Evening star., 1876-11-22
OUR PrRILC SCHOOLS.
Facts and Figures from the Annual Report.


1876, shows that the number of youths of
school age (6 10 Il years) In this District, ac-
cording to the census of 1870. was: white
q, ,171; cofored, 10.49Ltotai. 81 ,671. The num-
Der of pupils enrolled in the public schools
for the year ending August 81. 1876, was:
white, L, ,953; cOlored, 6, 6,676-tOtal, 1852 The
average daily attendance for the school year
1 endng d Augnst 81, ia5, was: white, 9,st1; col,
for the school year ending August 81 1876,
were: white schools, 2o0 colored, IO7-total,
30.
The total expenditures for the support of
The schools for the school year ending August
81, 1876, were $3.50 ,07S.5. Total payments for
school purposes Inclusive of payments OF
years. were s4o5 ,s2sS The number of school
rooms owned is: for white schools, $50; col
ored, @-total, 226. Number Of school rooms
rented, ~.
THE ESTIMATE OF EXPENSES
for the support of the schools for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1878, Is, for Washington
care OF school rooms, $500; rent of school
rooms, SD 600; fuel and stove fixtures, SIP OOO
general supplies, 81 600; contingent expenses,
For Georgetown (white schoOls), salaries of
teachers, f16 800; care Of rooms, 81 900; fuel
$1,000; general supplies, s1,5OO; contingent
expenses 81 500; furniture, S500-total. S2f 600.
County schools twhite and colored), sala-
ries OF teachers, $4,000; care of rooms, Al $50;
fuel, $1,000; general supplies, 81 500; cOntin-
gent expenses, $4,000; furniture, S5Oo-total,
Total estimate of public schools of Wash
1ngtOn, Georgetown and the county. 500 $50
proPortionate amount for schools for cOlOred
children of Washington and Georgetown,
S112,I50-grand total, S403 400.
MORE SCHOOL BUILDINGS NEEDED.
Inc report calls attention to the utter made
quacy and unfitneSS of the accommodations
provided in rented rooms, in many instances
for the white children of Washington. About
900 children are at present attending school
in the rented rooms. The expense for the
ID. inf nr
accommodations is from $4,000 to $50 zoo
annually. Six large, plain and substantial
rooms, are required in order to give the white
schools OF Washington accommodations
equal to those now provided for the other
public schools of the District.
THE COLORED SCHOOLS.
The accommodations for the cOlOred schools
in the I'd school district, Washington city a re
very inadequate. The board has been cOrn-
PEELED TO rent some very imperfect rooms
four Of which have been condemned by the
Board of Health as unfit for school purposes
and they must be abandoned at the end of the
The cOlored school building in Georgetown
Is situated in an unpaved alley without any
yard accommodation. 1t was erected of old
barracks lumber for temporary use, and was
much damaged by the severe wind storms of
the past year. The building must be replaced
very soon. The future success and prosperity
of the colored schools of Washington and
Georgetown will depend on the faithful exc
cutiOn of the present laws of Congress divii-
ing and appOrtiOning the school fund, which,
from practical experience, have been found
10 De Just and equitable, and entirely salts
factory to all classes of citizens. 1t is recon-
mended-
1. That Congress be requested to make the
necessary appropriation to pay the propor-
tiOnate amount OF school fund Ito wit. s2O. .3i6)
due the colOred schools upon the expenditure
of -S65 for the erection of the Georgetown
public school building, to be expended in the
erection of a school building for colored
children in said city.
2. That no change be made in the present
laws Of Congress dividing and apportioning
the schOol fund, but that the acts of Congress
of June 25 1864, and July %. 1866. eide Chapter
r. sections 3O6, 301 3Os 800, $40 and 81 of the
Revised Statutes relating to the District of
Columbia. and the act of the legislative as
sembly of the District, approved June q. 1873,
shall remain i'm full force as the basis of ali
future disbursements on account Of schools.
THE ONLY SCHOOLS WHICH HAVE NEVER
RECEIVED HELP FROM CONGRESS-.
The United states has from time to time
made most liberal donations of public lands
To aid in establishing common schools in all
the territories as they became states. The
District of Columbia, the permanent seat of
government over which Congress exercises
exclusive legislation in all cases, has had no
share in the distribution of these educational
benefactions. 1t would seem only Just that
the public schools of the District of Columbia
should receive from the government equal
benefactfOnS with like schools in the states
and territories, either in the form of land do
nations, or by some equivalent mode, and
we respectfully ask that the attention of
Congress be invited To the subject.
REASONS WHY CONGRESS SHOULD AID OUR
SCHOOLS.
The special reasons for inviting Congress
TO aid in establishing and supporting a sys-
tenn OF public schools for the District of Co
lumbia may be briefly stated as follows:
!. About one-third of the school population
is colored, composed largely of the wards o
the nation who have come into the District
since the beginning of the war. They add
but little, If anything, to the school revenues.
2 About 80 per cent. of the enrolment in the
white schools Is composed of children whose
parents or guardians are in the employ of the
u. 3. government, and the school revenues
receive but little benefit from these residents.
about one-half of all the real estate in the
District Of Columbia. For a very full dis
cussion of the propriety of government aid to
the public schools of this District, reference
Is made To the annual report of the school
board for 1873, pages 80 to SO.
CONCLUDING REMARKS.
In the judgment of the trustees the order
issued by the District Commissioners at the
commencement of this administration, con-
solldating the then existing four school
boards and placing the affairs OF all the
has greatly benefited the schools. Increased
economy and efficiency have resulted from
it The powers of the board, as now cOnsti-
tuted, are too limited, but it is not deemed
advisable to discuss this subject until the
question OF a permanent government for the
District OF Columbia, now under considera-
tlOn, snail nave been disposed OF.
THE BOARD OF HEALTH met last even
ing, and on recommendation of the health
officer the frame structure, $50 Maryland ay-
enue, being in bad sanitary condition, was
condemned as a nuisance, and the health Of
ficer was ordered TO abate the same. The
health officer presented his report for the
week ending November 18th, showing: Nui-
sances reported, $685. abated, 2U7; burials at
public expense, 10; marine products inspect
ed, $50 bushels oysters, ,2O4 punches fish;
animals impOunded, 10; redeemed. IA; killed.
2; in pound, B. amount realized, $3.50. The
registrar submitted a statement of mortality
in the District for the week ending Saturday
November II, showing: Deaths, 80; white 26
colored, 50; under one year old, IL. The prin-
cfpal causes of death were: Consumption, IL;
aPOplexy, 4; cOnvulsions, 4; pneumonia, 8;
violence, 3. The mortality was Z more than
last week, or at the rate of 1915 per 900 per
annum. Increase of population by births
over deaths was II, or at the rate of $500 per
ECO per annum. Births, IL; white As colored
26 Rate of mortality of the white population
was 11.I51 per 1000 per annum, while the
mortality of the cOlOred population was at
the rate of 81. 133 per 1000 per annum. Rate
of increase of the white population by births
over deaths s591 per ] 900 per annum, while
the decrease of the cOlOred population by
deaths over births was s.0S9 per 900 per an