The board of Education at a meeting Wednesday evening voted to replace the books destroyed by fire in the burning of Grant school, Saturday morning. City Superintendent Wilson obtained a list of the books burned and it was found that the aggregate loss to the children amounted to $275. This amount was appropriated by the board.

It was also decided to rebuild Grant school without delay and the committee on school buildings and grounds was instructed to advertise for bids. Chairman J. E Hennen, of that committee, suggested that the building be provided with a fire-proof roof and he further suggested that hereafter whenever a new roof was needed that it would be good policy to make them fire-proof. He recommended asbestos Century shingles instead of slate on account of the cost.

It was shown by Mr. Wilson’s statement of the loss incurred by the children that the Fifth grade pupils saved almost all of their books while those of the Sixth and Eighth grades lost practically all of them. To require the pupils to replace their own books would mean an individual expenditure of $5.45 for the Eighth grade pupils and $5.15 for the Sixth grade pupils.

The actual damage to Grant school occasioned by the fire was $5540.13 according to the estimate made by Architect J. E. Hennen. An inventory compiled by W. C. Cole of the furniture and apparatus used in the building showed that it was worth $1828.13. Not all of these supplies were destroyed by the fire; nevertheless, the insurance will not cover the loss incurred. One policy for $1000 is carried on furniture and apparatus, while the loss is variously estimated as being between $1200 and $1500.

On the opening of school in the temporary quarters Monday the school board provided the scholars with 150 tablets and a gross of pencils.

The board ratified the action of the committee on buildings and grounds in engaging quarters at St. Peter’s Lutheran school and also that of the committee on teachers and text books in making the Second Street school building ready for occupancy. The board will rent rooms at St. Peter’s Lutheran school at $15 per month, that sum being intended by the parochial school board to cover the expense of heat, light and janitor’s fees only.

The committee on teachers and text books was authorized to engage an assistant teacher of the First grade at Franklin school on account of the large enrollment, there being 60 pupils enrolled in one room. This arrangement is intended to take the place of a kindergarten and is said to be the preference of the people sending their children to that school. There are only 54 seats in the room now occupied by 60 children so the need of an additional teacher was apparent to the board. The salary will be $25 per month.

A change was made by the board in the manner of paying substitutes teaching in the place of regular teachers in the city schools. In the grades where teachers are absent through some unavoidable cause, their substitutes will be paid at the rate of $2 per day and the aggregate expense occasioned by the substitute will be deducted from the salary of the regular teacher. On and after an absence of two weeks the regular salary will go to the substitute until such time as the regular teacher is able to resume her work.

In the High school the salary of the substitute will be fixed at the discretion of the city superintendent and t