Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-08-31

The form of the Report to be made
to the County Auditor, found on page
80 of the aforesaid Statute, will furn-
ish all the information necessary for a
full and accurate exhibition Of the Ie-
suits of yolr investigations, the labors
lofy your teachers and the condition Of
yonr schools. Let it be an illumina-
ted thermometer of the educational at
lmosphere Of your township, living
index of the vitality of your corpora
ton zeal in this cause. 1t is very de-
sirable that there should be no error
in the statement of the number of dis
tricts in each township. The item,
number of common schools in the
township" in the form alluded to
above, was not designed to ascertain
how many sessions, schools have
been taught in the corporation, but
in how many districts there have been
schools during the educational year,
commencing the Goth of September
Taking the enumeration by congress
sional townships, or parts thereof. as
iAay be Included in your civil town
ships, you will be able to report with
lp- fspicuity anu accuracy on point
involving no little trouble and per-
plexity % the Audito;.-Due care AID
attention in these matters will materi-
ally relieve that officers educational
burdens and secure his cordial thanks.
The average attendance in all the
schools Of the township can be easily
obtained by dividing the aggregate at
tendance, found in the teachers re-
po. Is a this point. by the number Of
schools. These materials will always
be at command. if yo- invariably insist
on the observance OF the acquisitions OF
section s3d of the law.
The trustees are required. by Sec
ton 81, TO make their engagements
with the instructors employed in the
several districts SO that the sessions in
all shall be equal. To diyest this mat
ter of all perplexity, let the school
sessions ia all the districts commence
at the same time, as far as practicable.
The known wishes and obvious inter-
ests of school districts should not he
pertiraciously ignored to secure this
uniformity of beginning. But the man
fest advantages of such an arrange
ment demand that it should be gener-
ally adopted. Thus Trustees and'Di.
rectors could so arrange their duties
as to occasion the least possible draft
on their time and patience, and at the
} same time secure the most efficient ac-
ton in the discharge OF theirsuperviso-
!. nv duties. III the funds viii ~,s-suin Z,
! school IN each of your districts only
one session, let it be at a season when
the interests and convenience of the
largest number will be best subserved
This order and system once introduc-
; ed and established, will make your of.
fetal labor more pleasant TO you
! more acceptable to others, ard iAore eff
fective to the cause. All can arrange
their plans accordingly, and more gen
, eral satisfaction be secured. This pol
) icy will enable you to ascertain the
length of your schools the moment
} you employ the last teacher. for the
: amount of your public funds is def
: mite and known. This remark i.
made on the supposition that thes,
: funds have not been anticipated. i
: would be well worth all the necessar,
: trouble and expense in every township
: row at the outset, to secure the con
T venience and advantage of this orde,
5 of managing the fiscal department o
our educational affairs. Better have
no public schools for one year, thar
perpetuate a state of things forevcl
yeloped in doubt and uncertainty
Nothing could be more emba. RAISING
to Trustees than an empty treasury
and an uncertain apportionment.-
= Competent teachers can seldom b,
{ obtained under snch circumstances
= With cash in hand we can compel,
: with our neiehbors in the market fol
e the best article, so with full treas
: ury we can secure the services of tn,
: best instructors. But under that or
4 der of things. which substitutes for th'
: legal currency time drafts on an emp
: ty township treasury, we must b.
!. subject TO worse than Egyptian bon
4 dage.
: The public funds can now be legally
+ appropriated to only one sole and spe
c cific purpose, viz: tuition. Any dis
!. regard Of this provision of the statute
: will be manifest violation OF tn,
! law, and the Trustees, making an,
: such mal-appropriation, may expec
r to be required to refund every dollar
e No excuse or apology will be sub
d stitute for the funds thus diverted
! from their legitimate object. If, thro
: Ignorance Of the law, any have sinnet
d in this respect, the proper eviGence o
c penitence and the appropriate atone
y ment for the fault, will be the assess
i ment of township tax to replace III
It funds illegally used. Ii they hav
J. been paid to liquidatc debts for schoo
: houses erected previous to the passag
i of the revised school statute, or hav
d been appropriated TO school struc
: lures now in process of construction
= the authority for the aforesaid assess
J, ment is undoubsed, not merely un
: questioned, but imperative, as tn
Y language of the 9th section abundant
!. " proves. Errors in this matter mus
Il be corrected, and Trustees must no
1t complain, if they decline the statutor,
d method OF correction of such mistakes
IS should the reimbursement of pervert
S ed funds be sought at their hands b,
IS the aid of legal suasion.
d An accurate statement OF the mum
v Der of sc hool houses erected, eithe
e partially or entirely during the eur
II rent year, and the total expense there
N OF, will constitute an important an
r valuable item in your report. 1t is {
Il be hoped that all reasonable care an
= effort will be used TO make that iter
t. as full and satisfactory as possible
e. In reporting the number OF volume
Is in your libraries, il will be a matte
r of much less trouble for you to sim