The Baltimore County union., 1875-01-30
Report of the School Com aissiOners
of R0LtiulO7.e COuutU fO7. 1874

OF baltimore County for 1874.
From the annual report of DR.. Samuel KEEP
ler, Secretary, Treasurer and Examiner of the
Baltimore County School Board we take the
following extracts
During the year 1873, the highest number oi
pupils enrolled in one term was 5,S99. During
the year 1874, the highest number was 7,2l0,
being an increase of l,31l. The number of diff
ferent pupils for 1873, was 9,051. and for 1874
1859, an increase of ,47S. This increase is
evidence of the fact that our schools are stead
lily and rapidly growing in public favor, and
this result can only be attributed to their great
er efficiency, and to improvements in the con-
dition of school houses. As the quality o
teaching improves, and as our school houses
become better fitted for the accommodation OF
pupils, in that proportion will there be an IN
crease in the attendance. u
The sum expended for building, repairing
and furnishing school houses, $25, ,083.02, has
fallen far short of the demands that have
been made for improvements really needed
There are a number of places where school
houses have not yet been built, and where the
increase in the population demands the estab
lishment of schools. In other places, the
houses that were built many years ago, are in
such dilapidated condition, that they are not
only unfit for occupancy but are not even
worth repairing The Board has been unable
to do anything in these cases. All the houses
built during the past year were contracted for
the preceding year, and in order to meet the
payments on these, the Board has been COM
PEELED to create heavy debt. After failing tc
obtain from the County Commissioners an in
crease in the levy, it was seen that no appro
priaton could be made for building purposes
This matter requires consideration, and some
provision ought to be made to furnish every
neighborhood with equal facilities for educa
ton. The School Board alone has not the pow
er to do so. II #
In the report for the year 1878, reference was
made to some of the injurious effects that woulc
result from a failure to keep the schools oper
four terms. 1t is scarcely necessary to reiter
ate them at this time. 1t is deemed proper
| however, to call attention to this subject, be
cause the Board has determined to close tn,
hools at the end of the spring term. unless TIA
County Commissioners before the fifteenth o
April next, signify to the School Board thei
willingness to increase the levy for the public
| schools for the year 1875. The School Boarc
has declared its inability to continue the school
| the full scholastic year with the present levy
| The indebtedness of the Board is really mucl
| greater than the financial statement exhibits
because, while the receipts are given to Sep
| tember 30th, the expenses of the schools fo
| that month, which is part of the first quar-
| ter of the next year, are not shown. This deb
! will continue to increase so that it will be ne
cessary to suspend the schools for one term il
order to pay it. If for no other consideration
at least for the honor of the County, it is hopet
that a satisfactory arrangement will be made
by which the schools will be kept open the en-
| tire scholastic year as heretofore.