New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-16
APPORTIONMENT or THE SCHOOL
FIND.

| a.
\ Ctfic, ate Superintendent of Pu bile Education.
New OrlealIs, December 9, 1871.
In announcing the following apportion
ment of school funds, the state Superln
teu.lcnt would express his qualification a
the progress made in the organization o
new schools. and the Increase ct pupil
during the last quarter
When the eXistin. obstacle, to a rapi,
extension of the school voiil are consid
cred: the active opposition OF some and tn,
| apathy of large numbers Of the citizens O.
| the STATE. together with tie ina,leuuat.
means at the disposal of tle various Parish
Boards, ii is encouraging to state that there
are, at this time, outside of the city of New
Orleans, seven hundred schools in success
tui operation, while the number is steadily
| increasing.
Nor are the schools merely nominal Or
| CARNATIONS. In nearly every instance they
are largely attended. and often by such
| numbers that the accommodations are in
sufficient for the pupils. Since my last cir
| cular on this suhjcc was issued. the increase
| in attendance has averaged thirty per cent.
which. though taxing the energies of the
teachers. has been attended by no diminu-
ton in the progress of the pupils, the graft
tying nature of which speaks Wi: tor our
public school system.
The school fund has. during The past
year, been largely drawn upon Ivy the
treaSurers of the varionS parish and town
boards to meet the necessary expenses of
the schools. Back appointments, pre-
viously unused. have in nearly every in
stance. beet drawn and applied to TIE pur
pose for which they were desi- ned. with
consequent reduction of the inactive sur
plus hitherto reported This Is the best
evidence of the activity which has prevailed
in the prosecution of the work. inasmuch
as un'lrawn appointments are the strong
est evidence OF the neglect of popular edu-
cation in the districts to which they belong.
Yet with all the drafts that have been made
on 1t. there remains in the haads OF the
State Treasurer :!'2.762 g., to the credit of
the school fund. The treasures OF parish.
city and town school boards who have
qualified according to law. aud have filed
authenticated copies of their bonds in this
Office. can call at once and draw the
amounts hereinafter appol toned to their
respective parishes. cities or towns.
The sum apportioned 10 TIE city of New
Orleans has been in part anticlpatci by
payment to the Board OF Directors of Pub
lie schools in that city. which were assented
TO III order to lessen the sutfer:ngs of the
large body of teachers employed by them
1t is. however. deemed advisable. after con
sultation with the highest authorities of the
State. to continue the advance by allowing
that indebtedness 70 be carried forward to.
amt cancelled by the next appOrtionment
especially as this will involve no iesseninc
OF payments to any other portions of the
State. and no serious embarrassments for A.,
the time being. Through the opposition of
a portion of the citizens. no school tax has !
been levied in New Orleans. and. except |
the State tax, not a dollar las been col |
ected from its people during the !
year for the support of the seventy
public schools which furnish instruc-
lion to the children of the city:
lotwiths; standing which, the city board and
he State authorities have been censured in
. leading journal for allowing the large and
ncrltorlous corps OF teachers to remain I'M
oaid. Stripped OF resources hv those
whose whose tactlouS opposition seized
~ defect III the law 10 deprive the schools
If support. The means that should have
been provided for the payment Of
he teachers ruthlessy denied to them.
galnSt the strongest pleas of the friends
f education. An attempt is now made bv
paper which tdcitly assentcd to that sui
ldal attempt I" destroy the public schools
o fastcn the consequences of acts tor which
had no rtbukt on the authorities who ex-
austed all legal measures to defeat them
uch Is tie justice of the opponents of the
chcol system.
1t Is gratifying to state that owing to the
berallty OF the city authorities in rscogniz-
IL and canceling a former unpaid appropri
ton. in connection with the sin lie advance
onl the State fund and the prompt pa,-
cent of the quarterly apportionment-, the
.hools of New Orleans will reach the close
the year with the Board but two mouths
arrears to the teachers, and with an as
ircd prospect of brighter days htvonI.
THOMAS w. CONWAY.
State Superintendent Of Education.