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     The Tekamah public schools, January 1, 1908, enrolled 460 pupils, all told; on June 5, 1910, the enrollment was 527, with 109 in the high school.

     The census for 1909-10 was 487; average daily attendance, 386; high school enrollment was 109 and daily attendance, 85.

     There has been some occasions when it was necessary to enforce the compulsory education law, but as a rule Tekamah has found it better to employ enthusiastic and tactful teachers, and thus avoid driving the children to school.

     The school enrolled twenty-seven free high school pupils last year, and eight who paid their own tuition. This made an enrollment of thirty-five tuition students.

     The new addition will be completed by December 1, more light will be provided for the old building by the time school opens, steam heat will be provided for the old and for the new building both and everything put in sanitary condition.

     The people have determined to give the schools plenty of room and to place everything in first class condition. The cost of this work will he in the neighborhood of $30,000.

     The library now contains something like 600 volumes of good' reading matter selected to suit all grades, and there will be quite an addition made to this soon.

     Tekamah is not doing much in the way of manual training or industrial education. The reason for this has been that there was not room for any additional classes. The teachers were crowded with work and had to handle many more pupils than they should have been required to handle. For these and other minor reasons industrial education has not been pushed to the front as it should have been.

      Tekamah is doing good work in normal training. The class that went out last year has done excellent work. The class of 1910 numbered thirty students, and fifteen of these were seniors. The class for 1911 will be fully as large if not larger than that of 1910. All normal trained students are requited to teach in all the grades of the school with the regular teacher present as critic. Both the student teacher and the regular teacher are required to report to the superintendent the progress of the work, and later each point it taken up and fully discussed in class by the regular teacher of pedagogy. In connection with this work each student is required to take one semester of psychology.

     Tekamah has no high school organization excepting an athletic association and this is only a local affair. The boys aim to play football, baseball and basketball with local teams. The whole association is under the control of a committee consisting of one member of the board of education, the chairman of the association and one mem-

ber of the high school faculty. The boys have their rules and regulations and see to it that all members live up to them.

A. H. DIXON,          
Superintendent.     

     The Tecumseh schools are in a flourishing condition as is evidenced by the interest shown by patrons and pupils. There is a growing sentiment that nothing that can be obtained is too good for the children. The board of education has been very liberal in the purchase of books and supplies and has done much to, make our surroundings as pleasant as possible.

     During the past two years the number of teachers has been increased from twelve to sixteen and salaries have been increased nearly 40 per cent. This increase has meant more efficient teachers and better schools.

     The enrollment in the high school this year was 175, of which seventy-eight were nonresident. The number of boys enrolled was just seven less than the number of girls. The normal training class this year enrolled thirty-eight; ten out of the graduating class of eighteen members will teach next year.

     A most excellent school spirit prevails, and while there are many things yet to be desired still we feel that the schools are passing through a very prosperous period.

WALTER KIECHEL,          
Superintendent.     

     The village of Tilden, which contains about 1,000 inhabitants, is situated in the northwestern part of Madison county, a part of the corporation extending into Antelope county. Nearly one-half of the Tilden school district lies in Antelope county. This is somewhat of an inconvenience as it necessitates keeping separate the record of the pupils of each county and sending reports to the county superintendent of each county. The teachers may be certificated in either county. During my tenure of office as superintendent of schools the teachers have all been certificated in Madison county with the exception of one who had a state certificate already registered in Antelope county, having taught in that county previous to her election to a position in the Tilden schools. The school, building is on the Madison county side and about two-thirds of the pupils reside in that county.

     Prior to the year 1904 the school building consisted of a four-room brick veneer structure. About that time the rapid increase in the school population made it imperative to provide more room and a meeting was called to consider the proposition of bonding the district for a new school building. The bonds failed to carry at the first meeting and a second meeting was called, at which meeting bonds to the amount of $6,000 were voted. To this amount $2,000, which the

district had on hand was added and when the building was completed there was a debt of $1,500, besides that of the bonds. Much credit for the favorable outcome of the second meeting is due to the untiring energy of the members of the board of education in arousing the people to see the need for a new building.

