By KAREN MADORIN
After the landmark graduation ceremony held in the spring of 1892, area teachers continued to improve their skills through participation in the county teacher organization. Because of its strong educational practices, Ellis played a central role in area-wide educational development.
The 1893, the county organization once again held their meeting in Ellis. Visiting teachers and lecturers lodged in the Union Pacific Railroad Y.M.C.A. building. Inservice topics included pressing matters such as “Language in the primary grades,” “Educational value of the World’s Fair,” “To What extent may current events and literature be introduced in our schools?”, “Teacher’s means of self culture,” The teacher’s opinion of himself. What should it be?” and “The difficulties of grading country schools and how to overcome them.” It’s clear that world or at least national educational standards influenced teacher training in Ellis County.
By 1894, the state superintendent mandated that all teachers must have certificates before they districts could employ them. That year Ellis hired five certified teachers: Professor Jackson, Mrs. Jackson, Miss Gaylord, Miss Stearns, and Miss Kingsley to teach 241 scholars. The board voted to provide an 8-month school funded by a 16 mill levy to pay the bills.
A year later, the mill levy increased to 17 mills and time in class increased to 9 months. In addition, the board voted to “debar” children under six years of age from attendance due to overcrowded conditions. Enrollment in the primary room was 92 students. That teacher clearly had her hands full.
I found no explanation for it, but in 1896 the board voted to lower the tax levy to 9 ½ mills. Staff members included one returning teacher Miss Kingsley and newcomers Miss Andreas, Miss McLeod, Miss Campbell, with J.W. Thompson serving as principal.
The newspaper printed little info regarding schools for the next few years. The high school continued graduating small classes while the town continued to grow. By 1900, citizens circulated a petition to call for an election “for the purpose of voting bonds to the amount of $4,000 with which to build an addition to the school house.” The school had become so overcrowded that one teacher taught 75 -80 pupils. Local citizenry recognized such an atmosphere didn’t benefit the pupil or the teacher.
Unfortunately, a period of political sectionalism that involved original settlers and later arriving European immigrants dominated Ellis elections at that time. The differences became the issue rather than the need for a new school. Due to factional quarreling, the bond issue failed and the school “worried along” for a few more years. The editor of the Review-Headlight called the quarreling parties to task with the statement, “A little less sectionalism and a little more common sense is what Ellis needs.” He then encouraged citizens to reorganize and vote on the bonds again.
Nothing remains the same, and this eight-year time frame certainly supports that life truth. Ellis, like every nearby prairie town, continued changing. Their school reflected the town’s evolution.
Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.