National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-09
CoLoRFD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Annusl Report Of the sub-board Of Trustees.
The report OF the subcommittee of the colored
public schools and OF Superintendent Cook for the
same for the year 1874 will be presented to the
board tonight, and is complete and valuable
document. In addition to the report proper there
is an appendix containing a summary OF the ad.
missions, Withdrawals, attendance &c. summary
of school rooms, ages of pupils, number furnished
with books, summary of sites, buildings furni-
ture, &C., list Of teachers, their residences and
salaries. Next is detailed statement Of school
property buildings, valuation items Of attendance
and scholarship Of each school for the entire year.
The questions for the written examination in the
schools Of higher grade are given and the list OF
pupils who received prizes. The acts OF Congress
and the order Of the Commissioners in relation TO
the colored schools form another chapter, the
list of text books In the different grades another
and the last is the schedule of prizes for the year
This report OF the committee Is general In its
terms, and calls attention to that OF the superin-
tendent, which first shows the total cUored school
population from six to seven years Of age to be
9,32S; number Of schoolhOuses, e;nuuber of rooms,
81; number Of seats, 2S2. Total value Of school
property, including sites, s252, 2lO; number Of
Of teachers 81; number Of pupils enrolled, $3.50;
average attendance, 37l0; total cases OF
Hardness, 1922. He calls attention to
accommodations for pupils are not ample,
and asserts that, in his opinion, fully two
cept the benefit Of tree education if sufficient
provision were made.
The nine school buildings owned BY the trus
tees, though differing much in the character of
their accommodation, IN the main afford more
than average facilities for school success The
Sumner, Lincoln and Lovejoy, the latest strUc-
very decided improvement upon those erected at
an earlier period. In the character of their &C
commodation they supply we'll the wants Of their
respective localities. The two former are by no
means adequate to the entry demands constantly
made upon them. The Chamberlain, Anthony
Bowen, John F. Cook and Stevens, OF erection
earlier in the history of the schools, present in
school convenienees, fair average, notWfth-
standing many Objectionable features in con-
struction, location and surroundings. In the
point Of architectural SKILL by judicious adapta-
tion of means TO end, these buildings, viewed in
the order Of date of erection, mark each in the
history Of the schools progress more or less
No subject in this report demands greater con-
sideratiOn than that Of accommodation. So long
as 1t is not able 10 embrace the extent of the
school population, the system must fail largely
Of satisfying the ends of its creation.
To such end no other Recommendation can be so
oppOrtune as that of the erection of several large
and permanent buildings, at such points as iudi-
cate centers Of Population not already provided
for which in proper distances FROM present pro-
vision will best insure to the system all the ad-
yantsges that accrue from judicious classihcs-
ton.
The number of school days in the year, as de-
termtned by the standing rules, was 205. The
number Of days the schools, with few exceptions
were in session was 1873. The closing of the four
schools in the Ninth-street building during Octo-
Der, and the two in the Third-street during the
month of May, to allow repairs to those buildings,
the giving by special action Of the board several
days as holidays, not designated in the standing
rules, and the closing Of the record of each school
for the year on the day Of its public examination
in June, reduced the average number of days to
each school to 1s6.
The difficulty experienced in keeping up good
attendance after the annual examination of
the schools, faVors the closing OF the record on
pose that the examination indicates the end OF
the years work, and, as a consequence, the with
drawals Immediately alter 1t are many.
In no other branch of work in these schools have
efforts been attended with success more signal
than those relating to securing regular and pune
tual attendance. A cursOry glance at the figures
school years, beginning with September 1870, and
ending with June, 1874, Will show in the percent
age of attendance, progress most gratifying, and
in the abatement Of hardness, reductions more
than ordinary. The percentage of attendance for
the school year ending in 1871 was 30 2; in 1872,
1885, in 1878, 94.6 andI in 1874 95.4 In four years
Of hardness for the same years Stood respectively,
as follows q 1884, Il, $50, 5,976 and 1892 In each
year it is seen that there was a very decided re-
duction. In the year ending in 1871 the cases
were more than seven times those in 1874.
The discipline of the schools was good gen.
orally; in some OF the schools It was excellent.
The number Of cases of suspension was 2S3, or 81
cases less than those of the preceding year, and
many Of these were Of the same pupils. The
number dismissed was one less than that Of 1872
'73. The number of pupils actually expelled
from these schools is not large. That under the
head dismissed" embraces those pupils who fail
to seek restoration to school after suspension,
within hve days, as the rule directs; and hence
the number SO classed is to be attributed largely
to the neglect or indifference OF parents. The
cases of corporal punishment were 346 less than
those Of the previous year. Severity of punish
ment was exceedingly rare; and in the very few
instances in which It was shown or charged a
thorough investigation was Immediately made,
which, when conviction resulted, was followed by
such action as prevented recurrence.
In conclusion, he calls attention to the neces-
sity for the employment Of special teachers of
penmanship and vocal music, ard that in such
districts as lack the proper school sccommoda-
tions, one or more sf the schools be allowed
10 enroll 12O pupils who shall be formed into two
divisions Of 90 each; that the first division shall
have session in the forenoon and the second in
The afternoon; neither session to last more than
three hours.