes in a system already installed, school boards are urgently advised to confer with their county superintendent. C. G. Schulz, Superintendent of Public Instruction Note 45. Copies of further regulations have not been found up to a circular letter issued by the State Superintendent, dated November 8, 1912. The stipula- tions governing state aid in this circular are: "Your attention is directed to one additional requirement for the receiving of state aid in semi-graded and in rural schools of Classes A, B, and C. '(h) Primary Material. Ample material for seat work in primary grades must be provided — at least $10 for each school.' It is desirable that this rule should effect the provision of this material in the schools during the present school year. Beginning with the school year 1913-14, the rule will be uniformly enforced." IV. Industrial Departments Note 46. A. Each school must be listed by the State High School Board before it begins work. B. The equipment shall include at least: 1. One shop. 2. One room for domestic science exclusively. 3. One class room. 4. One laboratory. 5. Farm buildings sufficient to shelter seeds, tools, and children in case the plot is removed from the school building. C. Instructors required: 1. The corps shall include not less than three special instructors, one having had training in agriculture, one in shop work, and one in domestic science. 2. In case of a rural consolidated school one of these instructors may be the principal. 3. In addition to a legal certificate, each special instructor shall hold a diploma from a reputable school of agriculture, a technical school, or a permit from the secretary of the High School Board. D. In reckoning aid, credit shall be given for: 1. Salaries of special instructors — in case part time is devoted to the work corresponding credit shall be given. 2. Equipment, including tools and apparatus. 3. Supplies, including seeds. 4. Labor and team work. 164 APPENDIX 5. Reference books. 6. Extension work in rural schools. E. No part of the fund may be expended in purchasing ground or in erecting buildings. (Minutes of the State High School Board, April 28, 1909). On May 4, 1909 the following rules were added: 1. That the farm building shall contain a suitable office room for the person in charge of the agricultural work and a suitable recitation room. 2. That the inspectors and the State Superintendent be directed to prepare suitable courses of study for the work in schools designated under the Putnam act. Note 47. The regulations of the State High School Board for schools maintain- ing special departments authorized by the law of 1911 are set forth in Circular No. 3, 1911, of the Department of Public Education. REGULATIONS OF THE STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOARD For Schools Maintaining a Department of Agriculture and a Department of Home Economics or Manual Training In Accordance with Chapter 91, Laws of 1911 Circular No. 3, 1911 (Chapter 91, Laws of 1911)' Section 1. Any High School or Graded School which shall maintain such a course as the High School Board of this State shall prescribe in Agriculture and either in Home Economics or in Manual Training, shall receive annually in addition to other aid the sum of One Thousand ($1,000) Dollars for maintaining such in- dustrial courses, to be paid from the appropriations made for State aid to High and Graded Schools. Sec. 2. This aid shall not be paid to any school receiving aid under any other act, for the maintenance of industrial courses. The following rules apply to high and graded schools alike: 1. Applications for the aid ($1,000) are made before the first day of August to the Superintendent of Public Instruction on the blank form prepared for the purpose. 2. The consent of the High School Board shall be obtained before the depart- ments are established and the work is undertaken. 3. The annual award — which is made at the regular August meeting of the board — will be based on satisfactory work in agriculture and home economics, or in agriculture and manual training, during the preceding school year. 4. The industrial courses authorized by this law and covered by these rules shall be maintained throughout the school year, and shall be free of tuition to all applicants, except that the tuition of non-resident pupils is chargeable against the school district to which such pupils belong. 5. In addition to the longer course, each school shall offer a free winter short course of not less than three months. 6. Instructors. Each instructor in agriculture, sewing, cooking, or manual training shall have had adequate training in a technical school. The instructor in agriculture shall be a graduate of an agricultural college, or shall have had technical training equivalent to that of a graduate of such institution. Each of these in- structors shall, before a contract is made, secure from the Superintendent of Public Instruction a special industrial certificate, issued only on the recommendation of APPENDIX 165 persons in a position to know the qualifications of the candidate, and upon the en- dorsement of the state inspector. The superintendent or the principal of a school having not to exceed five grade teachers may teach one industrial subject. In such case he must have the quali- fications and hold the certificate required for an industrial teacher. The instructor in agriculture may direct manual training. The work in home economics may be divided between two instructors, one for sewing and the other for cooking. A regular high school or grade teacher may devote part time to sewing or to cooking, provided she possess the qualifications and hold the certificate necessary for an industrial teacher. 7. Courses. Home economics shall be held to include both cooking and sewing. A room is here defined as one having not less than 700 square feet of floor space, and properly lighted and ventilated. Sewing. An adequate outfit shall be provided, including cutting tables, one or more sewing machines, material suitable for patterns, the materials required for exercises, and such implements as are required in the usual sewing room. Cooking. A special room shall be fitted up with tables, cooking utensils, table service, cupboards, and conveniences for storing kitchen supplies. Manual training. A special room shall be provided with benches and the necessary tools. Material for exercises shall be supplied free of charge. Lumber for articles taken home may be charged for at cost. Agriculture. The instructor shall have a room exclusively for his work. He shall be provided with laboratory facilities, and shall have not less than a continuous half day for agriculture work. He shall make a close study of local conditions, and attend markets, horticultural meetings, meetings of creamery and stock-breeding and other associations, and such other gatherings as afford opportunity to make the acquaintance of