Locust Grove Class in 1890

In 1890, regular attendance was increasing, but enrollment was declining. Pennsylvania Federal Census records for 1890 were destroyed in a warehouse fire in 1921, so we do not know how many households or the overall population of Pocopson for this year. The Teachers’ Monthly Reports for June 5, 1890, show 23 students enrolled in the Locust Grove School at that time. The 1890 roll did not record occupations for the fifteen families or the race or ethnicity of the students. June 5th was the end of the 160-day school year. Attendance records show that the enrollment of females over males increased over the decades. In 1890, there were fourteen females and nine males enrolled. The records note that Horace Quimby, age 6, had perfect attendance that year and Ada Harris, age 9, had the lowest attendance: 104 out of 160 days. Pennsylvania established compulsory attendance laws in 1895 for children aged 8 through 17.[1] Pocopson Township adopted this policy for children aged 12 to 16, in October of 1920. Board minutes note two truant officers that year, Frank Walker and soon after, Albert Huey, at a salary of fifty cents an hour.[2]