New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-18
SCHOOL BOARD.

! N"JSOA"SN hiCCl1uS JdSU CfCuluk. 1ACcChI y,
Hon. II. c. Dibble, president: Superintend-
emit Boothby, and OF the old board Messrs,
Billings, Carey, Ingraham, Longstreet.
Mccarthy. Shaw and Tracy.
The president stated there was not quo
rum, but sufficient to admit mem bers, and
presented communication from the State
Board of Education.
| 1t gave the following changes in the
board: Hon. Z. l. Lynch, in place OF {. H.
| Thompson, term expired; Alfred Bourges,
vice s. c. Russell, resigned; J. c. II artzel,
vice W. q. Mcconnell. term expired: J. A.
| Mascot. vice j. S. Clarke. resigned; I. y.
Stamps, reappointed.
| Another communication, already pub
| lished in the REPUBLICAN. relative to reduc-
| ton Of expenses in the schools Of this dis
| trict, was read.
| Mr.. Ingraham moved that the matter be
referred to a special committee of five.
! Mr.. Billings ir the chair
! Judge Dibble said he had been thinking
OF the absolute necessity of reducing the
expenses at least thirty. three per cent. At
! the present rate OF receipts and expend!.
lures 100000 would be in arrears. Five
! months were behindhand III 1871, and two
| in 1879. The expenses were less than ever
| before, and the ratio per head wa not.
| greater than in any other city in the coE,n-
try. Before the adoption OF the present
| system the amount appropriated by the
| city was $4,000 more than is at present
realized. While there was no just cause OF
| complaint. yet something must be done to
| reduce expenses within receipts. The sys-
| tenn was to expend ell the tax and then run
| in debt. The remedy was to termina tie all
contracts with teachers July l. Two hun.
| dred and fifty thousand dollars is all that
can be realized; SlS0,o00 is the expense
| To terminate contracts for three months,
and renew them on the reopening of the
| schools, would save nearly $4,000. The
salaries are not high, and the diff GU ties OF
! reducing them almost insuperable. Their
| number it is almost impossible to reduce.
| The suggestion of termination Of con tracts
was the only one the Judge deem ed prac-
| ticable.
| Mr.. Pinchback considered the proper way
, w w W sup IuC p0y AAAiuS, eiO S0NdSA " -,
| as this. he thought, was the only city which
| paid during that time. He did not consider
! it necessary to refer the matter to com
mIttee. but wanted to settle it then. 1t was
in the interest OF the teachers enabling
| the board to pay them in cash for the
actual months, instead of scrip at eighteen
cents, which the State had to pay dollar for
dollar for, and save the State $4,000. He
offered series OF resolutions, which were
| then discussed.
Mr.. lngraham withdrew his motion.
Mr.. Shaw stated the cause of loss OF reye
nue. was reduction OF assessment and failure
Of collection. This measure did not meet
the necessity, bat was more like disch arging
| laborer Saturday night to save his Sunday
| pay. Vacations were not an act of grace to
| the teachers any more than Saturdays and
! Sundays. The salaries were annual and
| only divided monthly for convenience. The
board was deticien. So 900. To me ct this
there ought to be some other way than a
reduction Of salaries. He thought the way
| was to examine the budget of expenses,
| reduce it to the lowest point and divide the
| balance among the teachers. The reduction
| OF teachers is not the remedy, for the NUM-
| ber is not too large. Dividing all it gets
| will relieve the board of blame. Cutting
| down the salaries or number of teachers IS
not the way.
! Mr.. Boothby stated il every cent Of taxes
were paid there would be deficit Of 81 Geo.
The board is not to consider what probably
| would not be paid, but to provide for the
| certain per cent. Our average ioi tuition
is S23 q, excluding rents; in other cities thu
average is SIS to $40. We hire by the year
and may say how many months vacation
! schools may have. Other cities have the
same system. The question was whether
the salaries should be reduced. The diff
Guilty was to obtain good male teachers
Teachers are not too we'll paid. Nineteen
out Of twenty discount their salaries. He
advocated a reduction of the number of
teachers Some schools have two rooms
that can be consolidated, and in forty
schools as many teachers could be saved.
When vacancies occur transfers might be
made.
Mr.. Ingraham said in the rest OF the
parishes teachers are paid for the time they
worked. New Orleans was an exception.
Employees. il other VACATIONS, are only pa!!
when they worked: teachers should he the
same.
Mr.. Stamps desired TO act in the matter
as he would in a private capacity. Now
the State paid fifty cents to the teacher and
fifty cents to the broker. He was in favor Of
the resolutions, and believed that with this
reduction and reduction Of the expenses
for books and furniture the teachers c0uld
be paid iu cash each month they served.
Mr.. Gaudet supported the resolutions,
because he thought the plan proposed not
Only benefit to the teachers but TO the
pupils.
sIr. Tracy said he vas one Of these that
had no faith it, tne proposed eypea'ent.
We now run schools for $4,000 less than
when they were exclusively for white
children. The area OF education is enlarged.
Such scheme would reduce the efficiency
OF the system. TIE teachers now regard
The directors as their friends. They will
work better. as any employees will, if they
think the directors and employers care for
them They ought to be paid during vaca-
ton They are paid by the year and telling
them they will not be paid during vacation
is cutting down their salaries and not the
way to treat ladies and gentlemen who
were the hardest working and most I'll
Gent people he hsi ever met,
Hr, BourSss did not believe in the pro
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