farmers. The work in agriculture shall include: a. A course based on textbooks, bulletins, and lectures. b. A laboratory course, including physical examination of soils, prepara- tion of weed-seed cases, testing of seeds, testing for butter-fat, grain judging, stock judging, etc. c. Special work along some line of local interest, such as dairying, corn breeding, small grain, potatoes, fruit, meat products, poultry, etc. The school shall not only maintain a standard of general efficiency, but shall develop strength in a chosen specialty. d. The organization of institute work in cooperation with the extension division of the college of agriculture of the state university. e. A winter short course. If the work be done satisfactorily, two periods given daily to an industrial subject or subjects shall count as a credit. May 1, 1911. C. G. Schulz, State Superintendent and Secretary of the High School Board. Circular No. 7, 1912 Superintendents, Principals, and School Boards: Your attention is directed to the questions referred to in this circular that relate to Industrial departments in high schools and graded schools. 166 APPENDIX At its annual meeting on August 1st, the High School Board adopted these regulations : Regulations of the High School Board Relating to Industrial Training Departments School Plot The board of each high and graded school which receives the special award for agricultural work, and which maintains a school farm, must keep its plot or field free of weeds, and in a state proper for cultivation and for demonstration purposes. Compliance with this rule will be taken into consideration by the High School Board in making the award. Employment of Agricultural Director High and Graded schools which receive the special award for agricultural work and instruction are required, beginning with the present school year, to employ the agricultural director for the full calendar year of twelve months, that he may render efficient and useful service in this special line to his school and community. The year of employment will begin August 1st. Tuition High and Graded schools receiving the special award for industrial work, which charge tuition for the enrollment of non-resident pupils in the industrial department, are required to make monthly statements to the home district, of the number of pupils enrolled, the number of days' attendance, and the amount of tuition charged against the district for the month. It is a matter of importance for the schools which maintain an industrial department, and which collect tuition from the rural schools tributary to them, on account of enrollment of non-resident students, that no misunderstanding or ill-will ' should grow from these relations. The High School Board asks that the school board and superintendent in each central school handle this situation in a systematic and businesslike way. To this end, it requests them to give notice to the clerks of the rural schools upon the enrollment of each new student from the respective districts and to send monthly statements of the tuition charged. To facilitate this work, sample blanks have been prepared and are here sent you, so that each school may provide itself with a supply of them. Department of Industrial Education To provide for the training of teachers of agriculture, the High School Board, in conjunction with the Board of Regents of the University, has employed Mr. A. V. Storm, formerly of the State College at Ames, Iowa, to take charge of a department in the College of Agriculture to be known as the Department of Agricultural Edu- cation. The work of Mr. Storm begins with the opening of the present school year. He will spend at least half of his time during the year visiting schools in which agri- cultural departments are maintained that receive state aid. His visits to the schools will be to study agricultural education in Minnesota, with a view to training teach- ers for this service. High School Board Examinations — Dates for IQ13 January 20 and 21 — in certain half-year High School subjects. January 24 and 25 — in Grammar grade subjects. May 26 to 29 inclusive — in both Grammar grade and High School subjects. August 20, 1912. C. G. Schulz, Superintendent. APPENDIX B Herewith are presented three of the five tables as published in the final brief report of the Commission. 1 The fifth table has already been included in the chap- ter on Rural Schools. The following matter is reproduced without change from pages 28-31, inclusive, of the report. Enrollment in: High school districts 196,752 — 43.8 per cent Graded school districts 34,223 — 7.8 per cent Rural school districts 218,007 — 48.4 per cent Attendance: Total days- attendance in high school districts 30,571,941 — 53 per cent Total days attendance in graded school districts 5,131,076 — 8.9 per cent Total days attendance in rural school districts 21,865,741 — 38.1 per cent TABLE I Relation of Valuation and Taxation to Cost of Instruction County Assessed Valua- tion per Pupil Enrolled Average Special Tax Rate in Mills Average Expense in Cents per Day of Attendance Rural High and Graded Rural High Graded Rural High Graded $1,067 1,577 3,099 2,217 4,369 1,663 1,133 2,426 2,427 3,489 2,666 2,728 3,294 3,317 $ 1,677 816 1,134 1,127 10,585 1,249 859 1,229 1,483 1,112 1,073 996 1,163 1,212 16. 16.03 6.04 5.34 16.5 6. 7.5 5.27 4.13 7. 5.44 5.6 5.62 3.53 12.2 21. 25. 28. 11.5 19.1 27.7 19.9 18.8 33.8 21.9 26.8 23. 19. 39.2 12.2 16.7 28.1 12.2 25.6 13.6 25.9 15.3 19.7 23.5 17. 23.5 25.25 30.42 20.5 40. 17.7 15.2 19.08 21.33 31.6 22.5 24.08 26.3 20.33 22.8 18.7 26.5 26.9 81.8 27.8 21.6 25.9 29.8 29.3 27.76 25.3 27.1 21.6 28.1 2. Hubbard 26.1 24.4 52.1 17.7 30. 24.8 9. Scott 37.6 10. Wilkin 11. Dodge 17.8 12. Fillmore 20.9 28.2 18.6 1 See Chapter 1, p. 1. 168 APPENDIX TABLE II Relation of State Support to Total Cost of Maintenance (State support is the sum of annual aid and apportionment) County State Support Each Day per Pupil Annual Cost per Pupil Entitled to State Apportionment Per Cent of State Support as Related to Total Cost Rural High Graded Rural High Graded Rural High Graded Cents Cents Cents Per cent Per cent Per cent 1. Carlton 9. Scott 10. Wilkin 11. Dodge 13. Pipestone. . . . 14. Watonwan . . . 7.8 6.6 8.1 7.8 7.5 8.2 7.5 8. 8.1 8.1 8.3 8.2 8.3 8.1 5.2 8.1 8.9 8.3 4.6 7.1 6.9 10.4 12.2 8.5 12.4 8.4 7.2 7.2 10.8 15.2 8.6 6.2 7. 7.5 7.6 11. 6.3 7.1 8.3 6.1 $28.40 30.90 36.15 22.50 51.60 19.00 18.19 21.30 19.70 36.30 27.50 27.90 32.60 21.30 $37.60 27.70 37.80 40.60 139.00 38.30 33.70 40.60 50.60 44.40 46.70 43.00 43.00 39.00 $42.40 36.50 34.20 86.40 28.00 43.40 36.60 57.10 29.00 34.90 42.00 30.60 35.72 32.99 29.41 38.64 16.49 48.84 44.99 40.99 42.28 ■ 27.24 39.29 35.63 34.00 39.24 23.3 42.1 33.8 32. 6.3 33.4 32.2 39.7 39.8 28.6 45. 