New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-13
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OFFICIAL.
REPORTS OF DIVISION MEETINGS.

REPORTS OF DIVISION MEETINGS.
Pursuant to call from the State Super
intendent Of Public Education, dated Sep
tember IL, 1870, Division Superintendent J..
Il. Carter, of the sixth division. and dele
gates from the several ward boards of school
directors in the city of New Orleans, includ-
ing the Jefferson City and Algiers wards,
met at the Office of the Sta~ superintendent,
who called the meeting to order, addressing
it as follows:
The general obligation imposed on me by
law to ''see that the school system is as
early as practicable carried into effect and
put in uniform operation indicated the ne
cessity under which have called you to-
gether. The interests of public education
in this city beckon the utmost energy, de-
votion and skill on the part of both city
and ward directors. There needs be the
greatest harmony of action and the utmost
cooperation among both State and local
school officers, for by this means all seem
ing difficulty will be surmOuntel; tho
teachers will he set to work and psial; the
schools will reopen aud flourish Is they
never have before, and the people will re-
spond cheerfully to all reasonable sacrifices
for their maintenance.
At present great apprehension exists in
the minds of the teachers lest their employ
ment may terminate and their wages cease
while the delay in reOpening the schools is
attributed to all sorts of causes, some of
! which are possibly we'll grounded, while
others are both imaginary and frivolous.
Much confusion exists ,as 70 the question
| Of authority over the schools; some claiming
it for the City Board exclusively. while
others, with equal confidence, assert that
| the law vests it in the ward boards
| 1t Is to be hoped that these diversified
| views will not be allowed to interfere with
! the opening of the schools, for assuredly we
con better afford to take time tor their adj
! justment than to keep twenty or forty thou
| sand children in the streets-children for
whose education the people pay their money
and the teachers continue to draw salaries.
The great need of prompt action will be
more fully realized, gentlemen, by an ac-
quaintance with the exact condition of the
educable youths in the several wards Of the
city.
In the FIRST Ward there are 1857 youths
between six and twenty-one years Of ag,,
| and but 76S Of this number attend the two
schools in this ward.
| In the Second Ward there are 1892 chill
dren, five schools with an attendance OF
1862 scholars only.
| In the Third Ward. with 1859 educabe
youths, there are only nine schools, with AL
average attendance Of .s5i7 children.
! The Fourth Ward numbers 1855 chill
dren. has four schools, with an attendance
of 1850.
. The Fiftl, Ward numbers 74S5 children
has two schools attended by 656 scholars.
| The Sixth Ward numbers 8,042 children
has five schools. with an attendance Of.l31 {
scholars.
The Seventh Ward has 1866 educabls
children and only 1857 of this number attend
the eight schools of this ward.
In the Eighth Ward there are 1867 chill
dren. three schools attended S2l children.
In the Ninth Ward there are Ii ,6'3 chill
dren, four schools, attendance 1910:
The Tenth and Eleventh Wards have to-
cether 96l7> educabIe Children: clever
| schools, with an attendance of 331 scholars
In the Algicrs Ward there are 4l36 educa
Die youths. between six and twenty lone
| wears of age, with but one school, and al
| attendance of but l45 children. The JET
| fersOn City wards, now 4 part OF the city
of New Orleans, have 1882 educable youths
nine schools, with an attendance of only
1880 scholars.
There is no doubt but that this enumera
| ton of youths is somewhat exaggerated
| but it is in accordance with the returnc
made to the State Superintendent.
| If we deduct one-third from the number.
vet large proportion of the children art
unproyided for, and left 10 run in the
streets. to be educated in crime.
In answer to the call Of the State Super
intendent. the following wards reported
organization perfected, viz: Second. third
fourth, fifth, eighth, eleventh, Algiers. and
jefferson City.
State Superintendent: MI Carter. will
YOU give for our information the number.
condition and capacity of the several
school-houses in each ward in your division
| Answer: l am unable to do so at present
but will state that from one to two hundred
thousand dollars are needed to bu1d adj
ditional schoOl-hOuses that many of the
buildings are in such bad condition that
they have been reported as unfit for use by
the grand jury, but are undergoing repairs
Other matters demand attention. Some
of the text books should be changed. This
Is a matter of great Importance, and re
uuires careful deliberation. There is grea,
lack of school furniture and apparatus; thai
we are behind the times if we compare our
selves with some of the Northern anG
Western cities, who expend large sums ii
elegant buildings and apparatus.
State Superintendent: Can you tell how
many school houses are needed!
Mr. Carter: l can not.
General Campbell: would like permits
sion to report the condition of affairs in my
ward, the fourth, as it will be impossible It
remain during the meeting. That the Fourth
Ward Board Of School Directors have beer
organized some time, and at once. upon 1T
organization, made application to the City
Board of School Directors to turn over t.
them the school property in their ward. 6u,
| as vet, the application is unanswered; thai
they claim the right, under the law, of ths
| choice of the teachers; also to manage ant
| conduct the schools in their ward, and art
only waiting the action of the City Board
to open their schools.
II. H. Isabelle: We are ready to open the
schools in the Third Waad at once if the
City Board will let US have the school
houses and do their part; that they claim
the right to appoint the teachers.
Mr.. Loan, Of Algiers: don't know OF
any public schOol-house In Algiers. We arr
anxious to open the schools. and presum.
we can by paying rent for one OF t9e
churches. We are anxious to know wht
has the authority to pay teachers.
Mr.. Schafer: In the Eleventh Ward a!
are anxious to have the schools opened
We came here this afternoon for informa
ton how to 60 at work to open them.
Mr.. Dawson: We Of the Eighth Ward
stand in need of information how to 90 tC
work to open the schools. We have not re
ceived the authority to do so from the City
| Board. The schoOlhOuses need repairs.
and we have heard that the repairing OF
them is given out by contract. thought
that as we, the ward boards of school di-
rectors, having charge of the schools in oul
respective wards, had the power, and were
the only proper persons to have item re-
! paired, to employ teachers and manage the
schools, and we want to be informed if this
is correct. as teachers and others are coming
to us continually for information. which, up
to the present time, we have been unable to
1 furnish. We are asked by teachers from
what time they will be paid.
Mr.. Conway: Teachers receive pay from
| the time they begin their work. AS to the