27 



The state law providing aid for county schools states that the schools 

 shall be open to any pupil who has completed the eighth grade. We 

 find, however, that 7 boys and 3 girls had not completed this grade on 

 entrance to the school. The superintendent stated to the survey that 

 such pupils were admitted if they were mature, had been out of school 

 some time, and were not likely to go back to the ordinary school. The 

 annual catalog for 1915-16 states that such students will be permitted 

 to enter on trial if in the judgment of the school authorities they are 

 mature enough to carry on the work successfully. The records of these 

 ten pupils who gave their previous schooling as less than eighth grade are 



BOYS 



GIRLS 



Four of the boys and one of the girls state that they had not been out 

 of school at all. Four are scarcely above eighth grade age. The 

 question here is not as to whether or not people of this training should be 

 excluded by law. It is very probable that there are many cases where 

 it would be almost an injustice to keep out certain applicants for this 

 reason. But so long as the law requires eighth grade graduation there 

 should be a very good justification for admitting pupils without it. Dis- 

 regard of the state law might endanger the allowance of state aid. 