33.5 26.4 30.25 35.7 54.3 36.6 10.7 39.9 25.2 30.7 30.5 30.5 34.1 33.8 33. Note: One fifth of the rural schools in these counties actually received more from the state than they raised by local taxation. TABLE III Attendance and Salaries County Average Days of Attendance Average Monthly Salary of Teachers Rural High Graded Rural 110.5 90.3 90.66 88.6 117.6 105.75 100.9 95.25 89.8 92.13 101.2 94.94 101.5 89.8 160 139 140 146.5 153 130 143 139 140 140 143 148 146 143 137 $50.15 45.66 127 130 144 141 131 144 51.14 49.70 64.50 51.00 54.90 52.30 9. Scott 49.65 10. Wilkin 129 148 140 121 145 52.92 11. Dodge 50.76 45.84 52.80 48.73 Teacher's Salaries for Entire State Minimum High school districts. . Graded school districts Rural school districts . . $540 389 210 APPENDIX C LAWS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF 1915 Laws of 1915 Minnesota Chapter 238 Consolidation of School Districts Sec. 1. Two or more school districts of any kind may consolidate either by the formation of a new district or by the annexation of one or more districts or un- organized territory to an existing district in which is maintained a state graded, semi-graded, or high school as hereinafter provided. A district so formed by consolidation or annexation shall be known as a con- solidated school district. Before any steps are taken to organize a consolidated school district, the superintendent of the county in which the major portion of terri- tory is situated, from which it is proposed to form a consolidated school district, shall cause a plat to be made showing the size and boundaries of the new district, the location of school houses in the several districts, the location of other adjoining school districts and of school houses therein, and the assessed valuation of property in the proposed district, together with such information as may be of essential value, and submit the same to the superintendent of education who shall approve, modify, or reject the plan so proposed, and certify his conclusions to the county superin- tendent of schools. Sec. 2. To receive state aid as a consolidated school of Class A or Class B, as defined in this act, the consolidated districts must contain not less than twelve sections; provided, however, that when any consolidated school district shall have attained a valuation of $200,000 and not exceeding $1,000,000, and contains within its borders an incorporated village which consolidated district contains but ten sec- tions, such consolidated district shall have all the rights and privileges of a consoli- dated school district. Any existing school district having the area and meeting the requirements specified in this act, shall have the rights and privileges of a consoli- dated school district. Sec. 3. After approval by the superintendent of education of the plan for the formation of a consolidated school district, and upon presentation to the county superintendent of a petition signed and acknowledged by at least twenty-five (25) per cent of the resident freeholders of each school district or area affected, qualified to vote at school meetings, asking for the formation of a consolidated school dis- trict in accordance with the plans approved by the superintendent of education, the county superintendent shall, within ten days, cause ten days' posted notice to be given in each district affected, and one week's published notice, if there be a news- paper published in such district, of an election or special meeting to be held within the proposed district, at a time and place specified in such notice, to vote upon the question of consolidation. Sec. 4. At such meeting the electors shall elect from their number a chairman and clerk who shall be the officers of the meeting. The chairman shall appoint two tellers, and the meeting and election shall be conducted as are annual meetings in common and independent districts. The vote at such election or meeting shall be by ballot, which shall read: "For Consolidation," or "Against Consolidation." The officers at such meeting or election shall, within ten days thereafter certify the result of the vote to the superintendent of the county in which such district mainly lies. If a majority of the votes cast be for consolidation, the county superintendent within 170 APPENDIX • ten days thereafter shall make proper orders to give effect to such vote, and shall thereafter transmit a copy thereof to the auditor of each county in which any part of any district affected lies, and to the clerk of each district affected, and also to the superintendent of education. If the order be for the formation of a new district, it shall specify the number of such district. The county superintendent shall also cause ten days' posted notice, and one week's published notice, if there be a news- paper published in such district, to be given of a meeting to elect officers of the newly formed consolidated school district; provided, that the board of a consolidated school district shall form, and after the formation of the consolidated district, have all the powers, privileges, and duties now conferred by law upon boards of independent districts. After the formation of any consolidated school district, appeal may be taken as now provided by law in connection with the formation of other school dis- tricts. Nothing in this act shall be construed to transfer the liability of existing indebtedness from the district or territory against which it was originally incurred. Sec. 5. In like manner, one or more school districts may be consolidated with an existing district in which is maintained a state high or graded, or semi-graded school in a district containing an incorporated village, in which case the school board of the district maintaining a state high or graded, or semi-graded school in a district containing an incorporated village, shall continue to be the board governing the consolidated school district, until the next annual school election, when successors to the members whose terms then expire shall be elected by the legally qualified voters of the consolidated school district; provided, however, that in the case of consoli- dation with a school district in which there is maintained a state high or graded, or a semi-graded school in a district containing an incorporated village, consolidation shall be effected by vote of the rural school districts only in the manner provided under this act, and by the approval of such consolidation of the rural district or districts with the one in which there is maintained a state high or graded or semi- graded school in a district containing an incorporated village, by the school board thereof. Sec. 6. In like manner any portion of an unorganized school district or district governed by a county board of education may be consolidated with an existing dis- trict in which is maintained a state high, graded, or semi-graded school, by a vote of the county board of education in the county in which is located such unorganized territory and by the approval of such consolidation of the unorganized territory