CHAPTER VIII.

FREE TEXT-BOOKS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS,

ADOPTION AND PURCHASE.

HOW TO SECURE ADOPTION.

DISTRICTS USING FREE BOOKS.

REPORTS FROM IOWA DISTRICTS.

EXPENSE OF FREE BOOKS.

LAWS IN DIFFERENT STATES.

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF FREE BOOKS.

FREE TEXT-BOOKS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Section 2836 provides that "whenever a petition signed by one-third or more of the legal voters, to be determined by the school board of any school corporation, shall be filed with the secretary thirty days or more before the annual meeting of the electors, asking that the question of providing free text-books for the use of pupils in the public schools thereof be submitted to the voters at the next annual meeting, he shall cause notice of such proposition to be given in the call for such meeting."

ADOPTION AND PURCHASE.

Section 2837 provides that "if, at such meeting, a majority of the legal voters present and voting by ballot thereon shall authorize the board of directors of said school corporation to loan text-books to the pupils free of charge, then the board shall procure such books as shall be needed, in the manner provided by law for the purchase of text-books and loan them to the pupils. The board shall hold pupils responsible for any damage to, loss of, or failure to return any such books, and shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be reasonable and necessary for the keeping and preservation thereof. Any pupil shall be allowed to purchase any text-book used in in the school at cost. No pupil already supplied with text-books shall be supplied with others without charge until needed. The electors may, at any election called as provided in the last section, direct the board to discontinue the loaning of text-books to pupils."

HOW TO SECURE ADOPTION.

By reference to the law as found in the sections quoted above, it will be seen that the steps necessary to secure the adoption of free text-books are as follows:

1. To file a petition signed by one-third or more of the legal voters, with the secretary of the school township or independent district not less than thirty days before the annual meeting of

the electors.

2.

The petition must contain a request to the board to submit to the electors the question of providing free text-books for all the pupils in the public schools of the corporation.

3. If the board is satisfied that the petition contains the names of one-third of the legal voters residing in the corporation, the submission of the question in the manner provided is mandatory, and the secretary shall give notice of such proposition in his call for the annual meeting.

4. The voting must be done by ballot, and if a majority of the ballots cast is in favor of the proposition, then the board must procure the books and loan them to the pupils under regulations in harmony with the law.

DISTRICTS USING FREE BOOKS.

Under the above provisions free text-books are now supplied to pupils in the following districts:

Allamakee county: Capoli, Fairview.

Audubon: Audubon, Exira.

Butler: German.

Calhoun: Manson, Rockwell City.

Cedar: Centerdale, Highland.

Cerro Gordo: Campbell.

Clay: Spencer.

Clinton: Orange, Clinton, Delmar, Excelsior.

Dallas: Dexter.

Fremont: Highland.

Guthrie: Pioneer.

Hancock: Amsterdam, Orethell.

Hardin: Union township, No. 8.

Harrison: Dunlap, Missouri Valley.

Jackson: Preston.

Linn: Kenwood Park.

Marshall: Marshalltown.

Mills: Glenwood, Preston, Gowen.

Page: Clarinda.

Pocahontas: Pocahontas.

Polk: Capital Park, East Des Moines, West Des Moines.

Pottawattamie: Neola, Council Bluffs.

Poweshiek: Grinnell.

Ringgold: Poe Nos. 1 and 2, Mt. Ayr.

Sioux: Sioux Center.

Story: Nevada, Slater, Bloomfield.

Tama: Toledo.

Warren: Oak Grove.

Webster: Westlund.

Winnebago: Norway, Logan, Mt. Valley.

Woodbury: Grant, Oto, Woodbury, Liberty, Pierson, No. 4.

REPORTS FROM SOME DISTRICTS.

WEST DES MOINES.-Speaking of the plan, Mr. Louis C. Kurtz, of the independent district of West Des Moines, in his report as . president of the board in March, 1901, said:

"In accordance with the vote of the electors of this school district, free text-books were purchased and placed in the hands of pupils in the old West Des Moines District in September, 1899, and in all schools of the consolidated district September, 1900. The expense has been $15,621.67, and the results so far have been highly satisfactory. In addition to furnishing text-books free, the board has construed the law in a liberal spirit and furnishes also all pens, pencils, paper and other material needed by the pupils. Our school is in effect a free school in every particular and no pupil or parent can urge as an excuse for non-attendance the inability to purchase text-books or supplies I believe that this has materially increased the attendance and improved the quality of the work done."

Mr. S. H. Sheakley, city superintendent of the same district in his annual report for the year said that "the furnishing of textbooks and supplies by the board has consequently been a great saving to the people, besides increasing the attendance and enabling better work to be done."

CLINTON. Clinton adopted the free text-book plan some years ago and in writing of its workings City Superintendent O. P. Bostwick says:

"In regard to care of books I would say that it is necessary for the teaching force to be vigilant and that a system of fines be adopted and enforced, otherwise many pupils will abuse the books. We have been very rigid in the enforcement of the fine system and have succeeded in keeping our books in good condition. I enclose blank form which is pasted in each book. Each teacher keeps in a loan record a duplicate of the entry made on this label.

We allow pupils to take their books home to study. I do not believe any diseases are contracted from use of free-text books. We have our books covered with patent book covers. When a book changes hands the old cover is taken off and a new one put on.

Free text-books are a great advantage because the schools are equipped at much less expense to the district. The books when not satisfactory can be exchanged for modern and better texts without hardship to any family. Besides, we always have at hand a supply of books for every pupil who moves into our city and any one moving out of our city has no supply of books to dispose of at a loss or to keep as dead property on their hands.

It will be a great advantage, in my judgment, if every district in the state would adopt the free text-book system.”

MARSHALLTOWN.-Mr. F. E. Willard, City Superintendent, Marshalltown, where free books have been in use for more than a year, writes as follows: