La Salle Peru Township High School - Ell Ess Pe Yearbook (La Salle, IL)

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OUR PROGRESS HAT pure delight to float in the clouds of reverie, build our conception of Utopia and then live that ideal existence for a few fleeting moments. Those who are content merely to drift along the stream of fancy are not responsible for the vigor of La Salle-Peru today. A musing ecstasy of contemplation alone does not build mighty edifices. But those who see the vision and fight to fulfill the lofty ends are the heroes. They have torn down the barricade on the road to truth that we might browse on the uplands of knowledge. The inspiring word has been progrem. 11 The first session of the La Salle-Peru Township High School was held in Sep- tember, 1898, the construction of the orig- inal main building having been started in 1897. There have been three superinten- dents: Mr. Stratton D. Brooks, now Pres- ident of the University of Missouri, Mr. C. A. Farnam, and Thomasj. McCormack, who has been superintendent since 1903. Mr. T. C. Kohin has been assistant prin- cipal since the foundation of the school. 11 There were six teachers on the faculty in September, 18985 in the second year the faculty was increased to nine. In February 1930, the faculty numbered 52, exclusive of the superintendent and the office staff. The ofiice staff consists of the secretary of the board of education, the registrar and two clerks. One of the distinctive features of the instruction of the school is the employment of student assistants in office practice work. The number of students so employed is 52. From ten to fifteen students are also employed part time in the social center as assistants. This creates a flexible and contractible staff of employes for a vast number of activities. The janitorial staff, with fire- men, consists of seven people. 11 The increase in the attendance of the Township High School has in recent years been notable. At the start, as with all new high schools, the attendance remained stationary. The establishment of township high schools in Granville, Spring Valley, Tonica and other places for some years kept the local attendance almost station- ary. But from 1917 to 1923, the attendance increased 72 per cent and from 1915 to 1923 the increase was 100 per cent. In the last three years the increase has been very rapid, one hundred students or more having been added each year to the school I16l roll. In September, 1929, the enrollment was 946, and in February, 1930, it ex- ceeded 1000. A remarkable fact about the change in enrollment is that whereas for the first years there were twice as many girls as boys in the school, at present in each class the boys outnumber the girls. fl In 1924, in response to urgent solici- tation on the part ofithe public, the Townshi High School Board of Educa- tion estaliilished the La Salle-Peru-Oglesby Junior College, an institution designed to give to the young people of the local com- munity the advantages of the first two years of college or university training. The entering class numbered 32, the total number of students now enrolled generally averages 100. There are training classes for teachers and preparatory classes for nearly all the various vocations and gro- fessions taught in the universities. he college has been signally successful from the educational point of view, its grad- uates have done well at the universities which they later attended, and the report of the North Central Association of Col- leges and Secondary Schools complimented the institution upon its high standards, its careful work, and the success at the universities of its graduates. 11 The establishment of the Junior Col- lege meant a considerable increase in the number of teachers in the school for the reason that the number of classes and hours taught by Junior Colle e teachers is limited by the State ant? National authorities. But all these requirements have raised the standards of teaching in the high school. The Junior College is housed in the top floor of the new high school building.