New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-14

ms, WEDNESDAY, APP
STATE BOARD or xpUCATroN.
The board met pursuant to adjournment
The president in the chair. v... :.
Present-SuperinseDde BooGhhy, Keatr
ing, Brewster. Loud and Stoddard.
The minutes of last meeting were read
and approved. .. a..
The president addressed the board a.
follows:
As We approach the termination OF the
| labors of the session, l desire to say one OF
tive things by way Of review If what We
have just done, and in anticipation Of what
remains to be accomplished. The selection
| Of suitable persons to constitute parish
boards has been. as usual, = delicate and
difficult task. have sympathized with
you in your endeavOrs to select what
think you believed to be the best material.
Giving you each credit for singleness OF
| purpose, q sincere desire to subserve the
interest Of popular education, have puf.
| posely, to . great extent, subordinated my
own judgmen, ON some Of your recommen.
datiOns and deferred to your preferences.
l am aware that this does not in any man.
ner relieve me OF the measure Of reeponsi.
bility attaching to my position, but it de.
wolves the full quota on each respective
cOadiutOr, as it alsO furnishes the Oppor-
tunity for the exhibiti' of such qualities
as either commend or do not commend to
popular esteem. am proud to observe
that, 80 far, our selections are excepted to
| by responsible and representative persons
| in only few cases. l regret even these,
and do not desire to perpetrate any wrong
myself, SO do not propose to sanction the
perpetration of wrong if in my power to
avert it, and I will use every exertion to
remedy, us far as can, the effect Of any
| indiscreet or immature action.
Among our unpertormed lab0Ie are the
questions of text books and the schools of
New Orleans. As to the first topic, have
to say that hitherto have striven to ex.
clusively regard the interests of those who
have to furnish the money for the purchase
of books, IS we change them in the schools,
and l am fortified in this position by the
important consideration that the books now
in use are good Ones.s do not mean to say
that there may not be some better book Of .
particular class not authorized for use in
the public schools now, but this board be-
ing charged By Law with the duty OF desig-
mating what text books shall be used in tue
public schools of this State. and satisfied
rs l am that the parents and guardians of
our youth are not in circumstances to pur.
chase new sets of books, ETC., AN equally
|. indisposed to deprive the children Of the
be- etits of the latest and the best books as
soon as circumstances can justify a change.
l therefore advise that this board abstain
for the present from al action IN this mat
ter, and let the present series of text books
hold over. Boards OF school directors will
be expected to understand. and will be ad-
vised, that they possess no authority in this
matter, and any attempted change will be
improper, inasmuch rs at our next session
this board may be justified in making
changes which might expel the new and
The condition and prospects of the
schools in this city presses urgently on the
attention Of school authorities. In no other
part of the State have we more promising
and glorious field for action, but unfortu-
naiely in no other part Of the State are we
in more embarrassed condition. The de-
mand for schools is far in excess of our
ability to provide them. The piercing cry
for knowledge is driving our City School
while We see and hear tne demands to shut
our eyes and stop our cara for once, and
counsel our friends to adopt without delay
some method by which their expenditure
shall not exceed their revenues. will
leave this question to our committee IN
whose charge it has been placed.
The special committee appointed to take
into consideration the financial difficulties
Of the sixth division, to which attention
was called by Superintendent Boothby, sub-
mitted as their report tho following letter
to the president and members of the New
Orleans city Board OF School Directors,
ss their report, which letter the secretary
was instructed to for rward:
- the President and Members Of the Board of Di.
rectors Of Pubic Schools for the sixth Division:
GEkrLEMEN-The State Board of Educa-
ton having assembled according to law
to examine into the condition of
the work of public education through
out the State, and to devise means
for promoting ito success and remov-
ing the obstacles that stand in it's way,
have thought it advisable to address you
brit fly upon the presest financial condition.
Of Your division and the prospects for the
same during the present fiscal year. Your
attention ia respectfully invited to the fol-
owing facts:
The estimate of yodr expenditures d uring
'be current year, as made by you IN the |
month of OctObes last, ie, for oil items, |
b4SO. 1896 To meet this estimate, the city |
chOOl tax Of 0ne40ufth of one per cent on |
he city assessment of Sis, ,298, ,504, will |
'ield $2GS, ,42l 63; the State tax OF two mills
n valuation ol $224, ,23S,5l9 o6, will yield
'44S, Az o.. OF the latter snm, the city
hOald receive one-dird, less $4,000 tits
'rO rata OF the general expensee), or Q total
rom the State tax Of $l34, ,392 81 Making
10 allowance for the loss of revenue " hich |
7il result from the delinquency Of tax
ayers, the tetal nominal income for the
upport of the schools in the sixth division,
or the year, would be:
rom the city tax. .... s26s l2l 6
rom the State tax........... l34. .2S2 "a
Ao'si.... ...... $aOZ.8l3 81
This exhibits deficiency of 81, ,6S2 % |
'r the estimated annual expenditures.
o meet this actual deficiency, either the
ty must increase the rate Of taxation to
y three mins, or the board must reduce
= expenses within the limit required. |
can not be expected that the city can,
its present exhausted state, give any
ore for school purposes than it has al
sdy appropriated. il, therefore, in 9
lmbent upon yVu TO inquire into the ,
Ipedients by which the necessary curtail
ent in your expenses may be Effected. I
ne follow ing suggestions are presented in
9 hope that they may assist y0u in your
Forts: ii
The statistical returns of the sixth di. |
sion for the last scholastic year report j
average daily attendance Of pupils mum.
ring IL 1913, and q roll Of teachers bum- | O
ring 442. This gives an average of but {
rty pupils to teacher. and would seem t
imply that more teachers are employed G
an are really required by the wants of Q
y SCHOOLS. An average of forty-five
|pils to = teacher would, according to T
Q average salary proposed to be paid bt 9
Q estimate Of your expenses, enable you
save $53,S44 So As the number of b
Dils in sctuai atten dancI, ia m nah sma1,er | {