Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-12-22
CIRCULAR.
AUSTIN, Texas, Nov, %, '66,
A. InunnuIIn DnIinn IlnnL..la

To the Honorable Police Courts
Having accepted the office of Su
pcrlntendent OF Public Instruction
/ have TO communicate with yol
concerning the business of Educa
tion, so far as il pertains to your ju
risdiction, You will not consider
me as debating, but only as explain
ing and advising in discharge Of Of
fetal duty,
My principal object is to impress
on you the necessity for yourpromp
and effective attention to the re
quirements of "An Act regulating
Public Schools, approved November
~, 1866"
The State Treasurer is required
10 send ten copies Of this Act to each
Police Court, with certain forms
AS soon rs there shall be in tho
Treasury sufficient school funds to
justify any distribution, he will for
ward the proper forms; but hepurpo
scs osend the copies of the Act with
out delay, to give you information
OF its contents ns soon a. practica
BILE. l improve the opportunity for
sending this Circular with the Act
to aid you in preparing for proper
action at the approaching terms in
next January.
/ advise immediate and careful OK,
animation Of all parts of the Act
especially as one part rs calculated
to explain another.
After full consideration, there
might be differences of opinion as ia
some portions of the Act, and one OF
my objects is, as far as possible, to
superinduce uniformity of action.
Inasmuch as no part of the School
Fund is now in the Treasury, some
persons might suppose that there is
not necessity for immediate Or
ganization of the Common School
system. But the Board Of Educa-
on intends to collect as fast as
practicable; and there is reliable in
formation that payments will be
gradually made on and after the first
day OF next January. Although
there will be only small receipts and
distributions for considerable time
yet the prospect is favorable for
large dividends in future, The plan
of the Act is to have prompt organi-
cation, without waiting for any por-
ton of the public fund.
AS the system is to be immedi-
ately adopted, every part of it should
have appropriate attention. The
success of any machinery depends
on the good condition of all parts.
The first Courts in January will
have to perform very important
work and the whole preceding
time should be devoted to necessary
preparation for it. A concilitory
spirit should pervade the members
Of the Police Courts, and the other
citizens in arranging the School
Districts, and in every other part of
the business. The whole communi,
ty should realize the Importance of a
good beginning, and the difficulty
of attaining satisfaction.
Considering the whole tenor ofthe
Act, it does not provide for estab-
fishing more than one school house
for district. Butsuch house might
have separate apartm nts for differ
ent classes of pupils. And the au-
thority to arrange with Colleges and
Aca 'emies, may allow of more than
one Common School in a district,
with the separate accommodation OF
male and female pupils. .ro 3p
An omission to make and return
a list of the school population, as di-
rected by the Act, would embarrass
the State Treasurer in apportioning
funds. and would suspend distribu-
ton TO a defaulting county, To fa-
cilitate and ensure a proper distri, !,
button Of public funds, the school
population should be thoroughly
listed. so as to show the number in
each district, and the full aggregate
of each county.
Other particulars of this Act will
sufficiently appear, by careful pe-
rusal of it, r..
AS am addressing you, take
the occasion to call your attention
TO two other laws-An Act to pro
vide for the education Of the qindi-
gent children of the several counties
of the State, approved November
IL, 1866; and an Act to authorize
the Police Courts to sell the public
school lands belonging to their re-
spcctive counties, approved Novem-
Der l, 1866. There is no provision
for sending to you copies of these
Jaws in advance of their regular
publication butthey will be before
you in few weeks; and in the
meantime, this notice will give you
the subjects for consideration, with
the remark, that they are left by the
laws for your discretionary action.
All these laws magnify your Off
ces. AS corporate Boards of Com
missioners for school concerns of
great utility, your duties embrace
not only the performance of acts
specifically required ofyou, but also
the supervision of other persons, in
their performance of parts assigned
to them. r r- -t. VI s-l
i tender my services to aid yeuin
any practicable way. s-.-
Very respectfully,
Superintendent Of Pub, Instruction.
tnArfreguIafiur Public Schools,