     The new building is of pressed brick and is built adjoining the old building in such a way that later another building similar to it can replace the old one. It has a modern steam heating plant and a system of direct ventilation. It contains a large basement; on the first floor two grade rooms with commodious halls; and an assembly room for the high school, a recitation room, a large cloak room, and an office for the superintendent on the second floor. The rooms are all well lighted and the desks for the pupils are arranged in such a manner that the light comes from the back and left side of the pupil when seated at his desk. A cloak room extends the entire length of each room and is arranged so that the pupils may pass when being dismissed through the cloak room to get their wraps, then back into their room, thence into the hall and outside. The credit for this convenient arrangement is due to the present deputy state superintendent, Frank S. Perdue, who was the superintendent of schools at that time.

     The school grounds are covered with ash, elm, maple, box elder and cottonwood trees. In fact, there are so many trees that there is hardly room for basketball grounds. The blue grass is kept mowed during the summer and is a tempting place for Sunday afternoon idlers.

      In 1909 the twelfth grade was added to the high school course. Six of those who completed the eleventh grade of the year before came back the next year for the twelfth grade work and when the course in normal training was established all of them enrolled for that work. They were all thorough students and were one of the strongest classes ever graduated from the high school. The course in normal training is proving to be quite popular. All except three of the seniors of 1910 are taking normal training.

     A new course of study was formulated and adopted by the board of education in August, 1909. It was printed in booklet form and also contained the rules and regulations. A copy was given to each pupil enrolled in the school. The course for the high schools follows quite closely the course for the normal training high schools recommended by the state department of public instruction. The graduates receive upon graduation thirty-two university credit points if they complete the regular course and thirty-one if they complete the normal training course.

     The school library consists of 450 volumes, about one-half of which are reference books. The high school reading desk is equipped with the New International Encyclopedia, the Britannia Ninth Edition Encyclopedia and the Standard History of the World.

     Addition is constantly being made to the laboratory apparatus. About $150 was expended at the beginning of the school year 1910 for apparatus for the classes in physics, agriculture, botany and physical

geography. No work is offered in chemistry. Considerable interest is being aroused in the work in agriculture. The pupils have made several pieces of apparatus, in which they took great pride. Owing to increased facilities more attention is given to laboratory work than was formerly given. Special laboratory work is given in all the sciences that are taught. About $450 worth of apparatus has been collected and the pupils as well as the instructors are proud of the laboratory equipment.

     Within the last two years work in drawing and in water color have been introduced in the grades. Most of the pupils show an aptitude for this kind of work and the results were immediate. The industrial work in the lower grades consists of the use of sewing cards, raffia work and mat weaving. Our exhibit of industrial work and general school work each won a premium at the county fair in 1910. We are purchasing hand looms for use this year.

     The compulsory school law is not needed in this district as there are practically no violations of that law.

     During the school year of 1909-10 there were thirty-seven nonresident pupils enrolled in the high school and eighth grade together, which is more than one-third of the enrollment of those grades. A personal letter is sent to each of the non-resident pupils about two weeks before school begins each year, inviting them to return at the opening of school and take up their work again. A similar letter is sent to the eighth grade graduates of adjoining districts. These nonresident pupils are usually the very best of students who are making special sacrifices to secure an education. Several of them boarded at home, driving or riding on horseback a distance of four and one-half and five miles. They were among the best in regularity of attendance and punctuality. Three members of the same family, two girls and a boy, would arise at 4 o'clock in the morning, do their chores and drive a distance of four and one-half miles to school. They were never tardy and missed only one or two days during the entire year. They were out of school those days because a blizzard was raging. It took more than simply cold weather to deter them. They came in several mornings when the temperature was 18 to 20 degrees below zero. It is the praiseworthy determination and steadfast courage of this class of pupils that encourages the teacher to feel that her efforts are not all in vain.

     The school census for the year 1909-10 was 325, the total enrollment in all the grades 332, and the average daily attendance in all the grades 228.

