The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-01-20
EDUCATION IN NEW YORK.
ANNUAL REPORT
SUPERINTENDENT OF COMMON SCHOOLS.
SEcRKTARY'S OFFICE, }
DEPARTMENT OF COMMON SCHOOLS,
ALBANY, Dec. 81, 1851.

annual report
1. CONDITION OF THE COMMON SCHOOLS.
be returns contained in the annexed table show
the condition of the common schools for the year
ending on the 3lst day of December, 1850 covering
nearly the entire period during which the free
school act of lS49 remained in operation: period
characterized beyond any other in the history Of our
common school sy stem, for the agitation and ex-
citement OF the public mind consequent upon this
measure; q period of transition between system,
nearly unanimously adopted by the people, but
which, in its practical operation had proved IN
many respects eminently disastrous, and a system
more in accordance with the popular will period,
consequently peculiarly calculated to test not only
the strength of the public sentiment in favor of
elementary institutions for popular education, but
the stability and value of those institutions them
selves The unequal pressure of local taxation for
the support OF the schools, arising from injudi
cious provision in the act referred t0-a provision.
the operation of Which, in this respect, almost
TREY uDforeseeL-had originated q strong feeling Of
hostility against a system which, few months pre-
viously, had received the deliberate sanction an /
approval of an immense majority Of the people Of
the State. This .stility was manifested not only
by very general de mai for the entire and uncon
Gitiopal repeal Of the act itself, but by virtua
refusal. on the part of the inhabitants of large
proportion of the school districts, to carry its pro
visions into effect, beyond the point absolutely
CURED as q condition for the receipt Of their dis
Iibutive share Of the public money The schools
which had, for period OF more than thirty years,
upitornly been kept open for an average term of
Slgnt months curing eacn year, were reduced IN
many instances to four, and the provision for their
support limited to the avails of the public funds
80 streng and general was the current of opposition
TO the obnoxious details of the law, that the most
powerful efforts we're quired on tho part Of the
friends of education generally to prevent entire
abandonment OF the great prncip pie involved in its
enactment, and which, wholly irrespective of the
particular mode Of its execution, had received the
clear assent and full APPRECIATION Of the people
Pending conflict 50 embittered and extensive,
embracing within It's range nearly every district
and neighborhood of the State, and affecting so
many and such powerful Interests, it could scarcely
have bee expected that the prosperity nd welfare
of the schools should not have been seriously and
generally affected careful inspection Of the re-
turns herewith submitted will, however, show that
while in some few respects the statistical tables
compare unfavorably with those Of preceding years.
their general suits dem onstrate steady, reliable
and gratifying improvement And now tina.
crisis so perlous to the interests and the advance
ment o. our noble system of primary education has
been safely passed, and the irritating OF com
plant which induced it, etfectually removed, we
may not unreasonebly look forward to an I'M
interrupted progression and expansion of this most
important department of our free institutions.
The whole number of school districts in the
State OF the first day Of July last was II 49, of
which S,501 are composed Of territory wholly
situated in the respective towns in which the school
houses are located, and the remaining 2972 are
Join. districts, comprehending portions of two or
more towns AS the trustees of each Of these latter
districts required to report to the town supern
tendents Of each OF the towns from portions of which
the districts posed, the number of parts of
districts included in these reports is stated at $751;
Returns in dance with law, have been received
from s, SIS whole and 1924 part districts, leaving
$50 whole districts and l27 parts of districts only
from which no reports have been received. Assum-
Ing, as has hitherto been customary, each Of these
Joint districts consist of territory situated in two
towns, it will appear that reports have been re.
ceivedt rom IL 0SO Districts leaving 1899 from which
no returns have been maze.
The average period during which the schools
were kept open, under the charge of duly qualified
teachers. was seven months and seventeen days.
The whole number Of children between the ages
of FIVE and sixteen years residing in the several
districts on the 3lst of December, 1850, was 1885,,
OFT ; and the whole lumbar of children reported by
the trustees as having been under instruction, for
longer shorter period during the year. 1885,
29l. From the more detailed statement however,
made up from the teachers lists of attendance for
the different periods required to be stated for the
Information of the department, the accuracy of
which may safely be relied upon, it appears that
the whole number of children under instruction
during the year was 500, 430. OF this numbe
Z ,057 were under instruction during the entire
year; 43, 500 for period of ten months and lie
ten ITO 9Sl for six months and less than eight;
no. 005 for four months and less than six 2l2 SIS
for two months and less than four, and 1876 sol for
less period than two months
The number Of unincorporated select and private
schools within the limits Of the several districts,
during the year reported WASP 277, and the number
of pupils in attendance such schools, was As $40
The number Of schools for colored children in the
State is los and the number Of children between
the ages Of Eve and sixteen taught in said schools
during the year reported, was 5,305.
The number Of volumes in the several district
Libraries, on the 3lst day of December, 1850, was
,507 OFT, showing an increase during the year re-
ported of 81, l27 volumes.
Returns of the whole number Of children between
the ages Of four and twenty-one years residing in
the State on the first day of August last, as re-
kxkh o nf ha MT caad nj
the last session. have been received from only 10 of
the So counties and 30 defective those returns
which have been received, that it has been found
impsacticable to submit any estimate under this
head in the present report. As the apportionment
Of public money among the several sshool districts
will be made in accordance with the enumeration
of such children, made on the 3ist OF December
last DO injurious can result from the
omission to make the special returns required by
the act referred to.
ESTIMATES AND EXPENDITURES OF SCHOOL MONEY.
The whole amount Of public money received and ex
In the reports Of the trust for the payment of teach
R..es Sv district ia. under Ii. provision,
Of the OF 1S49 for the purpose 1856 S36 80
Raised By rate bills voluntarily levied 136,949 81
Local fun DIS applicable to the me purpose 20ll sc
>, ,,,,, ;, 81. .,,,u,. ~. .n,, ., 'as az 3 g
is reported as having been raised, (voun-
tariy, it ia presumed) TO meet the
penses arising fr the exemption Of 1854
children from rate billf and as raised by
district tax to supply deficiencies in rate
bills made out previously to the act of
There also paid for teachers wages in
coored schools, over and above the public
money applicable to said schools 1926 rs
Adding these two items, the total expendi- --
ture for teachers wages during the year
reported will amount to-. 81 ai5 %
Amount Of public money expended for dis
trict libraries. ssl0i 90
Total. amount for teachers wages and libra
sl4ss65O 81
The following additional sums raised
by district taxation for the purposes speci-
fed
FOR purchasing school house sites $685. 81
FOR building school houses las 9l3 80
For hiring school houses 6439 90
For repairing school houses 1913 SIS
FOR insuripQ school houses 5,I53 20
For fuel Observation-Disclosures. 7l455 81
For book case books and school apparatus 1861 10
For other purposes ,.....,,,........... 80 $40 81
Aggregate AMOUNT of expenditure for school --
purposes during the wear 1884, 500 l6
The whole amount Of pubic money received from all
Ao-t A,,rip