“The Ingalls School,” Atchison, Kan.
F. W. Bartlett was principal of the high school until 1883. The following is the list of principals since 1883: J. B. Cash, to 1883; Geo. D. Ostrom, to 1887; J.T. Dobell, to 1895; C. A. Shively, to 1900: W. C. Jamieson, to 1902; A. H. Speer, to 1909; W. H. Livers, to 1910; J. T. Rosson, to 1911 H. P. Shepherd, now serving his fifth year.
The superintendent and principal aided by one assistant taught the high school subjects till 1882. With the opening of school in September, of that year, the high school course of study was changed from two years to a full three-years course. Miss Sarah E. Steele and Miss Anna M. Niklaus were assistants during those early years.
The addition to the teaching force, the lengthened course and the tendency toward greater latitude in the choice of subjects soon doubled the high school enrollment. The start toward vocational studies began in September, 1881, when, at the suggestion of J. H. Garside, bookkeeping was made an optional study.
The growth of the high school was gradual. During the late eighties, another year was added to the course and an additional assistant was employed. Manual training was added in December, 1903; sewing, 1907; commercial subjects were added from time to time till the introduction of a full business course, including shorthand and typewriting, in 1910; normal training, 1909; cooking, 1910; physical training, 1910; elementary agriculture, 1913; school nurse, January, 1914; special music director, 1915. The addition of courses and optional subjects has so increased the high school work as to require eighteen teachers, in addition to the principal, and the enrollment has grown to 393. The school is on the accredited list of the University of Kansas and of the North Central Association of Colleges. A school paper, the Optimist, is now in its sixth year. A Glee Club and orchestra have been organized. A Young Men’s Christian Association and a Young Women’s Christian Association are doing good work. The athletic association is giving an outlet for the surplus energy in football, basketball, etc.
Grades and teachers were added in the different buildings until there are now (January, 1916) five buildings having full eight grades of work, one building with three grades, and the Branchton school having two grades. The Branchton building belongs to district 65. Manual training for the boys and sewing for the girls are given in sixth, seventh and eighth grades and high school. All the grades have the benefit of inspection by the school nurse, and instruction in music by the special director.
In 1882 the teaching force was thirty beside the superintendent. This grew to forty-one by 1901, and to sixty-five in 1915.
During March, 1881, it was resolved that a “kindergarten” be opened during the next term. No record is found indicating the opening of such school. The kindergarten was not made a part of the system till 1910. Such work was offered earlier in rooms granted by the board. This was, however, the result of private enterprise.
At the opening of the new high school building in 1910, the first public kindergarten was established. In the spring of 1914, another kindergarten was opened in the new Washington school.