     Each year the different grades of the high school organize by electing a class president, secretary and treasurer. One of the high school teachers is appointed class-adviser and the class is not allowed to meet without this class-adviser being present. Class parties are held occasionally. Class spirit is not strong, however, and the classes mingle together in the friendliest of relations. The juniors give a class play each year, charging an admission fee and using the money

thus raised for purchasing a memorial for the high school. A life-size bust of Shakespeare adorns the high school assembly room, a result of the junior class play of 1909.

     The board of education at present consists of public spirited business men who realize the advantages of a good school in the community. Although not extravagant yet they are liberal in appropriating funds for the necessary expenses. It has long been their policy to employ the best teachers obtainable and to retain a teacher as long as she gives her best service to the school. The thriving condition of the school is due to this policy of the board of education coupled with the loyal support of the patrons and citizens of Tilden.

F. H. PRICE,          
Superintendent.     

     The growth of the school during the past few years has been marked by greater enrollment and better working facilities. During the past three years the high school enrollment has increased from thirty-four to fifty-six.

     The school census of 1909-10 gave us only 215, while the enrollment during that time was 219, with an average daily attendance of 172.

     We have twenty-five attending under the free high school law and many other tuition pupils in the grades. Our outside tuition, during this school year, netted us over $700.

     The building is a brick, steam heated structure erected in 1898 on seven acres of ground. The front part of the ground is covered with beautiful young trees. Good walks connect the school building with all parts of the town.

     Eight rooms of this building are used for school purposes, the laboratory being in the basement. While the lighting is very good, we have nothing modern in ventilation.

      The library consists of over 500 volumes, besides sets of international encyclopedia and world history.. Library is especially strong in American history reference.

     A four-year course is carried with twenty-eight points required for graduation. The course as it stands today is good for thirty points. Class of 1910 received thirty-one university credits.

     While not a normal training school, pupils are required to pass examinations for a second grade certificate before graduation.

     All the members of the last three classes have successfully passed this examination.

     With a good school spirit, pleasant associations of pupils and teachers and an up-to-date board of education we expect great things for the future.

E, G. HOPKINS,          
Superintendent.     

     The public schools of University Place have experienced a steady growth during the past two years. In 1907 the board of education was compelled to build a third story to the main building in order to provide quarters for the high school, which had at that time an enrollment of 137. The enrollment in the high school during the year 1908-1909 was 176 and during 19091910 the total enrollment reached 191. In the lower grades the enrollment for the year 1908-1909 was 418, and during 1909-1910 the grades enrolled 480. The census returns for 19091910 showed 867 and in 1910-1911 the enumeration was 930.

     The enrollment in the grades seems to be too small for the size of the high school, but it must be considered that about 100 pupils attend the Nebraska Wesleyan training school each year, where efficient work is maintained in the grades.

     The city is greatly in need of new buildings for the high school and for the grades. The board submitted the question of voting bonds to the amount of $50,000 for the erection of a new high school building and the same was carried by a two to one vote. Plans and specifications are in course of completion and while the work is progressing slowly yet University Place hopes to enjoy one of the best up-to-date school buildings in the west. Because of the crowded conditions no attempt has been made to accommodate non-resident pupils, however about twelve attended during the year 1909-1910 and more have made inquiry than can be cared for in 1911.

     The introduction of industrial geography in the grades and normal training in the high school has proved both wise and helpful. This class in agriculture of the high school has beautified the school grounds during the year by seeding the same, thus producing the first substantial lawn that the grounds have ever nourished.

     Pleasant co-operation of mutual helpfulness has been maintained with the Nebraska Wesleyan university. The board has aimed to maintain a high standard of scholarship among the teachers employed. Salaries have been raised from an average of less than $50 per month in 1908 to $54.50 in 1910. In the high school the average salary in 1908 was $61 and in 1910 it was $72. Teachers teaching in the University Place schools have an excellent opportunity for doing work in the various universities near by.

     The course of study has been made almost entirely new during the past two years. Music has been added and as soon as sufficient room can be had manual training and domestic science will he added.

     University Place is striving to have the best school system in the state and feels first of all the great need for more buildings. The year ended has witnessed a healthful growth in all departments, a splendid teaching force and an encouraging co-operation from board and patrons.

