New-York tribune., 1871-09-11
PUBLIC SCHOOL ABUSES.
IN ATTENDANCE-CORRUPTION
IN THE BOARD.

DECREASE IN CORRUPTION |
IN THE BOARD.
RE OLD BokRD OF EDUCATION DESTROYED THAT
: THE RIG MIGHT RULB-THE ExTRAvAGANCE
OF THK NEW BOARD FULLY REvEALED-A
NEW FIELD FOR RING CORRUPTION.
From the organization of the public schools
sf New York in ls42 until 1869 there was constant w.
crease in attendance Of scholars.
Since 1869. when Rng rule began, there has o' en-
falling of.
The reasons for hs-the decsdence of the Sboo and
she corruption Of tho system-form painful Story.
70. some time subsequent 1s2 the schools were con-
&uaSed by Board of Education consisting
sf two Commissioners elected from each ward,
avd subsequently by three Commissioners from
Sxch Of seven school districts, elected for
fshree years, one OF whom went out OF once eacn
year. There also Board OF trustees eec'eo III
zach Ward, consisting OF fOurmembers ana three III
pectors each Of the school districts were aI
onted by the Mayor 1t ccRtended that under 'us
system the different localities Of the city would oe fuy
represented and all their interests duly oonsdcrco'
while the Inspectors not being amenaDle 10 tne pop
aircey could exercise proper independence
bills and licensing teachers, that being mainly the ouS'
BY the report appears that the actual average
tendance for that year Of the Grammar ana PRIMARY
Schools was e5l5 which Increase over that OF
previous year of about l5o and In the whoie num-
Der taught 6oO The increase for several years
previous was at about the rate. During 1867 and
Board of Education for overcrowding the schoobuid
spes The Board a swered that 1t put up three
or four school buildings every year, bnt that
nSpR .ne of and this kept the Schools
But i'm 1858 the Board had appropriated
erection OF schOohouses, including 100000 for
normal school building on four lots west Of Central
s1scc BY the annual report Of that year it appears
that accommodations for 1880 more children would be
available at tl3 beginning OF 1869.
TIE OLD BOARD AGAINST THE RING.
During 1868, will be elsewhere shown, the Board Of
Education got into bad odor with the Tammany Ring.
although lG out of 81 members Democrats and I'M
reienting waged against It, The Board insisted
that should control the affairs of education without
dotatOn from the Ring and the sachems vowed that the
Secretary OF the Board MI BOese should be oused The
threats were Of no avail and when the Board or.
, ganized in 1869 the Secretary was renstated The
20 PROMINENT Rcpubiican- and assured them that no
matter how much they might quarrel about politics, the
toese eien.Ors lie then presented bill to them which
& for hE anoG Of the Board ID Of saed sts
whom should he Republicans and that they should hold
Board Of EdHcation should be elected further that but
seven names should I've on ticket and the five receiving
sppropriaiion Should psHs but by majority Vote hs
was on the plan of the old Board OF supervisorS)
TIE BOARD OF EDUCATION DESTROYED
The bait took with Of the Republicans, but the
Democrats Of the city did not like the idea OF having
echoOl Commissioners just elected turned out OF Office.
While the bill pending before the Legislature, there
interval during which the Ring ceased to press
ASSI this u5 %s a. SG1s bs Tss h SSch S1 wss
!nent aymcm Of that church to take measures to pro
which the Rornsnists should receive a share q
the Common SCHOOL moneys This was the bill
HeckcT. the eminent Paulist. had an interview with
the President Of the Board Of Education, the supertn
tcndent Of Schools and the Secretary. The learned
fatler at this inteyew discussed the subject Of a2pro,
among other things that would end ali controversy on
would not yield. After this the bill abolishing the
Board of Education was passed and an tho
schools substantially asked for in the bill introduced
singular fact should be mentioned in ths connection
which shows how dear TO the people the privilege OF
well they used this power The records show that por.
tcn of the constituency that elected wm E. Curtis.
Richard Warren and WIn II. Nelson. honorable eIni
nen citizens as mnSoners OF Education eectedth the
yh 1 Sn Jim and iF To t4s Walls MSse 9 : ~ Il
Vance and James W Farr members OF said Board those
fToro the same contrast in Morrissey's district
fanmaDy saw from this that citizens, while willing to
bones in charge OF their children. Therefore the
e sTe an aS sT ayor s spponea
this Board of Education IL comprised some excellent
sppontcd bs him held lucrative positions under the city
and county governments by the appointment Of Connolly,
ard for work and those wishing furnish supplies &c.
M the a na G nSse TSr @ M ae F
sch0ols passed from the people to The Idnniany Fhg
swept dean and some OF the evils OF the old Board
done with, and rigid economy was announced rs
sic -ule ~ be followed.
RxTk{tGGGXCE OF THE KEW BOARD.
l. was quickly ascertaned however that the four lots
On III, west side OF Central Park. which originally cost
sIsNu were too valuable 10 I've devoted TO the site OF
norual school. and Il resolution to that effect was
adopted with directions to find another site i'll less
favored ocaly and the plans and bids for the erection
Of the building by the previous Board, amounting 10
Si2O 600 were also considered extravagant Then
committee appointed to ascertain II any more school
accommodations would be required. The committee re-
pered that the average attendance for the year ending
Dec 81 1863 Sl54 while the number OF seats in the
class assembly together 1885, showing
~ Excess Of seats the attendance 1858
The Committee evidently did not think II advisable to
take into consideration the fact that the whole number
taught during the year exceeded l9Oo or that
mining that a school would comfortably accommodate
% many pupils there seats III it, woHld he Ike
ssyng that house would comfortably accommodate as
sAany people there were seats in IT, This rpor also
cays This statement clearly shows hdt no additional
eck0Oi buildings rW 6e required duth9 me year lSO ana
This report was evidently intended to show that the
extraordinary school acCODmOdatiOns PROVIDED by tho
previous Board necessary and that the expen-
Gture was u piece Of extravaganza. The Board then
gpnses . for iso Which With the .ioSS appropriation
to the erection OF Normal School building, made the
OF t2iO00Oo for current expenses No appropriation
whatever made for new school buildings
DECLINE THE SCHOOLS.
The animal report for 1869 shows that the average
s.rdanee in the grammar and primary schools for the
sear ending December d. 1862 IS o5; whole number
lAnght 1878 This decrease Of over 800 on the
average attendance and the whole number taught Of
about that OF 1893 Whereas at the same rate
Of had been shown for several previous
e average attendance for should have been at least
soeo more. and the whole number taught equally in
etased The cause this decline B In the steady
h resse OF attendance the corporate schools since
o.y began draw money out Of the school fund The
tAucinston Of increase Of 1000 pupils under which
Commissioner pretend labor, readily explained