The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-10-29
SCHOOL BOARD.
THE REPORTS OF SUPERINTENDENT
ROGERS AND THE FINANCE
COMMITTEE

The School Board met last night, President
Gutheim in the chair and quorum OF the COM
missioners present.
Superintendent Rogers read the following re-
port. which was received:
| NEW ORLEANS, October 28. 1873.
To the President and Directors of the Public
Schools OF New Orleans:
qe,eHemen-In response to resolution OF the
board, the superintendent respectfully presents
the following special report touching the
Pontehartrain School at Milnebu1rg:
been used exclusively for white children. The
average daily attendance during the eight
Of the phet was hoea be
progreas OF the pupils has been retarded by
irreRu ular attendance; The interest q END bust
appears to have declined during the past two
years. and / have been Informed that during
the coming winter In all probability, there WILL
be still further reduction In the. number OF
| white persons residing there. and 9 conse.
auent further, decline in the attendance Of
| that of the Gentilly and both have been schools
| for whites, leaving no accommodation for col
ored children:
| could attend school at Milneberg..
! Both races would be accommodated by con-
nung The school at oepty saton for WheS
pupils. and 1t Is 50 reoommended. =,
II 1t be- possible the teachers for these schools
I should
| by saving great Inconvenience in the perform
| ance Of q daily task
| Respectfully submitted, ,
| Superintendent Public School Board.
| The following report was then read by Mr..
| Collins. chafi man Of the committee on finance:
| New ORLEANS, October /. 1878.
| TO the Board of School Directors OF the City Of
New Orleans:
| Gennanen-Ata meeting Of the board. held
TrI1 q vacp1ntinr yghinI In
chase Of the outstanding liabl,ities Of the nom b
Qqtober IT. i the ,R4e Ra n OF Ahg1s be 1879
| thorized to accept the lowest bids. with the
privilege Of releetl9g any and all bids. sqeh
! hour fixed the bids were opened, and such bids
| were accepted as came within the terms Of the
resolution. TO the amount Of the funds on hand
to the credit of ear b year.
The amount on hand to the credit of 1874 be-
ing s3371 IT, bids for the Indebtedness of October,
to thirty five cents on the dollar, and liabilities
to the amount Of s1o371 Gs were purchased for
s317o 81, leaying balance on hand of 5000 30 to
The amount on hand to the credit Of 1875 be-
Ing s5375 IA, bids for the unpaid half Of August
1876 we're accepted. ranging from thirty, three
to G6as ce1 ts the dollar and liabilities to the
amount of sits 27 were purchased for 1886 7G
leaying q balance on hand of s173s 38 to the
The amount on hand to the credit OF 1876
being s120a 81, bids for the unpaid roll of Octo-
Der were accepted. ranging from 80 to As cents
on the dollar. and liabilities to the amount Of
s6s4 were purchased for s273 "a, leaving bal
anee on hand OF s936 Ct to the credit Of 1876.
The. whole as per detailed report Of the treas-
urer. furnished with and made part Of this re-
port
Respectfully submitted;
Chairman Committee on Finance, Board Of
School Directors
After the reading OF the report Mr.. Collins
made the following remarks:
M. Presiden-While, on the floor on the SUBJ
lect of finance | beg leave to make few re-
marks on this most important subject, with
view Of presenting for the consideration of the
board some statistics which bear out the recon-
mendation made by the @ fommttee mt on flDance
efforts should be made to effect change in the
State a proyyiding fer r., j. revenue for the sap
prejudice of the city schools and Of the tax
payers of the city Of New Orleans.
Owing to the number and variety OF figures
which it will be necessary to use In presenting
these facts, / have reduced my statements to
writing Which With VT your pc permssMi?n Is 10 I will
temylates that the parishes, as well as the city
of New Orleans, should provide by local taxa
tlon tor the support of the schools. only twen-
have complied with the law. and the aggregate
amount levied by these twenty-five parishes is
s15,22s Is; the country seeming to depend 81 a.
most entirely on the appOrtionment from the
current school fund collected from the whole
State for the means to educate itss, children.
Of the school boards. having refused through
their police iuries. to make any such local pro.
vision the qthers judgl1g ff1m nd the Silence OF
You have already been made aware that al
though of the revenue of 1877 the city Of New
Orleans pays over 65 per cent, the share which
25 per cent of what Is collected. The additional
fact may bs stated that from tho report OFFS he
the year. paid GB per cent of the levy of 1877
being the thirty. first of December 30 per cent
delinquent, while, Of the whole amount actually
reported collected by the State Auditor during
the year G5 per cent is set down to her credit
showing that she has ut least attained the aver
this ' average. st. John the Baptist reaching %
per cent, East Carroll report Ing 50 per cont La
fourche 81 per cent collected while East feic-
ana returns only "a per cent of her levy, 500 32
and CnddO q little over G per cont, or s414 49,
towards the current school fund. and yet East
Feliciana a. has drawn s3otl 81 END Caddo d s5l25 20
intendent of Public Education. Caddos assess
ment is s6t23 49, while that of East Feliciana Is
S2158 81.
A strong case is that of the parish of st. Ian
dry. which Is set down By the assessor as hav-
ing l3.413 educabe children within It's borders.
ants at her public schools. Her total assessment
for school purposes is $685. 80. of which she
paid in 1877 s2723 80, and drew by apportionment
taxes of 1877 shall finally be settled will have
amounted to over $1,000, or nearly $4,000 more
Take DeSoto: Only per cent Of the children
Of that parish are reported as attending school
In 1877. but there are 4l25 educabe children emu
merated In the parish and DeSoto has drawn
s2t24 q. apportioned out Of the current school
the taxes of 1877 shall have been collected and
distributed. over $4,000. though assessed for
$4,000.
might go on and multiply these evidences of
the Justice Of the recommendation which, I ad
vocate. since every parish In the State draws
from the current school fund more than 1t pays
but it Is only necessary to refer to the exhaust
i've report furnished by the State Superi intend
ent of Public Education to the General Assem-
bly, of Louisiana. at its session Of 1873 to be con-
vinced that either the Legislators who were
presumed to represent the city Of New Orleans
were derellct in their duty to their constituents
in not dema nding the repeal OF SO unjust a law
or were sadly imposed upon by their more sa-
pient brothers from the country. We can only
suppose Ignorance on their part of the effect OF
this law Of apportionment, since, without any
regard to the fact that the revenue which they
had provided could under no circumstances
every cent OF the tax OF two mills on the dollar
being paid up. reach $3.50 900, proceeded. among
their other appropriations. to appropriate
1000 out of the current school fund for the
rE oF o1rf