Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-04-10

10 chool this year than last is hopeful sign,
Ii we eau coninue the rate of Increase. 1t Will
not take long to accomplish the great end we
have 10 view, the education of all the children
of h.: city -,
So far az regards attendance at public schools
we arc still at the bottom of the list among the
cities and towos of the Commonwealth. inefe
were enrolled last year 10 Stanton 80 per
ceut OF the while and 50 OF the coloreu sch"oi
population in Manchester IS OF the white ana
81 OF the coored 10 l. nchburg ~ OF the
white and rs of the oolored; 10 Norlolk ~ OF
the white aud 20 OF the colored; 10 Petersburg
AZ of the white aud rs OF the coIored; 10 Rich
,ucnd 26 Of the white aud 81 OF the colored; 10
Dauvilie 81 of the white aud 81 OF the color
ed: in Portsmouth 26 Of the white aud % OF
tie colored; 10 Fredericksburg Sc OF each
race We have but 20 Of the white and - Of
The culorcd.
huvr not the means of asccrtalnlug the
exact proportion of the youth OF these cities
between aud l6 who we're at private schools,
but the per centage between and Il was
about as follows: Staunrou 20; Frcdercks,,
burg 90; Portsmouth rs; Manchester aud
NnrFoIk IL each; Richuood IA; Petersburg
10; Lyncheurg 10; Danvilc I; Alexandra
had 10, or more than any except Stauntou'
| Fredericksburg, ADD Portsmouth; so that,
counting enrolment 10 both classes OF schools,
| We make better show than some OF our
ncighoors. -.
In average attendance We do very we'll in
| deed, Richmond and Fredericksburg alone ex
ceiling US. The former averages 95 10 white
ard e6 in colored schools; the latter 81 10 white
aud 90 in colored while We have 90 10 the
schools Of each race. The other cities report
| as follows: Norfolk 50 for each race Peters
| burg 81 for white and IS for coIored; Danvlll2
80 for white and 70 for colored Petersburg Is
for white and 80 for colored; Manchester -
| for white and 81 for colored, Lynchburg ~
for white and 81 for colured.
1t is nv impression that Richmond, which
uses blanks diff rent from those furnish@d by
| the State, has reported the percentage 90
| average uumber belonging, and is probably
not at all superior to US 10 percentage on aver
| age monthly attendance, as the difference 10
| the TWO methods of calculation Is considerable.
He next give a statement of the receipts and
expenditures for school purposes, which we
have heretofore published, ADD adds:
The current expenses for the year were about
S9,557 40. Estimating the school bulldogs
beIougiug to the Board at SIT 900, which ID
about their actual cost to u.s. though far below
their real value, and the furniture, stoves, &c /,
at 81 900 and allowing six per cent. interest on
the former and sixteen per cent. TOR interest
| and depreciation by use on the latter aod add
| ing the Superintendent salary 1920 (pald by
the State we have SIC, 3ll. II which divided
| by 745. the average attendance for the year,
gives US Sl3 81 for each pupil, or five dollars
| and thirty-three cents less than 1t was 10
| lS73-'74 This dlminutio1 arose, not from
reduction of our expenses, but from an Increase
in the number Of pupils, which filed up nearly
all our grades. | think the next report will
| show still further diminutlon from the same
cause.
The total cost of education in each of the
cities and towns OF the Commonwealth las cal.
culated by the state plan which does not 10
Guide interest or repairs on building or pur.-
chase; interest 90, or depreciation OF turniture)
| is as follows:
Stauntou, 81 IS; Manchester, 81 50; Lynch
burg. 81 2e; Norfolk, 81 %; Richmond, 81 %;
Por sulvuth,S Us; Alexandria, 81 06; Freder-
icksburg, 81 %; Dlnvia. 50; and Petersburg,
IS The average is 81 Is.
! From this statement it appears that the cost
of education here is considerably below the
average, being less than that 10 SIX cities and
more than in three only.
| have given much thought to the subject
and have examined the statistics with some
care to ascertain why it costs US more to edu-
cate each pupil than it does Petersburg and
Danvle, both of which places have excellent
schools, and the result of my investigation is
that it arises from two causes First, that we
have still some rents to pay, aud secondly, that
| there is want of economy arising from our
upper grades not being filled. We are now
paying $3.50 year for the use of the Lee ADD
| Seaton schoolhouses, which. though decided to
trustees, were built by the United States and
the colored people of our city for the education
of the childreo Of the latter. Ever siDce We
| have been occupying theu there has been more
| or less trouble to the schools, or to the Board.
| Sometimes, the houses have not been kept 10
proper repair; sometimes, uses incompatible
| with the proper cooduc Of our schools, have
| been made of some Of the rooms; and now,
d fhculty exists among the trustees, themselves;
| one trustee claiming large SUN tor services
such as our committees have always cbeerfuly
| performed wi bout compensation, aud another
! being charged with the receipt of percentage
on our payments for the little service of dis
bursiog the money. Now, it strikes me that
| as the colored people pay comparatively little
| of the money which supports the schools, they
ought to be willing, at least, to cooperate with
the School Board, to the utmost of their ablIl-
ty, 10 sustaining those provided for the educa-
| ton oil their race. There is no good reason
why anything should be paid for the houses,
except to keep hem insured and 10 good re.
pair, and | have no hesitation 10 recommend
ing that 40 money be paid, hereafter, for any
other purpose. 1t is true, | suppose, that
Legally there is right to charge rent aud that
by process of lao we may be excluded from the
bulldlug>; uu | respectfully submit that as
there are 90 other suitable buildings in the city
iu which the coIored schools can be kept, the
result would BE-, simply, the closing of those
schools and | feel sure that the colOred people
would be aroused by that TO a sense of th If
rights aud their duty 10 the matter, and would
compel the trustees to reopen them for their
children. That the Board and its employe cs
should be continually annoyed by charges and
counter charges 90 the part ofpeope who have
no moral right to derive revenue from LIE
aud Seatou schoohouses, than l have, is,
think, grievance, not to be borne any longer.
Besides, | believe most Of the trustees to be
meu of good sense and honest purposes aud, il
they c,u!d be sufficiently sustained against the