Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-03-14
WISCONSIN SCHOOLS.
Annual Report of State superintendent
Whitrord.

The annual report of State Superin-
tendent Whitford for the year ending
Aug. 3lst, 1878, just issued, contains
the following information:
On the S1st of August, 1875. the num-
Der of regular and joint school districts
in the state, not including independent
cities, as reported, was 1851, decrease
for the year of 203. The correctness of
these figures is questioned in the report.
The number of children, over four
and under twenty, reported is 47S,692,
showing an increase of only 304 this
year. In the counties, the decrease has
been 925; and in the cities the increase
has been ,229. A less number OF chill
dren is returned from the southern and
eastern portions of the state, and a
greater number from the northern and
western. Some of the older settled
counties show each decrease from
800 to go children. The number of
children, between four and twenty
years of age, attending the public
schools is 295, 215; under -four years Of
age, 500; and Over twenty years of age,
1887, making in all 297,602. The
gain this year is 6,332. The pupils who
attended only private schools, as re-
ported, were 25,532. OF these, 9,G00re-
sided in the counties, and 1926 in the
independent cities. OF the children Of
school age, 81 per cent. have attended
either the public or the private schools
in the state. This is gain of nearly ,
per cent. The independent cities report
an attendance OF these children of
slightly less than 40 per cent. upon the
public schools, and some over Ii per
cent. upon the private schools; making
i'll all 50 per cent. OF the children be-
tween four and fifteen years of age in the
state, Go per cent. attend the public
schools. Those of this class in attend
ance upon the private schools have not
been ascertained. Under this head the
counties made a better exhibit than did
the independent cities; the attendance
in the former being a per cent, while
in the latter it was 62.S per cent. If
the statistics gave the number and the
attendance of the children between six
and fifteen years of age, the percentage
of their attendance would be materially
increased both III the counties and III
the cities. Many children under six
years of age are not allowed by their
parents to attend school. This may be
judged to be the case from the fact that
i'll the whole state only 800 children
under four years of age were reported
as attending the public schools. OF the
youths between fifteen and twenty
years Of age, nearly 56 per cent. attend
the public schools. This class number
ed 60 per cent. III the counties, and
only Ii per cent. in the independent
cities.
1t appears from the above figures
100000 children III this state between
the ages of four and twenty do not at
tend school at all.
In the country districts, the average
wages of male teachers were $3S.45 per
month, decrease of $2.03; and of
female teachers, $25.33, decrease of
$1.02. In 1874, the wages of country
teachers reached their maxium in this
state, the average for gentlemen being
$47 "A per month; and for ladies, So. 13-
In the following year, the wages de-
elined very sensibly, about $500 per
month for each gentleman, and exactly
$500 for each lady. The number of
districts which have adopted lists of
textbooks, is 2,959-slightly over ore
half of those in the state. In 1875, the
number was 1402. In all the independ
ent cities, an adoption has been made.
The districts which purchase textbooks,
number l,104-a gain of Col; which
loan them to pupils, 427--a gain of 172;
and which sell them to pupils, 6S1-a
gain Of 511. Seventy towns report uni
form series of textbooks used in all
their schools.
The total amount Of money received
by all the schools, from the state fund
and local taxation including $491 ,33l.-
5S on hand at the beginning Of the year
is given at 1919, 955.93 and the total
expenditures amounted to $214S,329.,
Ga; leaving balance on hand Of $60l,-
626.39 The aggregate amount of
school property is given at $5,115,555.-
81. The amount expended for services
of teachers, was S5.42 for each pupil at
tending the public schools; and the
whole amount expended for the support
of these schools, divided by the num-
Der of pupils attending them, gives
81 "a as the cost for each. If the in
terest, at per cent, of the amount in
vested in school property be added, the
cost for each pupil is SS.49.