The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1878-10-19
Facts About Public Schools.

We have few more facts and figures f
submit to the scrutiny of the Poster and fo
| the editication of the people of this parish
both white and colored, Who are interested i,
| public schools
From the lst of October, 1875, to the 3Otl
, of September 1876, under Republican rule
the total number of public schools taught il
this parish was pa, being an average of 81
per month for seven months; the total mum
Der OF pupils enrolled was 672l, being an aver
age OF $50 per month; the total amount OF
teachers pay was $8615, or an average OF
$l23O.75 per month making little over ST. .2e
per month per pupil.
From the lst of October, 1877, to Sept. 3Otb,
1873, under Democratic rule, the total number
OF public schools taught iu the parish was 3I7,
OF an average of 45 per mouth for seven
months; the aggregate number of pupils en-
rolled was 1865, being an average of l945 per
month; the aggregate amount paid teachers
was $lO,33l25, Or an average per month of
$loO4.46, making little over II cents per
month per pupil lOver one-balf the children
attending public schools during the last scbo-
lastic year were colored.)
IL therefore appears that under Democratic
rule, during the last scholastic wear, there
were lob more schools taught than in the pre-
ceding year under Republican rule; that the
average number of schools taught per month
was 10 more under Democratic rule than IN.
der Republican rule, for the session of seven
months; that the aggregate number of puuiIs
enrolled under Democratic rule was 1884
greater than under Republican rule, or es5
per month greater for the session; that al
though there were over twice the number of
children enrolled unde Democratic rule, their
tuition cost less than $4,000 more than under
Republican rule; and that the tuition of each
child costs 81 cents per month more under Re.
publican management than it costs under
Democratic rule
One reason why the public schools are now
taught for so much less than formerly is that
under the present administration the teach
cfs are PAID cash every month. Under Repub-
lican management many teachers were COM
PEELED to sell their warrants at discount. and
some of the warrants Of 1875 aud 1876 are still
unpaid.
The old (Republican) board claim to have
paid $ll,2O to teachers instead of s., 6l5.
w hlle there is no evidence that this claim is
correct, let u.s. for the sake of the argument.
allow 1t. That would make the cost Of tuition
Tor each pupil over 81 IS per month, or over
81 cents more than under the present admins
ration Now. it is in evidence that for the
year ending Sept 80 1876. Thomas
:. Anderson, the treasurer of the old board
irtw from the treasury ouer fourteen Mousand
f0Iars Can the Poster tell us what became
,f the deficit between this amount and the
SS6l5 Cor the $ll,200) paid ttachrrs-some
If whose warrants still unpaid?
viii the colorrd people of this parish rpso
uteIy shut their eyes to these damning facts.
nd vote to put these men again in the posi- |
IONS OF power and influence which they have 6
isgraced while inlicting incacuable injury
pom the whole people, coIored as well as
'h1te And is the Poster now satisfrd of :
the efficiency of the Democratic school board, =,
compared with its Republican predecpssors?'' a