CHAS. E. TEACH,          
Superintendent.     

     The Valentine schools have grown from a three to a four-year high school from an eleven to a twelve grade schooi during the last two years. 1908-09 was the first year that three teachers were engaged for the high school. The total enrollment for this school year was 332 and the present school census is 340.

     Arrangements are being made for the introduction of manual training in high school and grades, also for the introduction of cooking and sewing classes or domestic science for the girls in the high school and upper grades.

     Normal training has been successfully carried on the past year, results being highly satisfactory. All graduates from this course have been engaged by school boards before certificates had been issued to them.

     Each class of the high school has its organization. There is also a Philomethean literary society, which gives a program every six weeks, adding greatly to the culture and argumentative training of its members.

     Pupils and teachers have enjoyed several after-school walks to the Minnachaduza, a picnic to Perry Falls and several banquets which were not only very enjoyable affairs, but were of such a character as to be helpful in promoting of social culture.

     We have a well selected school library of over 700 volumes. Over 100 volumes were added last year and as many more will be added this year.

     A two-year course in German and a three-year Latin course are offered in foreign languages.

     The high school and grades have given several programs which resulted in being able to place a new piano in our high school assembly room.

      The citizens and patrons of the Valentine schools are very appreciative of the good work done by their schools and do not shrink from levying upon themselves taxes to meet all expenses that will further this school.

E. P. BETTENGA,          
Superintendent.     

     In the past five years the school as a whole has not increased in enrollment, but the high school has doubled. In 1909-1910 the enrollment in the high school was forty-eight and the average attendance forty. In the entire school the census was 264, the enrollment 239, and the average attendance 190.

     The attendance under the free high school law has been good, considering the fact that there are larger schools so near.

     At present we are housed in an eight-room building, every room of which Is in use. The lighting, heating and ventilation are first class.

     We have just recently installed the Toby drinking fountain and put water into the laboratory.

     During the year 1909-10 there were organized a glee club, a domestic science club and a manual training club that used the Beardsley system. All clubs did good work and a great deal of interest was aroused among both students and patrons.

L. E. MOHLER,          
Superintendent.     

     The Wahoo city schools have an enrollment of 600, with an average daily attendance of 500. The pupils are housed in three modern buildings. It is the pride of the board and patrons of the schools that all of the buildings and grounds are kept in first class condition.

     The eighth grade of the city schools gave its own program for promotion exercises. Mrs. Williams presented forty-four with diplomas. The wards are equipped with libraries arranged for the grade pupils. The high school library has 1,000 volumes in it. During the past year the board has made a special effort to increase the reference library. They have placed a very complete set of American and European history books. Also chemistry, physics and botany texts.

     The board has recently published a new course of study, conforming with the state course. Wahoo high school has a possible forty points credit with the University of Nebraska. It offers a German and Latin course, German being offered after the tenth grade. All pupils are requested to take one year of Latin.

     Wahoo high school has an enrollment of 180 pupils. She has forty pupils for free high school attendance.

     The normal training class for 1909-10 was thirty-three, one of the largest of the state outside of Lincoln and Omaha.

     The high school has an active debating society and an excellent orchestra of eighteen pieces, a high school glee club and high school quartet.

     In athletics Wahoo put out a winning football, baseball and basket-ball team. All athletes are under faculty control and each student must make an average of seventy in all his studies before he can represent the school in any games.

C. N. WALTON,          
Superintendent.     

     During the past few years the census and enrollment of the Wayne schools have varied little, but a slight growth from year to year is shown.

     The school census for 1909 and 1910 was 620, the enrollment 525 and the average daily attendance 408. Of the total number enrolled ninety-three were in the high school with an average daily attendance of seventy-eight.

     We aim to have every child between the ages of 7 and 15 within the school district of Wayne attend school as required by the com-

pulsory education laws of Nebraska. These laws are enforced through a truant officer, appointed by the board of education, and the county court.