and by the school board of the district in which is maintained a state graded, semi- graded, or high school. Sec. 7. The officers of the several districts forming a consolidated school dis- trict shall within ten days from receipt of copy of the order of the county superin- tendent certifying the formation of the new district, or immediately after election and qualification of members of the school board in the consolidated school district, turn over to the proper officers of the newly elected school board, or to the proper officers of the school board in the district maintaining the state high or graded or semi-graded school, all records, funds, credits, buildings, property, and other effects of their several districts. Sec. 8. For the purpose of promoting a better condition in rural schools, and to encourage industrial training, including the elements of agriculture, manual train- ing, and home economics, the board in a consolidated school district is authorized to establish schools of two or more departments, provide for the transportation of pupils, or expend a reasonable amount for room and board of pupils whose atten- dance at school can more economically and conveniently be provided for by such means; locate and acquire sites of not less than two acres, and erect necessary and APPENDIX 171 suitable buildings thereon, including a suitable dwelling for teachers, when money therefor has been voted by the district. They shall submit to the superintendent of education a plat of the school grounds, indicating the site of the proposed build- ings, plans and specifications for the school building and its equipment and the equipment of the premises. Sec. 9. (1) For receiving state aid, schools in consolidated districts shall be classified as A and B. Schools of Class A shall be in session at least eight months in the year and be well organized. They shall have suitable school houses with the necessary rooms and equipment. Those belonging to Class A shall have at least four departments and those belonging to Class B, at least two departments. The board in a consolidated school district maintaining a school of either class shall arrange for the attendance of all pupils living two miles or more from the school, through suitable provision for transportation or for the boarding and rooming of such pupils as may be more economically and conveniently provided for by such means. (2) Besides maintaining schools in consolidated districts conforming to the requirements of those coming under classes A and B, the school board may maintain other schools of not more than two departments, and receive state aid for these as provided for semi-graded and rural schools. Sec. 10. (1) The principal of a consolidated school shall be qualified to teach the elements of agriculture, as determined by such tests as are required by the super- intendent of education. A school of this class shall have suitable rooms and equip- ment for industrial and other work, a library, and necessary apparatus and equip- ment for efficient work, and a course of study embracing such branches as may be prescribed by the superintendent of education. (2) The principal and other teachers, including special teachers, shall have such qualifications as may be fixed by the superintendent of education. Sec. 11. Schools under Class A in consolidated districts shall receive annually aid of five hundred dollars ($500); those under Class B shall receive annually aid of two hundred and fifty dollars ($250). In addition to such annual aid, schools shall receive annually the amount rea- sonably expended for the transportation of pupils, not to exceed two thousand dol- lars ($2,000). In addition to other annual aid, consolidated schools of either of the above classes shall receive an amount to aid in the construction of buildings, equal to twenty- five (25) per cent of the cost of such buildings, but no school shall receive more than a total of two thousand dollars ($2,000) for aid in construction of buildings. The annual aid and the aid for buildings shall be paid in the same manner as now pro- vided by law for the payment of other state aid to public schools. Whenever any school in a consolidated district attains the rank of a state high or graded school, it shall possess the rights and privileges of such school. Sec. 12. Sections 1289, 1290, 1291, 1292 and 1293, Revised Laws of 1905, and chapter 326, Session Laws of 1905, and chapter 304, Session Laws of 1907, chap- ter 207, Session Laws of 1911, and chapters 279 and 428, Session Laws of 1913, and other acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed. Chapter 239 Relating to Industrial departments, Association with Central School and State Aid for These Sec. 1. Definitions, — "Industrial Subjects" as that term is used in this act, shall include courses in agriculture, home training (including cooking and sewing), manual training, and commercial training. 172 APPENDIX The term "central school" as used in this act, shall mean the school or schools of a district in which industrial courses are given. Sec. 2. Schools Designated to Maintain Industrial Courses, — Any high school, graded school, or consolidated rural school which has satisfactorily met the require- ments in regard to rooms and equipment, and has shown itself fitted by location and otherwise to give training in any one or more of the industrial subjects, may be designated by the state board of education to maintain such industrial courses, and to receive state aid therefor. Any school now operating and receiving state aid under the provisions of chap- ter 247, General Laws of 1909, and the acts amendatory thereof, shall continue to be aided under the provisions of this act for its industrial departments, provided such school maintains the standards made for receiving aid on such account. Any such school which has secured a tract of land for experimental and demon- stration purposes may continue to own and operate such tract in connection with the industrial school courses. Sec. 3. Qualifications of Instructors in Industrial Departments, — Each such school shall employ trained instructors for the several courses having such quali- fications as may be fixed by the state board of education. Sec. 4. School Garden and Experimental Tract, — A school maintaining a course in agriculture may procure a tract of land suitable for school garden and for purposes of demonstration located within the school district, or if outside of the school district not to exceed three miles from the central building. The board may require a school having a course in agriculture to procure a tract of land for the purposes stated. Sec. 5. Instruction Shall Be Practical; Short Course, — The instruction in agriculture, »as well as in the other industrial courses, shall be of a practical character and shall include such questions and the study of such subjects or courses as have a direct