Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-04-17
Wednesday, Apra Il, 1878.
Sunerintendent's Report.


GENTLEMEN.-I have the honor
to lay before you herewith my 18th
ouartely report Of the schools un'
der your control. 1t embraces al
that part of the school year from
Sept. 3rd, 1877, to April 1st, 1878
or seven months.
On account of the extremely
open winter, the number in attend
ance in the various schools has
been very uniform. The custom
ary falling off in the primary de.
partment has hardly been noticed
this year.
The whole number of pupils re-
ceiyed into school, not counting
any name twice, is sos, and the
average number belonging has been
425, of whom 39l were present
each dav, on the average. The
number of cases of tardiness has
been unusually large, being l,521,
or about 30 or 60 per cent. more
than for any corresponding period
in the last six years. The per cent.
of tardiness on attendance has here
tofore been little under one per
cent, but now it is above, being
1.39 per cent. OF each hundred
who came to school, about IA, on
the average, were behind time
From all appearances the fault lies
pretty near equally between pa
rents, pupils and marbles. The
last cause could be removed to n
considerable extent, at least, if the
executive authority of the city
would only enforce ordinance No.
l, bearing on this subject. A great
many pupils who come to school
late, start from home in season, but
are suffered to stop on the side
walks and violate the provisions of
that ordinance. In doing this, they
too frequently offend the passer-by,
by violating another ordinance
passed some time before our city
was'incorporated. Indeed / do not
know of a greater nuisance to pa
rents, to children, to pedestrians,
to language and to dry goods, than
marbles, and it is my opinion, that
the Common Council would do one
good thing by forbidding the game,
on the sidewalks of the city.
The lowest number of cases of
tardiness was 26, in the Second
ward school, and the highest num-
Der was $40. The highest per cent.
of attendance in any one school,
was at Campbellville, 96.3S per
cent, and the lowest was 1913.
The average per cent. for all the
schools was fraction over %, that
is, of every 100 pupils considered
belonging to school, % were pre-
sent and s were absent.
The number of half days attend
ance in all the schools was 100, ,492
or an average for the schools of
lO,949. The highest number for
any one school, was 15,OS3 Miss
Harper's), and the next highest was
13,475 Miss Spratt's). Ten per
cent. Of the scholars have been pro-
NOTED to the higher classes.
The total number of half days
lost by teachers was IS. This loss
was caused by sickness. The
schools, however, continued under
the excellent management Of Miss
Melvina Richardson, who very
kindly consented to do what she
could. Her work was exceedingly
satisfactory.
The number of visits from Mem
bers of the Board of Education
was 81, the highest number, I be
ing to Miss Sellick's room, while
the reports of two teachers, Mis-
Susie Dixon and Miss Harper, in
form us that not member of the
Board has been into either of theil
schools during the last seven months
The costs of tuition thus far ha'
been six cents and seven mills pc
scholar for each day of actual at
tendance. The Detroit Post anC
Tribune published a table, recent
ly, showing the cost of tuition, o
in other words supervision and in
struction, based on the averag
daily attendance in twenty princi
pal cities of the United States
The lowest is Detroit, Sl2.42 year
and the highest is San Francisco
S26.36. Now dividing S12,42 b,
126, the average number of day
during which a pupil in Detroit at
tends school, and we get 10c as th
cost for a single days teaching
This is 40 per cent. more than !
costs in Alpena. This is certainl.
not q very bad comment on th
financial management of the affair
of this school district, especial,
since Detroit claims to be the mos
economical, in school matters, o
any city in the Union. Bostol
pays about Is cents and 6 mills
day for teaching, or 27S per cent
of the amount paid here-almos
three times as much. These calcu
lations are based wholly on th
amount paid for tuition and super
vision, and does not include Incl
dentals at all. If that were takeI
into the calculation, the shown!
would be no less favorable to ou
own school district.
There are few things to whicl
wish to call your attention.
1.-Tbe scholars in all the ware
schools have usually no water &