     For the year 1909 and 1910 we had only ten high school students who were non-residents. This is explained by the fact that most of the eighth grade graduates from the rural schools of this county continue their education at the Wayne normal college. Now that this institution has been made a state normal we anticipate a great many more of the eighth grade graduates from the rural schools will enter our high school. A few of our non-resident students come from high schools where less than four years of work is offered.

     Wayne has one of the most beautiful school buildings in the state of Nebraska. Strictly modern, large and ideally located. The heating, lighting and ventilation of this building are all that can be desired for comfort and good work. This building with its thorough equipment is a monument to education and good citizenship and reflects much credit upon the enterprising people of the beautiful city of Wayne.

     We have a good public school library of between 400 and 500 volumes, and each year some new books are added. A separate well-furnished room is devoted to library purposes and each day at certain hours the students have access to the library.

     Our course of study below the high school is based on the state course.

     In the high school we offer a Latin course and a German course. These courses are based on the courses as outlined in the high school manual for a four-year-high school.

     Industrial education is a prominent feature in the public schools of Wayne. A graded course is carried out as follows: In grades one to five inclusive, the work is paper folding, plain rug weaving, design rug weaving, hammock weaving, basketry (reed weaving), and clay modeling. In grades six to nine inclusive the boys are given manual training (bench, lathe and forge work), and the girls are given a course in sewing and cooking.

      Since Wayne had a private normal for ninny years and now has a state normal it has never been considered necessary to offer a normal training course in the high school.

     An interesting feature relating to our public schools is the plan agreed upon to artistically and systematically decorate our school building. A committee of five ladies outlined the scheme of decoration and whenever there is any money to be expended for pictures or statuary this committee has the expending of it, as well as the placing of the decorations. Teachers, pupils and patrons all re interested in this, as well as in everything else relating to the public schools.

J. H. KEMP,          
Superintendent.     

     The Weeping Water public school is located in the south part of town on a gentle slope, toward the Weeping Water creek. The building

is a commodious brick structure of three stories. The immediate grounds comprise a block well set with beautiful shade trees. An adjoining block furnishes an ample athletic field and play ground.

     Eleven teachers are employed including the supervisor of music. Four grade rooms are located on the first floor, two others on the second. There is also on the second floor the superintendent's office and a large room used as an assembly and study room for the high school. On the third floor are two recitation rooms and a laboratory. The laboratory is modern in furnishings and equipment. The high school has a small but well-selected reference library.

     A four-year high school course is maintained based upon the entrance requirements to the state university. Thirty university credits is the minimum for graduation from the high school.

     During the last few years the school enumeration has been decreasing. The enrollment has not decreased so rapidly. During the last year the high school reached its highest enrollment, 85. This was one-fourth of the total enrollment. The 1910 class of 19 was the largest of the twenty classes graduating from the high school. During the last four years 28 girls and 26 boys have graduated, this being nearly one-third of the total number of graduates. A supervisor was placed in charge of the music in 1907, and last year a fourth teacher was placed in the high school. The normal training work has been maintained during the present biennium and has proven very popular. In both years a member of this class stood highest in scholarship. A very gratifying feature of the work in Weeping Water has been the increased attendance from the country. The financial condition of the school is excellent. In the year 1906-07 the salary budget for teachers was $4,075, for 1910-11 it is $5,925.

     The most discouraging feature is the lack of permanency in the teaching corps. One teacher has remained with the school fourteen years, two have been employed five years, one three years, five for two years and one for the first year. Success seems to depend upon greater stability of the teaching force.

I. N. CLARK,          
Superintendent.     

     I found the school in excellent condition and a people progressive along school lines. The board completed in 1905 a $15,000 addition to the school building, making it modern in every way.

     The building as it now stands is provided with sanitary toilet rooms, sanitary drinking fountains, a fine library in sectional book cases, a gymnasium with seats for 300, electric lights, shower baths and other conveniences.

     The school work has for years been of a high order. We have in recent years tried to keep up the standard.

     The eighth grade has been placed in the high school assembly room as part of the teaching is done by the high school teachers. We

think the plan has worked well. It has a tendency to keep the idle boy in school. Since this change has been made there has been a decided increase in the eighth and ninth grades.

