Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-19
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
When and How the Scholastic Census
VIII be Taken.


The State Superintendent was busily en-
gagged, yesterday, in sending out the blanks
for taking the Scholastic Census Of the State,
according to the requirements of the new
law, together with forms for immediate
special reports thereof from tho County
Superintendent. From the State Super
intendent's letter of instructions TO County
Superintendents, accompanying these doc.
uments we make the following interest
ing extracts:
The law provides that the Clerk of the
District, 'lcithin thirty days after ms dp-
poiRtRont, and Annually thereafter, IN the
month of july" shall take the ''census OF
all persons residing in the school district
between the ages Of six and eighteen" 1t
was not contemplated that the census
should be taken for 1873 until after the
august election and the organization Of the
District Boards, then to be chosen. In
many of the counties there will be no officer
to take the CELSIUS until al, er that time. So
that it will be expected that ecery District
Clerk and Treasurer, "tcithtn thirty days
after his appointment" merit August, will
proceed to take the census OF his District
as required by law, and in accordance with
the form prescribed and herewith furnished
to you.
The appOrtionment of the Sta'e fund
among the counties will be made upon the
basis of the enumeration Of those between
six and eighte years of age. Nevertheless,
inasmuch as persons between eighteen and
twenty-one are permitted to attend the
schools for three years from the date of the
organization of schools, under the present
law, in their districts, have deemed it i'm
portant that an enumeration of such pe;-
sons should also be made, and have pre-
pared separate columns for that purpose ac-
cOrdingy.
The law requires reports to be made an
nually by County Superintendents, on or
before the first day of October, "fOr the
year ending the 31st day of August prece5-
ing" and also to make especial reports
whenever required. lnasmuch as the Gen.
erdl Reports for the first year will necessa-
rily relate more especially to the or2aniza-
ton of the system, rather than to its oper-
ations and results, deem it proper to di-
rect that your General Report for this year
may be delayed till the 18th Of October, so
as to enable you to embrace within it AL
account of September's operations, and
such other matters as your attention will be
called to in a future communication. But
inasmuch as | must this year report the
scholastic population of the S ate to the
Comptroller on or before the first Monday
in October next, in order to secure the dp-
pOrtiOnmeat Of the Senli-GllnlldL interest nO1C
due, it is important that this part OF the
work be fastened rather than delayed.
therefore direct t, at, Immediately upon the
receipt of the returns from the districts, you
report 10 me the scholastic population of
your county, by means of the blank form
herewith furnished.
There need be no extension OF the time
for taking the census. The election Of Di-
rectors will take place on the Sth of Au-
gust. BY the 15.h, at fdrtheSt, every B )ard
should be organized. This will allow the
Cl,rk fifteen days in which to make the
enumeration, which ought to be ample for
the most populous districts. l desire es-
peGially TO impress you with the greet i'm
p0rtance OF the immediate organization and
prompt action of the District Boards, after
election. In order to secure this, suggest
that, IN GduGnce Of the election, you cause
notice to be given in every district that
there will be a meeting of all the DirectO s
of the County at the County Seat, on the
first Monday after the election. For many
obvious reasons, such a meeting will be
highly profitable and much to be desired.
l beg you to bear in mind, and to so i'm
press your Directors, that unless the emu
meration Of your County's scholastic popu-
lation is made and reported in time, it can
not be included in the appointment. Very
respectfully, JOHN 81. FLEMING,
State Superintendent.