relation to the business of farming, home making, and the other subjects included under the head of industrial studies. When necessary to accommodate a reasonable number of boys and girls to attend only in the winter months, special classes shall be formed for them. Sec. 6. Association, — For the purpose of providing training and instruction in agriculture and such other industrial subjects as can properly be taught to pupils in rural schools, and to extend the influence and supervision of the central school to rural schools, one or more school districts may become associated with a high, graded, or consolidated rural school in which industrial courses are maintained. Such association may be effected with a central school even though such central school has not been designated to receive annual state aid on account of maintain- ing industrial courses. Sec. 7. Procedure for Association, — Association shall be effected upon action taken at any annual or special meeting of the rural school district seeking such association, under such rules as the state board of education may establish. The association shall be considered as effected only after the approval by the school board of the central district and by the state board of education. Sec. 8. Duties of Superintendent or Principal of Associated Rural Schools, — The superintendent or principal of the central school shall exercise the same author- ity and supervision over the associated rural schools as over the central school. He shall prepare for the associated rural schools suitable courses of study in agriculture and in such other industrial courses as may properly be taught in the associated rural schools. APPENDIX 173 Sec. 9. Any pupil from an associated rural school shall be admitted to any grade or department in the central school upon the same conditions as pupils resi- dent in the district of the central school. Sec. 10. Termination of Association, — The relationship between any asso- ciated school district and the central school shall be permanent except as it may be terminated by a majority vote of the voters of the associated district. Sec. 11. Associated School Board, — The members of the various school boards of the associated rural districts and the members of the school board of the central district shall constitute a board to be known as "The Associated School Board of of ." Sec. 12. Duties of Associated School Board, — The duties of the associated board shall be: (a) To hold such meetings at the central school at such times as the associated board may determine. (b) To act on questions affecting the relation of the associated rural schools and the central school. (c) To submit to a vote of the various associated rural districts the question of levying a tax in the associated rural districts to assist in the erection of an agri- cultural and industrial building in connection with the central school, and the levy and collection of a tax for this purpose. The associated school board may also submit to the several associated rural districts the question of levying a tax in such district to assist the central districts in the maintenance of the industrial courses, such tax in no case to exceed two (2) mills in any year. Before any tax, either for building or for maintenance, shall be levied, it must be voted for and approved by each of the rural districts so associating with a central school. (d) To procure for demonstration and experimental work in agriculture, when necessary, a tract of land in one or more of the associated rural districts. Sec. 13. Officers of Associated School Board, — The officers of the district of the central school shall be the officers of the associated school board. Sec. 14. State Aid to Industrial Departments, — High, graded, and consoli- dated rural schools maintaining courses in agriculture, home training (including cooking and sewing), manual training, and commercial training, shall receive one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the agricultural course, and six hundred dollars ($600) for each course in home training (including cooking and sewing), manual training, and commercial training. Aid to each of these departments shall not exceed the sums paid as salaries in the respective departments. Sec. 15. State Aid to Schools on Account of Association, — Rural school dis- tricts associated with a central school shall receive annually fifty dollars ($50) on account of such association. The central school with which a rural school or rural school district is associated for the purposes herein stated shall maintain departments in agriculture and such other industrial subjects as the state board of education may require, and shall receive annually two hundred dollars ($200) for each such associated rural school or school district. Sec. 16. In case the state board of education referred to in this act shall not be provided by law, the authority herein granted to such board shall rest in the state high school board and the state superintendent of education in accordance with the provisions of existing law. 174 APPENDIX Sec. 17. Repealing Clause, — Chapter 247, General Laws, 1909; chapter 82, General Laws, 1911; chapter 309, General Laws of 1913; and chapter 91, General Laws of 1911, as amended by chapter 96, General Laws, 1913, are hereby repealed. Chapter 296 State Aid to Public Schools Sec. 1. For the purpose of aid to public schools there shall be established the following state funds: (a) The endowment fund, which shall consist of the income on the permanent school fund. (b) The annual fund, which shall consist of the sums appropriated by the legislature for special aid to public schools or departments in the schools. (c) The current school fund, which shall consist of the amount derived from the state one-mill tax. Sec. 2. The state board of education shall distribute the annual funds and any other sums appropriated by the state to schools and libraries, in such manner and upon such conditions as will enable them to perform efficiently the services re- quired by law, and to further the educational interests of the state. To this end the state board shall have power to fix the requirements for receiving and sharing in the state aid. « Sec. 3. The endowment fund shall be distributed semi-annually to school districts whose schools have been in session at least six months, in proportion to the number of scholars of school age who have attended school at least forty (40) days during the preceding year. The annual funds shall be distributed as follows: Sec. 4. Rural schools in session at least eight months, shall receive one hun- dred and fifty dollars ($150) for each teacher holding a first-class certificate. Rural schools in session at least seven months annually shall receive one hundred dollars ($100) for each teacher holding a second-class certificate. Sec. 5. A graded school in session at least nine months in the