     A system of semi-annual promotions was worked out and put into operation in the fall of 1906. It has increased the incentive for faithful work on the part of deficient pupils who now see an opportunity for advancement at the end of the semester instead of at the end of the year. It is also a great help in close grading of pupils who come in late.

     Although I have completed my labors in West Point, I still feel that conditions are in a sense ideal. No room has more than thirty-five pupils in two sections a half year apart The building and equipment of the various departments are excellent. Sanitary conditions are right.

     Music, taught by a special teacher has been made a regular part of the school work. Last, but not least, it has a strong progressive school board each member of which is eager for a good school.

R. M. CAMPBELL,          
Superintendent.     

     The Wilber public schools have made great progress in the last few years. The enrollment has increased in the last three years from 48 to 83. The music has been put in through the whole schools; this is a very popular addition to the already good course.

     The enrollment is 386; the average attendance is 342; the census is 467. We have no trouble in getting all who have to go to school under the compulsory attendance law. We have had two families whom we have had to scare in school with the law. The whole attendance is extra good. There are as many boys in school as girls.

      We had seventeen non-residents in the high school taking advantage of the free high school law.

     The buildings and grounds are in most excellent condition. The large new building is well lighted, ventilated, and heated by the indirect system. We also have the direct system of heating which is used in the morning and on very cold days. The ventilation is fine. We have a large playground consisting of a whole block; on this we have three tennis courts, a place for the boys to vault, jump, throw the discus, etc. On the other side the girls have a nice play ground covered with blue grass. The out-buildings are in most excellent condition and are kept nice and clean.

     We have a fine library consisting of about 1,000 volumes; this library contains reference books in history, oratory, science, and a nice line of fiction and classics, and pedagogy.

     The course of study through the grades is very similar to the state course of study. In the high school the course is exactly like the one recommended by the university and the state department of education.

     Last year we had a normal training class of twenty; this is the most popular and helpful course we have in the whole school. It seems to have an excellent effect on the teacher-students, also on the teachers whose work is to be inspected.

     In the high school we have a literary organized by and conducted by the students under the supervision of the teachers; we also have a chorus, a high school orchestra, a high school quartette, athletic organizations, etc.

     The good school spirit and loyalty to the school by both patrons and students seems to be one of the special features connected with school administration here.

B. E. DILL,            
Superintendent     

     Adjacent to the city park and in the midst of a park of its own on the summit of a hill that overlooks the town rises the Wisner public school building, a half and half mixture of the old style and the new style school house architecture. The. building is equipped with an adequate steam heating apparatus, a gravity system of ventilation, sanitary drinking fountains, and modern system of plumbing, the waste from which empties into a double cess pool. Throughout the equipment is ample and of good quality. The building contains eight class rooms, two recitation rooms, a laboratory and a superintendent's office. Two assembly rooms, the two recitation rooms, and the laboratory are devoted to the eighth grade and the high school.

     The library of about eight hundred volumes contains besides works of fiction and supplementary reading a goodly number of reference works in history, education, literature and agriculture.

     The course of study for the high school conforms in the main to that laid down in the Nebraska high school manual except that German is offered in the ninth and tenth grades and that more than the minimum amount of time is given to physics and chemistry. Nominally there is but one course besides the normal training course, but considerable latitude is offered within this course so that practically there are two. Each pupil is supposed to complete thirty-two credits points for graduation and most of them complete the thirty-two or more, but it is possible to graduate with only thirty points.

     Little has yet been accomplished in industrial education. Weaving, raffia work, water color drawing and the like are offered in the primary grades and agriculture is taught in the ninth grade. Industrial geography is emphasized somewhat in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. Of course the regular academic studies that have an industrial bearing are in this course.

     Normal training has been offered since normal training high school movement was inaugurated and there has always been a large percentage of our eleventh and twelfth grades in this work. More than half of last years graduating class expect to become teachers.

