Position
Salary
HIGHER DEPARTMENT
See Central
One Principal $ 1,000
One male assistant $ 600
One female assistant $ 264
One female assistant $ 264
One female assistant $ 264
INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT
One female assistant $ 308
One female assistant $ 242
One female assistant $ 242
PRIMARY DEPARTMENT
One female assistant $ 264
One female assistant $ 220
One female assistant $ 220
The average number of scholars in attendance as follows:
In Higher Department 200 pupils
In Intermediate Department 160 pupils
In Primary Department 150 pupils
The course of study pursued in our schools is as follows:
In our Intermediate Department, we teach Spelling, Reading, Penmanship,
Geography, Grammar, Mental Arithmetic, Written Arithmetic, History, Composition,
Declamation.
In our Higher Department we pursue the following: Spelling, Reading,
Penmanship, Geography, Grammar, Mental Arithmetic, Written Arithmetic, History,
Algebra, Geometry, Book Keeping, Science of Government, Rhetoric, Physiology,
Natural Philosophy, Astronomy, French, Latin, Composition, Declamation.
WARD SCHOOLS
One of our Ward Schools occupies a piece of ground 65 by 100 feet.
(Fountain?)
The other two occupy rented land of about the same proportions.
The three Ward Schools are each 24 by 38 feet, one story of wood.
Our school at present, consists of the following:
one ward School No. 1 (in Ward 1), one ward School No. 2 (in Ward 3), one ward
school No. 3 (in Ward 3)
Ward School site, No. 1 (North Division) $ 495
Building of wood $ 500
(Ward School, No 2 - No site mentioned)
Building, Ward No. 2 (South Division) $ 500
Ward School site No. 3 (Fountain) $ 500
Building of wood $ 500
The number of teachers and their salaries are as follows:
Position
Salary
WARD SCHOOL NO. 1 (North Division) See North
Division
One female assistant $ 308
One female assistant $ 220
One female assistant $ 220
WARD SCHOOL NO. 2 (South Division) See
South
Division
One female assistant $ 264
One female assistant $ 220
One female assistant $ 220
WARD SCHOOL NO. 3 (Fountain) See
Fountain
One female assistant $ 308
One female assistant $ 220
The average number of scholars in attendance as follows:
In Ward School No. 1 - 180 pupils
In Ward School No. 2 - 135 pupils
In Ward School No. 3 - 40 pupils
The course of study pursued in our schools is as follows:
We commence not with the Alphabet, but with the teaching of a certain number of
words,
which the child having mastered, easily incorporates into sentences, and school
thus loses its dry, monotonous character, and the child becomes a thinking
being. The Alphabet soon becomes fixed in the child's mind without any
particular instruction on the part of the teacher. Along with this we couple
elementary mathematical instruction, and geography. This we follow in our
Primary and Ward Schools.
Students have been fitted in our school for the University, and Colleges in
neighboring States. Some four or five have gone to our own State University, and
about fifteen to higher institutions of learning in other States, principally in
New York, Ohio, and Illinois
As far as our experience extends, the most decided and marked advantage results
from the co-education of the sexes. The male sex are humanized, refined by the
presence of woman, while the latter lose much of that mawkish, false sensibility
so extremely objectionable under any circumstances.
Our School, for the most part, is free to citizens of the district (City
District #1), yet, for part of the year, we are obliged to levy a small
rate-bill.
Expenses under our Union (graded) School arrangement are much less than under
our old single district system. The influence of the Union (graded) School,
although great, is constantly increasing. It is, at present, the "all in all" of
our scholastic institutions in this part of the State.
Very respectfully, your ob't serv't
E. W. CHESEBRO
From article School History
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info