The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-06-15
Committee Reports.

Corrected report of Senator Terrell, chair
man of the Committee on Educational AT
fairs:
Hon. r. B. Hubbard, President Of the Senate:
Your Committee on Educational Affairs,
to whom was referred Senate bill No. 216,
entitled "An act to establish and provide
for the support and maintenance of an eff
cient system of public free schools" have
had the same under consideration, and in
struct me to report the same back and rec
ommend its passage.
The difficulties to be encountered in car
rying out the constitutional requirement to
establish and support an efficient system OF
public free schools must be apparent to all.
They result from the inefficIency of the
available public free school fund authorized
and created by the Constitution, the sparse
settlement in a large portion of the State,
and to the fact that the executive heads of
the educational department created by the
Constitution consist of three officers, whose
other official duties must demand all their
time. The last difficulty the bill reported
attempts partially to obviate by providing
| for a secretary of the Board of Education,
whose qualifications shall be of high or
der.
The insuficiency of the school fund makes
more limited scholastic age, than the
present law establishes, necessary.
Unless one-fourth of the general revenue
ban be appropriated for public school pur-
| poses, it is idle to tBlk of establishing any
| system.
With one-fourth of the general revenue,
we have an annual available public free
school fund as follows, viz:
| One-fourth of general revenue. .$377, soc
| Revenue from poll tax. ......... $50, 00C
Interest on permanent school fund. 145, DOC
Total. -. ................. S672 5OC
1t is estimated that from the most reliable
| data, that there are in the State 100, 00O
children, white and colored, between the
ages of eight and twelve; this would give
| to each child of that age over six dollars
per annum after deductng proper amount
| for defraying the expenses Incident to any
| system.
| It appear from the report of the late Su.
| perintendent of Education that the coun
ties of Collin, Henderson, Gillespie, Comal
Jackson, Navarro, and Washington secured
teachers for the year ending August 81,
| 1870, at an average cost per month for each
pupil of about one dollar. No reason il
perceived why, under a proper system
| teachers cannot be obtained in other coun
| ties for the same amount. Ii this can bt
| done, then the available school fund would
supply public free schools at least si1
months in each year for every child in the
State between eight aud twelve years old
| The age indicated as the scholastic pc
Rod Is recommended as the most proper be
cause the rudimental branches of teaching
to which the public fund must be restricted
can be learned as readily between eight anC
twelve as at any other period; and if I
more advanced age be fixed, the ability o
tue child when older to perform field anC
other labor will operate as standing temp
tation to the cupidity of parents. who neeC
its services elsew here. .aJ
Our scattered population renders FREE
school system whose benefits would reacl
all within scholastic age impossible, unles
children over and under scholastic age cal
be taught in the same public schools oil
terms to be agreed on between teScher
and parents OF trustees, and at the expens
| of the parent. For this also the accompa
nying bill provides:
| From data In the office of the late Super
intendent of Education, it would appea
that local superintendents throughout tn,
State favored the abolition of school dis
tricts designated as now by geagraphica
| lines. The bill rep ,rted accomplishes this
by providing for the organization O
school communities" to be established Il
suit nelghborhood convenience, to be sub
ject to the supervision of the State BoarC
Of Education, and to q board of trustees
selected by the parents, who contract with
licensed teacher for the best terms they
can pr, ure.
1t will be seen that while the bill refer.
much to the convenience of school com
munities, and conhdes much to their in
terest rs safe guarantee for judiciou.
use Of their share of the school fund, it,
details and checks are Indispensable to the
system and to the safety Of the public
money Appropriated.
Hon. T. r. Bonner, Speaker Of the Hosse o
Representatives,
Your Jsdlciary Committee No. 1, Il
whom was referred the resolution OF tn,
House offered oy the, chairman of tn,
Finance COMMITTEES, have had the sans
under consideration, and have instructed
me to report as follows: The resolution-r re
ferEed TO requests this committee TO examin,
the question and inform the House as soor
as practicabse--6rse whether in their
(our) .,opihion the present session of the
Legislature is biennial session, or an-ex
traordinaFy session oi'the Legislature;n and
secondly, '.if il be lawful for session Of
the Legislature to convene in January,
1871" The COMMITTEES Is almost unamious
ly agreed upon this report, there being but
two or three members not fully satisfied
- % the conclusion At which We have ar
al.