The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-11-18
Our Schools.

County Supt. A. H. Alternately sen
in his report to the State Superln.
tendent last week. We were per
mitted to copy the items and fig
ures, and upon inspection we found
his written remarks so readable and
his suggestions so timely and valu
able that we think our readers will
be interested in the full report.
The statistical part of the report
shows 81 school houses in the coun
ty; teachers employed I69-I0S
white, 46 colored; total value oil
school property, $9,1S6.95; scho
lastlc- population, 4,070-white
males, 1862 white females, 2,77C
colored males, 1850 colored females
total 13, 242; number of pupils en-
tered during the year, A, $50 white,
2,S73 colored-total,7 1923; average
number of days taught, rs; average
pay of teachers per month, 1929
average cost of tuition per child
per month, 81; amount of money
received from the State $S,S45.0S,
from the county $5,956.45-total
$I4, S02.O3; amount expended for all
purposes, SIS, ILLS; on hand Au-
gust 81, 1880, $2,733.40.
The Superintendent comment
and suggestions are as follows:
Hon. LEON TRoUsDALE, STATE
SUPERINTENDENT ETC.: SIR pre-
sumo that it is desirable that l
should give some account of the
progress and management of pub
lie schools in Giles county, aud
along with my report to you make
such explanatory notes as will en-
able you to understand the condi
ton of our schools and the popular
sentiment in relation thereto.
l. 1 say that our public schools
have nearly swallowed up our pri-
vate schools; that is to say that no
private school, however meritorious,
can sustain itself in opposition to
our public schools. This antago-
nizing is not relished by many good
citizens, particularly by those who
want their children at school for a
longer term in the year than our
public schools can be maintained.
Our consolidated schools are doing
great service for this community
and are giving general satisfaction.
Prominent among these / would
mention Giles College for males. and
Martin College for females, at Pu-
laski; the school at LynDvllle taught
by George w. Campbell and the
school at Bethany taught by Rev.
Mr.. Wood.
2. From private schools l have
been unable to gain such reliable
information as would justify any
communication of them or contra
dict the statement above made. i
have only received meagre reports
of them from Is out of the 20 dis
tricts.
3. Our public schools have been
continue in a majority of our civil
districts and are still continued for
the space of five months. Remem-
Der that our scholastic year, CON
mencing the 1st of September, 1879,
and ending the 31st of August, 1880,
does not correspond with our old
fashioned notion of the year.
could make much better showing
if the scholastic year closed the
18th OF Decem Der. Most of our
schools have been in full operation
during the autumn and most of the
fund expended during that time.
4. / have been unable to get in
reports of directors and teachers
abstracts i'll due time, after having
exercised due diligence. The in
struction "to withhold approval of
the last warrant until report and
abstracts are returned" does not
suffice. Directors, or rather the
clerks of the several boards, get pay
only for taking the scholastic popu-
lation, which they demand upon a
return thereof, and l have given
them their warrants upon their
promise to make all other reports.
This "other report" they seem to
think wholly gratuitous and not at
all obligatory upon them. A teacher
employed for five months draws his
pay for three months and does not
consider himself bound TO return
his abstracts until the end of his
term. Hence, many abstracts are
wanting.
5. offer this suggestion as a
remedy for this derelictlon of duty
and to secure greater promptitude
and efficiency upon the part OF the
board of public school directors,
that the clerks of the boards be al
lowed jurors fees for each day by
them devoted to the public schools,
to be approved and audited by the
County Superintendent upon evil
dence satisfactory to him. | further
suggest as a matter of economy
that this county be laid off in school
districts. thereby diminishing the
number OF schools and securing to
each school fuller attendance, a
longer term and better teacher.
L will state in this connection that
| visited a school in district No. s,
near where it comes upon the
9th, 11th and goth, and that with
blast OF my old school horn l could
cali up the pupils from six different
schools located in the several dis
tricts. These schools were neces
sarily small. continued for a short
time, and we're unsatisfactory TO the
public. The expense OF laying of
the county into school districts will
not be large, but in the end will be
great saving to the public fund.
Lastly, submit to our Legisla-
tors, through you, that public
schools constitute a part of the
pOlity of our state and national
government; that they are condu-