Where Do Graduates Go?
A state survey of Benton County grammar school graduates finds every former student is either working, studying, or helping on the farm.
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A vocational survey conducted by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Josephine Corliss Preston shows that none of the 360 graduates from rural and smaller city grammar schools in Benton County over the last three years are unemployed. Instead, they are engaged in trades, continuing their schooling, or contributing to the home and farm. The Superintendent praised this record, noting that busy youth are rarely found in police courts or corrective institutions. The survey highlighted that 70 percent of these graduates have continued on to high school, a notably high rate for the state. The department is currently seeking information on several graduates whose whereabouts remain unknown, including Dewey Grindstaff and Olive Cox.
“The boys and girls who are busy are seldom met with in police courts or corrective institutions.”
The state's interest in tracking the 'vocational' paths of rural children mirrors modern concerns about workforce development and youth retention in smaller communities. It highlights the gendered expectations of the era, where young girls were expected to fill roles as domestic caretakers while boys supported farm operations.
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