year shall receive six hundred dollars ($600) and an additional one hundred dollars ($100) for each grade teacher employed in excess of four, counting the principal as a teacher. A graded school may receive an additional two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) for each high school teacher. The total aid to a graded school on this basis shall not exceed thirteen hun- dred dollars ($1300). No graded school in the same district with an aided high school shall receive annual aid. This provision shall not apply to districts of ten or more townships. Sec. 6. A high school in session at least nine months in the year shall receive annually eighteen hundred dollars ($1800). Sec. 7. High, graded, or consolidated schools, maintaining courses in agricul- ture, home training (including cooking and sewing), manual training, or commer- cial training, shall receive one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the agricultural course, and six hundred dollars ($600) for each course in home training (including cook- ing and sewing), manual training, and commercial training. Aid to each of these departments shall not exceed the sums paid as salaries in the respective departments. Sec. 8. High schools maintaining a department for training rural teachers shall receive annually twelve hundred dollars ($1200). A school employing more than one teacher in such department may receive not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000). APPENDIX 175 A school employing more than two teachers in such department and enrolling not less than fifty students may receive not to exceed twenty-eight hundred dollars ($2800). Sec. 9. Consolidated schools of Class A shall receive annually five hundred dollars ($500). Consolidated schools of Class B shall receive annually two hundred and fifty dollars ($250). In addition to this annual aid consolidated schools shall be reimbursed for the amount reasonably expended for transportation of pupils, not to exceed two thou- sand dollars ($2,000). Districts providing school buildings for consolidated school purposes may be reimbursed up to one fourth of the cost of such buildings, but not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000). Sec. 10. Each school shall receive in addition to other aid, library aid amount- ing to ten dollars ($10) for each teacher employed, with a maximum of twenty- five dollars ($25) to a building, provided the district appropriates a like amount for the same purpose. Sec. 11. Districts whose local tax levy for maintenance of schools exceed twenty mills (20) in any year may receive in addition to other aid, one third of the amount raised in excess of that received from the twenty (20) mill levy with a max- imum of twenty-five hundred dollars ($2500) to each high school, eighteen hundred dollars ($1800) to each graded school, and to rural schools, two hundred dollars ($200), for each teacher. Sec. 12. Rural school districts associated with a central school shall receive annually fifty dollars ($50) on account of such association. The central school with which a rural school or rural school district is associated for the purposes herein stated shall maintain departments in agriculture and such other industrial subjects as the state board of education may require, and shall receive annually two hundred dollars ($200) for each such associated rural school or school district. Sec. 13. The current school fund shall be distributed to school districts as follows: The state auditor shall set aside from the current school fund an amount not to exceed one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) each year for the fol- lowing purposes: (a) To assist any school district which does not maintain a state high or state graded school in maintaining its public schools, when a levy of fifteen (15) mills in such district does not raise five hundred dollars ($500) for each school in session seven (7) months during the year, the state board of education may expend not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200) for each such school. (b) To make up for any deficit which may arise in payment of the annual funds to schools, or to special departments in certain schools. (c) To pay the tuition of non-resident pupils enrolled in the industrial depart- ments of state high, graded, or consolidated rural schools which have been desig- nated by the state board to maintain courses and instruction in agriculture, home training (including cooking and sewing), manual training, and commercial training, and whose residence district does not provide courses and instruction of like kind. Sec. 14. A high school student whose residence district provides high school courses of instruction shall not be entitled to free admission to the high school of any other district except by permission of the school board of such other district, or in accordance with the rules of the state board of education. 176 APPENDIX The rate of tuition shall be fixed by the state board of education, but not to exceed two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per month for each non-resident pupil, nor more, than nine (9) months in any school year. No non-resident pupil shall be entitled to have any tuition made a charge against the state whose residence district furnishes courses and instruction in the industrial studies. Nor shall pupils from any associated district be counted for payment of tuition in the central school of the same district. No tuition shall be charged any pupil resident of this state, who is enrolled in the high school department of any state high or graded school, except in the in- dustrial departments above specified. The state board of education shall make proper rules relating to enrollment, attendance, rates of tuition, payment of the endowment and current funds, on ac- count of such non-resident pupil's. Sec. 15. The balance of the current school fund shall be distributed on the same basis and at the same time as the endowment fund. Sec. 16. In case the state board of education referred to in this act shall not be provided by law, the authority herein granted to such board shall rest in the state high school board and the state superintendent of education in accordance with the provisions of existing law. Sec. 17. Repealing Clause, — All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed. APPENDIX D EXTRACTS FROM THE EIGHTEENTH BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TABLE I 1 Growth of Permanent School Fund since 1862 1862 $ 242,531.00 1865 841,007.00 1870 2,426,240.00 1875 3,191,042.00 1880 4,449,725.00 1885 7,303,166.00 1890 9,241,119.00 1895 11,287,423.00 1900 12,546,529.00 1904 15,987.477.00 1906 17,824,135.00 1908 19,709,383.00 1910 21,002,571.00 1912 22,614,294.00 1914 24,668,248.59 TABLE II 2 Permanent School Fund, July 31, 1914 Accumulations Sales of lands $14,284,571.22 Amounts paid on forfeitures, right of way, etc 167,420.28 Sales of timber 6,727,720.87 Mineral permits and leases 308,300.77 Royalty on iron ore 2,818,665.51 Profits on sales of bonds 361,569.94 Total $24,668,248.59 TABLE III-A 3 Appropriations for Public Schools 1914 1915 Aid for high and graded schools, including aid for industrial and training $706,500 751,975 31,500 10,000 44,000 50,000 $1,064,500 898,475 31,500 10,000 44,000 50,000 Total $1,593,975 $2,098,475 1 Eighteenth Biennial Report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 11. Tables are numbered in consecutive order as they appear in this appendix, and not as they are numbered in the Report. * Ibid. * Ibid., 14. 