      In the high school there is a literary society composed of all the members of the high school, meeting on alternate Friday afternoons. The boys of the school have a foot ball team and the girls a basket ball team. About fifteen of the girls have an organized sewing club, the members of which are selected by the club. Wisner is one of the regular meeting places of the state reading circle and most of our teachers attend these meetings. There is no formal association of the teachers of the corps, but they meet about once a month in informal social gatherings at the home of the different members. Compulsory attendance receives little attention. Most of the children to whom the compulsory attendance law applies attend voluntarily. Nearly one-third of the entire enrollment and attendance in the high school are non-resident pupils and all but one of these attended under the free attendance high school law. A special feature of our high school is the large proportion of boys. Out of a class of fourteen graduates in 1910, seven were boys and about forty per cent of our entire high school enrollment is boys.

SIMEON M. MOSS,          
Superintendent.     

     The census of the Wymore school district has made no important change during the past five years. With an enrollment of 700 pupils, and an average attendance of 600, the schools have maintained a uniform organization, except the high school, in which the attendance has been increased by the free high school attendance law.

     Under the new school library law, the collection of reference and miscellaneous books has constantly grown, and the public school library, because of its quality and increasing patronage, was merged with the Wymore city library under the former name. The revenue for its maintenance is derived from the annual levy made by the board of education, together with funds raised from public school entertainments.

      Three courses of study, the Latin, German and normal training are offered in the high school and each of these courses has its enthusiastic supporters among the student body and patrons. Because of the very efficient work done in the Latin department, the instructor, Principal Campbell, has been the recipient of several compliments from the state university.

     Wymore was among the first schools to offer normal training, and to equip for the same under the law of 1907 giving recognition for such work without an appropriation. Since then this course has grown in favor add popularity.

     Our high school and grades have always endeavored to maintain well balanced courses of study, and to add to, and enrich these by differentiating along the lines of industrial and vocational training, and the board of education has chosen the conservative policy in these new lines of instruction. The work in which our high school has really

excelled during the past three years is in public speaking and debating. Besides a class in oral English or debating in the regular course a debating society is maintained in which the wide-awake boys and girls take part, and for three successive years the Wymore high schoool (sic) has won the championship in the southeastern district of the Nebraska High School Debating League.

     The Wymore school board is conservatively progressive, and few new phases of education are experimented with, before they have been thoroughly tested. Of the sixteen instructors, the superintendent and high school principal have been retained for six years, and four of the grade instructors for twelve years, and five for seven years.

H. H. GRAHAM,          
Superintendent.     

     The York public schools have in all departments thirty-eight teachers--just double the number eight years ago. While the schools have grown in numbers the greatest growth has been in the enlargement of departments and in adding new ones.

     The schools now comprise a kindergarten, eight years in the elementary and five in the secondary school. In connection with these schools there is a manual training department for both elementary and secondary pupils. Domestic art is taught in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Two years are devoted to domestic science in the high school. Music, art and penmanship are taught by special teachers. Military science is under the direction of a commandant who is chosen by the board of education.

     Athletic Exercises in both elementary and secondary schools are under the supervision of the Y. M. C. A. physical director who works under the direction of the board of education.

     The recent enactments of the legislature respecting compulsory attendance and free high school attendance by non-residents have had a very wholesome effect upon education in this vicinity. About sixty-five non-residents are now attending the high school.

     In our recent construction of school buildings, special attention has been given to lighting, heating, and ventilating. In our present high school building we installed the unilateral system of lighting, and a combination blast system for heating and ventilating.

     No very extensive work has been done in building up school libraries. We have a well selected list of reference bunks for the various departments of the high school of about 500 volumes. A teachers library of about 200 volumes has been started recently. In addition to this, the city library which contains about 5,000 volumes is situated almost opposite the high school.

     The high school course covers a period of five years. The following subjects compose the course: five years work in mathematics, English-which includes reading and debating-science and Latin,

four years in history, three years in manual training, two years in domestic science, normal training, and commercial work.

     The work in the high school is almost entirely elective. The fifth year is composed of work beyond the regular four-year high school course. Additional credit is given for work in military science and music. Public speaking is encouraged through declamatory prize contests, debating, and the annual junior class play.

W. W. STONER,          
Superintendent.     

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© 2003 for the NEGenWeb Project by Ted & Carole Miller