Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-02-06
taken place in the schools, and We con-
dense many facts from it.

taken place in the schools, and We con-
dense many facts from it.
THE FIRST SCHOOL BOARD.
Early in Septemb Der, 1870. the Trustee
Electoral Board" Of Augusta county. ap-
pointed as trustees OF the public free
schools Of 'sStaunton township" VIM. j.
Nelson, II. M. Bell and 2. B. Hoge. Maj.
Jed Hotchkiss was prevailed upon to be-
come School Superintendent of Augusta
and Stanton, but, having been Store
wall Jackson's Chief of Topographic En-
gineers could not take the oath-those
were the days of oaths,-so DR.. Barnas
Sears who bad come here as the Agent of
the Peabody Fund, qualified as Superin-
tendent and delegated the duties of Or
ganiZing the schools to Major Hotchkiss.
The Trustees met on the 5.h of Novem-
Der and prepared for the city council an
estimate of the cost of months session
for 315 pupils with white and colored
teachers, and by the last of the month
the schools were in operation in the base
ments Of the Baptist and Lutheran
churches, and in other ICONS.
GETTING THE ACADEMY.
The next July the School Board pro-
cured from j. Wayt Bell, A. II. H. Stuart,
VIM. Frazier, G eo. M. Cochran, Jr., and
W. M. Tate, Trustees, the 81 aunton Male
Academy, which had been bequeathed to
the city by Mr.. Strayer for the education
of its INDECENT children. In that year, j.
Emmett Guy was appointed Super inten-
de2t Of schools for the city and county
In 1872, three more school trustees for
Staunton were appointed-B. Scherer, M.
z. Funkhouser and J. II. Blackley-mak-
ing three for each ward.
SEPARATING FROM THE COUNTY.
About this time the Board began to
think that the educational interest of the
city was large enough to receive special
attention, and pettioned the State Board
to separate it from the county. This was
granted by the State Board, and Prof. Jno.
}. Ladd, then filing the place of Principal
of the High School, was elected Superin-
tendent of Schools. He took the position
in 1873 at salary of 81, 500. AT that time
the salaries Of the teachers were as fol-
lows-Princpal of High School, 500 d
month, and the resi- from $25 to $50. The
Peabody Fund gave ST. 100 to the city
schools. La that year music was intro
duced in the schools with DR.. Brown as
teacher. at $40. There being many appli-
cations from parents outside of the town
the following rates were adopted for such
pupils per month-High School, So so;
Grammar, So 90; intermediate, $780, and
Primary, s1.00. The enrolment of scholars
for that year was 461 white and 100 color
ed, and the cost of tuition per pupil, per
month $1.4O.
DEPARTURE OF THE COLORED
TEACHERS.
The following year, 1875 the represen-
tative colored citizsns of Stanton repre-
sented to the Board that the morals and
general conduct Of the colored teachers
employed and who had been imported
from other States, we're not exemplary,
and asked that white teachers be appOin-
ted for the colored schools, which was
granted.
FLUSH TIMES.
In this year, '75-6, there were 579 pupils
and Is teachers, and tuition was 81 ,38 per
head per month. The year following
there was 10 months session-$2 900
was received from the Peabody Fund and
81 500 from the State.
HARD TIMES.
In 1878 hard times made their appear
ance. The Peabody Fund reduced its ap-
preparation to $500 Superintendent Laid
resigned and DIR. r. FL. Hamilton was
elected. The next year the Board had to
borrow ST. 36l 80 from the City Council,
the State not paying her money over. In
so 81, the first school exhibition in the
Opera House was given. and took the town
by storm. In March, 1882 DIR. Hamilton
was elected Superintendent of the ". l..
Asylum, and Mr.. W. A. Bowles, Princi-
pal of the High School, was elected to DR..
Harniiton's place. He took charge that
month finding 730 pupils-414 white and
316 colored. The session of 1928 opened
with 755 pupils, but it was the
YEAR OF THE SCARLET FEVER
which broke out in the schools. AS the
Fall progressed the fever got so bad that
the schools were closed during the months
eff December and January.
The session of 1888 opened with S07
pupils. There are now, at this writing
904 pupils-443 white and 49l colored.
Taught by ten white and eight colored
teachers, The cost of tuition per head,
per month, is 5G cents, while the whole
cost Of public education per month, per
pupll is so Cents