178 APPENDIX TABLE III-B* Increases in State Aid Annual aid for high schools increased from $1,750 to $2,200 Graded schools from 600 to 750 High school training departments from 750 to 1,000 Industrial departments from 1,000 to 1,800 TABLE IV 6 Apportionment of the Current School Fund from 1864 to 1914 Spring Fall Total for Year Year Number Number Pupils Rate Amount Pupils Rate Amount Rate Amount Sharing Sharing 1864 64,330 $0.45 $ 29,173.50 64,330 $0.63 $ 40,842.90 $1.08 $ 70,016.45 1865 74,695 .13 9,745.45 74,956 .61 45,728.65 .74 55,474.10 1866 87,244 .23 20,066.12 87,244 .67 58,453.48 .90 78,519.60 1867 102,118 .24 24,508.32 102,118 .66 67,397.88 .90 91,906.20 1868 114,618 .31 35,531.58 114,618 .70 80,262.90 1.01 115,794.48 1869 129,156 .40 51,662.40 129,156 .75 96,867.00 1.15 148,529.40 1870 143,745 .38 54,623.10 143,745 .85 122,183.25 1.23 176,806.35 1871 155,767 .24 37,384.08 155,767 .81 126,171.27 1.05 163,555.35 1872 168,980 .20 33,839.20 168,980 .76 128,424.80 .96 162,264.00 1873 180,271 .22 39,659.62 180,271 .74 133,400.54 .96 173,060.16 1874 196,188 .25 49,047.00 196,188 .73 143,217.24 .98 192,264.24 1875 210,450 .22 46,299.00 210,450 .69 145,279.50 .91 191,578.50 1876 214,902 .27 58,023.54 215,127 .71 152,740.32 .98 210,763.71 1877 152,585 .35 53,397.75 152,692 .96 146,584.32 1.31 199,982.07 1878 157,970 .35 55,289.50 158,229 1.00 158,299.00 1.35 213,518.50 1879 161,445 .34 54,891.30 162,657 1.09 177,296.13 1.43 232,187.43 1880 165,521 .40 66,208.40 167,525 1.10 184,277.50 1.50 250,485.90 1881 173,600 .40 69,440.00 173,996 1.10 191,395.60 1.50 260,835.60 1882 177,278 .33 58,501.74 178,131 1.17 208,413.27 1.50 266,915.01 1883 190,901 .43 82,087.43 191,873 1.15 220,653.95 1.58 302.740.38 1884 201,649 .39 78,643.11 202,219 1.33 268,936.64 1.72 347,579.75 1885 215,122 .38 81,746.36 225,214 1.06 238,727.90 1.44 320,474.26 1886 225,930 .42 94,890.60 243,059 .93 226,044.87 1.35 320,935.47 1887 243,645 .52 126,695.40 245,381 .95 233,111.95 1.47 359,807.35 1888 245,875 .72 177,030.00 212,490 2.66 565,233.40 3.38 742,253.40 1889 213,066 1.05 223,719.30 214,568 3.07 658,723.76 4.12 882,443.06 1890 215,755 .61 131,610.55 221,186 3.70 818,388.20 4.31 949,998.75 1891 221,522 .90 199,670.56 227,966 3.20 729,491.20 4.10 929,161.76 1892 228,676 1.22 278,984.72 233,293 3.40 793,196.20 4.62 1,072,180.52 1893 223,685 .96 224,337.60 244,794 3.00 734,382.00 3.96 958,719.60 1894 245,245 1.15 282,031.75 275,468 2.75 757,537.00 3.90 1,039,568.45 1895 276,193 1.15 317,621.95 291,105 2.65 771,428.25 3.80 1,089,050.20 1896 291,776 1.00 291,776.00 293,966 2.00 852,501.40 3.90 1,144,277.40 1897 294,267 1.00 294,267.00 309,019 2.50 772,547.50 3.50 1,066,814.50 1898 309,586 .80 247,668.80 324,651 2.15 697,999.65 2.95 945,668.45 1899 325,013 .90 292,584.28 324,678 2.73 888,023.16 3.63 1,180,607.44 1900 325,766 1.25 407,436.82 341,176 2.65 904,129.65 3.90 1,311,566.47 1901 341,609 1.25 427,512.10 343,463 1.85 635,406.55 3.10 1,062,918.65 1902 343,662 1.30 446,760.60 353,729 2.00 707,458.00 3.30 1,154,218.60 1903 353,918 1.30 460,093.40 352,607 2.30 810,996.10 3.60 1,271,089.50 1904 352,867 1.45 511,657.15 364,592 2.20 802,102.40 3.65 1,313,759.55 1905 365,090 1.50 547,635.00 375,166 2.30 862,881.80 3.80 1,410,516.80 1906 375,289 1.70 637,991.30 378,246 2.29 866,183.34 3.99 1,504,174.64 1907 378,251 1.60 605,201.60 374,919 2.50 937,297.50 4.10 1,542,499.10 1908 375,088 1.90 712,667.20 381,674 2.70 1,030,519.80 4.60 1,743,187.00 1909 381,875 1.80 687,348.00 386,654 3.00 1,160,007.00 4.80 1,847,355.00 1910 386,599 1.90 734,472.10 396,599 3.00 1,189,817.90 4.90 1,924,290.00 1911 396,706 1.90 753,741.40 399,132 3.00 1,197,396.00 4.90 1,951,137.40 1912 399,121 2.00 798,242.00 403,491 3.30 1,331,520.30 5.30 2,129,762.30 1913 403,470 2.00 806,940.00 402,941 3.60 1,450,587.60 5.60 2,257,527.60 1914 403,141 2.20 886,910.20 412,446 3.60 1,484,805.60 5.80 2,371,715.80 Total $41,702,456.45 4 Eighteenth Biennial Report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, *Ibid., 12. APPENDIX 179 TABLE V 8 Summary for Last Fifty-two Years Number of Schools Receiving Special State Aid Number of Pupils Years Enrolled in First Second All Public High Graded Consoli- Semi- Class Class Class C Schools Schools Schools dated Graded Rural Rural Rural Schools Schools Schools Schools Schools 1862 32,560 1864 44,787 1866 50.564 1868 81,696 1870 105,590 1872 120,352 1874 128,902 1876 151,866 1878 162,551 1880 180,248 1882 196,574 38 1884 223,209 53 1886 252,053 58 1888 253,894 57 1890 280,960 62 1892 300,333 69 1894 342,761 85 1896 354,657 86 87 1898 384,063 100 97 457 1900 399,207 115 110 190 662 1902 414,671 141 119 243 747 1904 423,663 162 145 270 835 1906 431,690 192 142 309 1,094 492 1908 430,748 206 152 340 1,305 632 1910 440,082 206 165 399 1,860 1,127 1912 446,083 211 201 32 435 2,453 1,396 555 1914 457,041 215 222 80 463 3,208 1,435 745 TABLE VI 7 Special Aid Summary Year Ending July 31, 1914 Year Ending July 31, 1914 Kind of School or Department Number of Schools Aided Total Amount Paid Deficit for Each School Not Paid Number of Schools Aided Total Amount Paid Deficit for Each School Not Paid 216 80 105 217 59 36 2 20 451 2,913 1,394 688 $378,000.00 60,000.00 147,322.68 18,950.00 130,200.00 29,500.00 48,300.00 1,800.00 13,500.00 36,751.00 121,700.00 393,255.00 125,460.00 46,784.00 $150.00 100.00 75.00 30.00 15.00 10.00 7.00 215 105 136 222 69 52 3 25 463 3,208 1,435 745 $471,951.00 102,842.00 268,840.64 42,950.00 165,394.27 34,500.00 74,100.00 2,850.00 17,800.00 26,138.00 131,955.00 455,536.00 136,325.00 52,895.00 Agricultural and industrial High school departments . . Consolidated schools: Class A $75.00 Class B 50.00 Class C 38.00 Rural schools: Class A 15.00 8.00 Class B 5.00 Class C 4.00 Total 6,181 $1,551,522.68 $86,756.00 6,678 $1,984,076.91 Total amount of deficit $49,070.90 6 Ibid., 13. 1 1bid., 27. 