School: Unity,WI (22 Aug, 1902)

Contact:  Lani Bartelt

Surnames: MCMILLER, SHEPARDSON, AYER

----Sources: Marathon Register newspaper (Unity, Clark County, Wis.) August 22, 1902

SCHOOL OPENS SEPT 1

The school year 1902-’03 in joint district No. 1 commences Monday morning Sept 1st .The indications point to a much larger attendance in every department than last year. The school census as taken by clerk F. L. McMiller, shows a total of 223 children of school age, a large increase over last year. The total number of non-resident pupils attending the Unity, Wis. High school last year was 10.

The parents and pupils of the rural districts are fast awakening to the many advantages of a ‘high education; with the result that each year a larger list of country pupils are enrolled. The fact that the state legislature has taken a hand in the matter and made the township in which the pupils reside responsible for the tuition of students attending a high school in another district when there is none established in the district in which they live will be conducive to a more general attendance from the rural districts.

The board have been fortunate in securing a strong corps of teachers and especially so in securing the services of Prof. D. H. Shepardson who was at the head of our schools last year and under whose supervision a great improvement was made. He graduated a class of seven last June, six of whom have been engaged as teachers and will teach in Marathon and Clark counties during the coming year. The board was also wise in securing the services of Owen P. Ayer as instructor of the grammar department. Mr. Ayer occupied that position last year and made a very creditable show.