The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-09-05
All Abou. Public Free schools.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
STATE OF TEXAS.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
STATE OF TEXAS,
AUSTIN, August II, 1873.
Edhhrs Democratic Statesman:
]. The distinguishing features of
our school law which favcrably com =
mend it to popular esteem and render
1t acceptable to sparsely settled neigh
borhoods are: First, community or
ganizatIon, determined, not by geo.
graphical limits, but simply by indi-
vidual membership. No such feature
IS found in the school laws of the other
| States. Second, trustees have the
authority to permit the teacher whom
they employ to receive pupils not of
scholastic age, at such rates of tuition
as may be agreed upon between parties
Interested, thus happily blending the
two systems, private and public, the
advantage of the union being alike
mutual to both interests.
2. No special school tax, as such,
is assessed. Our public school reye-
nue. comes from the following sources:
Interest on our permanent school fund,
the poll tax, and one-fourth of the
general revenue. In addition to these
general or State resources, there are
local or county sources, such as fines
collected for violation of the local
option law, funds collected as dog tax,
and interest from proceeds of the sale
Of county school lands.
3. AS a serious defect in the school
law, it has been urged, that the eff
ficIency of the system is weakened by
the liberty allowed in the organization
of school communities. If we had a
compact population such an objection
would be valid, and indeed is
valid when applied to our VII
lagos, towns and densely populated
rural districts. It must, however,
be evident to every one upon re.
Election, that if the law established
minimum registration of pupils as
prerequisite to organization, many
children would be denied the privileges
guaranteed by the school law. Under
the law as it is, even a few isolated
neighbors representing it may be not
more than two or three pupils of
scholastic age, and as many more per-
haps not of said age, may, if they see
proper, organize a school community,
have their trustees appointed, their
teacher employed and their children
taught, as has been done in hundreds
of cases within the past two years.
A public school is:
l. A school that is organized in the
manner prescribed by section % of the
school law.
2. A school that recognizes the legal
authority of public officials.
3. A school taught by a teacher
holding certificate of competency.
4. A school taught in compliance
with q written contract lawfully made
between the teacher and the legally
appointed trustees.
5. A school from which none who
desired to participate in its benefits
were excluded in its organization.
6. A school, the teacher in charge
of which demands no extra tuition
from parents or trustees for the in
struction of children of scholastic age
studying only such branches as are
prescribed by law. A public school is
absolutely free to all pupils, members
of the organized community, of the
scholastic age, when their studies are
confined to the branches prescribed by
law. A teacher that proposes to
merely credit parents of such
children with the sum paid by
the trustees out of public school fund,
and to hold parents responsible on in
dividual accounts for any extra amount,
is not teacher according to the school
law, and is not entitled to one dollar
of the public school fund. Parents
may, as voluntary act, contribute of
their private funds to the support of a
teacher in a public school--but no
school organization can legally receive
the benefit of the public school fund,
when it is either expressed or privately
understood, that the teacher is to be
paid full private rates of tuition, and
that il is expected of every one who
sends to the school to comply with
such terms.
Z. A school wherein the teacher
uses the English language as the COM
mon medium of imparting instruction.
s. A school non-sectarian in matters
of religion.
To-day closes the second scholastic
year under the present law, and yet
annual reports from county judges, IN
reference to the public school affairs of
their respective counties, for the year
ending August 3, 1877, have to date
been received from only 10 counties.
These reports show q scholastic popu-
lation of 1877, 0S5; a registration in the
public schools of 100, O52 pupils; pub
lie schools maintained 1918; average
school term three months; average
cost per term, $495; school houses
built, 40.
For support of schools for the year end
ing August 81, 1877, the Board of Ed
ucstion apportioned to the counties
$500, 900, and 1896, 0S2.79 was ex-
pended. For the year ending August
81, 1878, the Board of Education APP
portioned for the support of schools
$3.50, 900, and from annual reports
thus far received, feel warranted in
saying the schools, when reported in
full, will>be at least 5000, and an av-
erage school term of four months Sc
cured for this year. Several counties,
when they have sold their county
school lands, have maintained their
schools this year seven, eight and even
ten months. For the year ending
August 81, 1879, the Board of Eduea-
ton will appropriate about 5000, 600,
and this, If trustees economiSe the
fund, will give an average five months
term.
Respectfully, your obedlent servant,
o. N. HoLLINGswoRTH,