180 APPENDIX TABLE VII-A* State Aid to High Schools Year Ending July 31, 1913 216 High schools, $1,750 each $378,000.00 80 Training departments, $750 each 60,000.00 28 Agricultural departments, $1,817 to $2,500 each 67,646.00 66 Industrial departments, $1,000 each 66,000.00 Association (to central schools) $150 each 14,250.00 Association (to district schools) $50 each 4,650.00 $590,546.00 TABLE VII-B 9 High Schools, Year Ending July 31, 1914 215 High schools, $1,930 to $2,200 each $471,951.00 105 Training departments, $795 to $1,000 each 102,842.00 37 Agricultural departments, $1,712 to $2,500 each 90,253.00 81 Industrial departments, $1,800 each 145,800.00 Association (to central schools) $150 each 34,800.00 Association (to district schools) $50 each 8,050.00 Total $853,696.00 TABLE VIII-A 10 Graded Schools, Year Ending July 31, 1913 217 Graded schools, $600 each $130,200.00 59 High school departments, $500 each '. 29,500.00 9 Industrial departments, $1,000 each 9,000.00 2 Agricultural schools 4,676.68 1 Associated district, $50 50.00 Total $173,426.68 TABLE VIII-B 11 Graded Schools, Year Ending July 31, 1914 222 Graded schools, $581.22 to $750 each $165,394.27 69 High school departments, $500 each 34,500.00 16 Industrial departments, $1,365.08 to $1,800 each 28,356.29 2 Agricultural departments, $2,100.00 to $2,500 each 4,431.35 2 Associated districts, $50 each 100.00 Total $232,781.91 TABLE IX-A 12 State Aid to Consolidated Schools, Year Ending July 31, 1913 36 Class A schools, $1,050 to $1,350 each $48,300.00 2 Class B schools, $900 each 1,800.00 20 Class C schools, $675 each 13,500.00 Building aid 36,751.00 Total $100,351.00 8 Eighteenth Biennial Report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 27 » Ibid., 34. 10 Ibid., 30. ii Ibid., 37. " Ibid., 40. APPENDIX 181 TABLE IX-B 13 Consolidated Schools, Year Ending July 31, 1914 52 Class A schools, $1,425 each $74,100.00 3 Class B schools, $950 each 2,850.00 25 Class C schools, $712 each 17,800.00 Building aid 26,138.00 Total $120,888.00 TABLE X-A" Semi-graded Schools, Year Ending July 31, 1913 451 Schools, $270 each $121,700.00 TABLE X-B 15 Semi-graded Schools, Year Ending July 31, 1914 463 Schools, $285 each $131,955.00 TABLE XI-A 16 '. Class A, Year Ending July 31, 1913 2,913 Schools, $135 each $393,255.00 TABLE XI-B 17 Year Ending July 31, 1914 3,208 Schools, $142 each. $455,536.00 « Ibid., 50. i* Ibid., 41. ™ Ibid., SI. i« Ibid., 43. " Ibid., 52. BIBLIOGRAPHY Annual Reports of the Inspector of State High Schools, State of Minnesota. 1906, 1908, 1911-13, 1915. Betts, George Herbert. New Ideal in Rural Schools. Boston. 1913. Bobbitt, J. F. High School Costs. The School Review 23. 1915. Bolton, F. E. Special State Aid to High Schools. Educational Review 31:411-66. Brown, C. F. The Making of Our Middle Schools. New York. 1903. Cubberley, Ellwood P. The Improvement in Rural Schools. Boston. 1912. Rural Life and Education. Boston. 1914. School Funds and Their Apportionment. New York. 1906. Department of Education. Circulars nos. 1, 3, 7, 13, and 15. Bulletins nos. 40 and 45. St. Paul. Eighteenth Annual Report of the Inspector of State Graded Schools. State of Minnesota. St. Paul. 1913. Eighteenth Biennial Report, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Department of Education, Minnesota, for the School Years 1913 and 1914. St. Paul. 1915. Elliott, Edward C., Judd, Charles H., Strayer, George D. Expert Survey of Public School System, Boise, Idaho. 1912. Foght, Harold W. The Educational System of Rural Denmark. United States Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1913, no. 58. Washington. 1914. General Laws and Statutes of Minnesota for the different years, as cited. 1849-1915. Gillette, John M. Constructive Rural Sociology. New York. 1915. Johnston, Charles Hughes, and others. The Modern High School. New York. 1915. Kiehle, David L. Education in Minnesota. Minneapolis. 1903. Knorr, George W. A Study of Fifteen Consolidated Rural Schools; Their Organ- ization, Cost Efficiency, and Affiliated Interests. Southern Education Board, Publication no. 6. Washington. 1911. Miller, James Collin. Rural Schools in Canada; Their Organization, Adminis- tration, and Supervision. New York. 1913. Minneapolis Journal. Minneapolis. May 3, 1915. Minnesota Legislative Manual. St. Paul. 1911. Minutes of the State High School Board. St. Paul. 1878-1912. M ON ah an, A. C. County Unit Organization for the Administration of Rural Schools. United States Bureau of Education Bulletin 1914, no. 44. Washing- ton. 1914. The Status of Rural Education in the United States. United States Bureau of Education Bulletin 1913, no. 8. Washington. 1913. Monroe, Walter S. Cost of Instruction in Kansas High Schools. Emporia. 1915. Preston Times. Preston, Minnesota. May 11, 1916. Report of Minnesota Public Education Commission. St. Paul. 1914. Report of the Minnesota Tax Commission. St. Paul. 1912. Revised Statutes of Indiana. 1914. Spaulding, F. E. Annual Reports. In Annual Reports of the School Committee, Newton, Mass. 1911, 1912, 1913. Strayer, George D. City School Expenditures. New York. 1905. Swift, Fletcher Harper. A History of Public Permanent Common School Funds in the United States, 1795-1905. New York. 1911. BIBLIOGRAPHY 183 Thorndike, E. L. Mental and Social Measurements. New York. 1904. Thirteenth Census of the United States, taken in 1910. Washington. 1913. Updegraff, H., and Hood, William R. A Comparison of Urban and Rural Com- mon School Statistics. United States Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1912, no. 21. Washington. 1912. Woods, Frederick Adams. The Influence of Monarchs. New York. 1913. Young, J. S. Civil Government of Minnesota. New York. 1907. LSD 18 STUDIES IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 1. Herbert G. Lampson, A Study on the Spread of Tuberculosis in Families. 1913. $0.50. 2. Julius V. Hofmann, The Importance of Seed Characteristics in the Natural Reproduction of Coniferous Forests. In press. STUDIES IN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 1. Esther L. Swenson, An Inquiry into the Composition and Structure of Ludus Coventriae; Hardin Craig, Note on the Home of Ludus Coventriae. 1914. $0.50. 2. Elmer Edgar Stoll, Othello: An Historical and Comparative Study. 1915. $0.50. 3. Colbert Searles, Les Sentiments de V Academic Francaise sur le Cid: Edition of the Text, with an Introduction. 1916. $1.00. 4. Paul Edward Kretzmann, The Liturgical Element in the Earliest Forms of the Medieval Drama. 1916. $1.00. 5. Arthur Jerrold Tieje, The Theory of Characterization in Prose Fiction prior to 1740. 1916. $0.75. CURRENT PROBLEMS 1. William Anderson, The Work of Public Service Commissions. 1913. $0.15. 2. Benjamin F. Pittenger, Rural Teachers' Training Departments in Min- nesota High Schools. 1914. $0.15. . 3. Gerhard A. Gesell, Minnesota Public Utility Rates. 1914. $0.25. 4. L. D. H. Weld, Social and Economic Survey of a Community in the Red River Valley. 1915. $0.25. 5. Gustav P. Warber, Social and Economic Survey of a Community in Northeastern Minnesota. 1915. $0.25. 6. Joseph B. Pike, Bulletin for Teachers of Latin. 1915. $0.25. 7. August C. Krey, Bulletin for Teachers of History. 1915. $0.25. 8. Carl Schlenker, Bulletin for Teachers of German. 1916., $0.25. 9. William Watts Folwell, Economic Addresses. In press. • ■:'\,r.-'