# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S1026
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

through the monthly “Board for Re District Boards of Education

the quarterly “Adult Education Bulletin.”
<o n all of these activities the
Ug t to enunciate the standar

2. Christian educa

for Christian
i educatio i
improve their educaticnc prose

B. Elementar
Duri ¥ Schools
‘mentary school system in rd has a
48 its inner expansion

_ gain prospered
; 4 surprising mann eral
is concerned. 8 er, notably in so far

PARISH EDUCATION . 261

School Statistics of Synod

Schools Enrollment Teachers
1,244 94,993, 3,128
1,277 98,136 3,161
1,297 101,884 3,298
__— 1,286* 106,609* 3,449*

* Includes South American figures of 1951

2 Number of Schools Opened
was in 1947 that Synod resolved to strive for a fifty-per-cent

digitinent of its children of school age by 1972. During the years
ist

45 1952, both inclusive, 216 schools were opened, and 142
#94:onal congregations entered formal affiliations with schools
tister congregations. In the same period the school system in-

at
creased by 24,580 pupils and 835 classrooms and the same number

éf teachers. This gain constitutes a small school system in itself.
Building activity was also great. During the five-year period 1947
to’1951 our congregations erected 235 new schools, enlarged 101,
aid remodeled 153. Yet, with all these gains, we had only 32 per
cent of our children of school age enrolled in 1951 and made prac-
tically no headway toward the’ fifty-per-cent enrollment goal.
The reason is that also Synod and the number of school-age chil-
dren increased so much more during that period. To gain per-
centagewise, our numerical increases must be far greater.

Number of Schools Closed

Every year there is also a'loss of schools.. During the same
period, 1947 to 1952, 164 schools were closed, suspended, or con-
solidated, and 92 congregations gave up their formal affiliation with
schools of sister congregations. This is not a complete loss, because
a number of schools ‘were consolidated, some affiliations resulted
in separate schools, and quite a number were temporarily suspended
for various reasons, mostly for lack of teachers. Only District
officials know in every case why schools are no longer on the
roster. So far as we have reports, these are the reasons: 1) Con-
solidations; 2) Inability to secure a properly trained teacher or

any kind of teacher; 3) Relocation of congregation; 4) Transfer of

pupils to a school of a sister congregation; 5) Extremely small en-
rollment; 6) Pastors discontinuing teaching; 7) Transportation
difficulties; 8) Widely scattered membership; 9) Financial inability;
‘and 10) Lack of interest.

It should be said that schools which are closed are usually
quite small. For instance, of the 26 schools off the roster in 1952,
17 had 10—~20 pupils. Nevertheless, even a small school is precious
and its closing a loss. :

The Need for More Schools

A 32-per-cent. enrollment, no matter how large in itself, is

wholly unsatisfactory; not because it falls short of Synod’s goal,