The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-10
Some Naked Facts as to our schools.

10 the Editor Of the Press:
Recently an item appeared in your col
umns to the effect that the public school
expenditures of Portland for the current
year would be about $125,000. This
amount was so large that the statement
seemed erroneous, and led to an exami-
nation of the statistics Of the last official
school report we have, being that for the
year ending March 1891. The result OF
that examination leaves no room to be-
lieve the aforesaid item was an over
statement. In the year ending March,
1891, after deductlng the deaf school, and
after deducting also $4,000 spent for
new buildings, we find $10S,000 was
about the actual cost of running our
schools that year. The current year will
also include a heavy amount for finishing
the Green ST. school house and other
permanent Improvements; the bills will
probably exceed the estimate named.
But sos, 900 spent in running our
strictly public schools, besides the out
lays for new buildings and improvements
of the old, large and nearly constan t fac
tors is an amount of such proportions
that further overhauling of reports may
be instructive to ascertain what is got for
it, So doing we find that for 1S90-91 the
average number belonging to our schools
was 4S13 scholars the average attendance
being All The ordinary average cost
of each scholar ''belonging' would thus
be about $22.50. We find that there
were 15S permanent teachers, besides
the deaf school, and not including the
school superintendent with a salary of
S2250, the writing master salaries at
S1400, and the music teacher at $500.
This gives to each teacher on the average
81 scholars per the average of whole
number of scholars belonging; on the
average attendance about IS scholars per
teacher. On the Peaks Island school
we find an average attendance of 40
scholars; this school is charged with a
principal at $1,000 and two assistants at
$500 each, mall $500; add to this the
cost of fuel and ordinary expenses and
we find the average attending scholar in
that school costs over $50 per year.
The aggregate salaries for the 13
teachers in the High school was S10,-
$50; add to this the ordinary expenses
for heating, janitor, books &c. and its
fair proportion of other general expenses
and it would be fair to conclude that
each of the 81 scholars belonging to it
on the average cost at least $40, pei
annum.
Let us look back at intervals during
twenty -five years to compare some OF
these items and show their importance.
The basis taken for number of scholars
is that given in the School Reports as
average number belonging; it is fair
basis on which to predicate. the number
of teachers required to do the whole
tutoring work as well as to test the COM
parative and proper cost of schooling, it
is also the basis used in the reports to
obtain the average attendance which is
from five to ten per cent less than the
number belonging. The columns of ex-
penses does not include new buildings
OF Improvements, being the ordinary
school expenses outside the salaries.
The ratio is the number of scholars to
each teacher on the average throughout
the schools; the years taken are moi
picked out, they are the ones that equally
divide the quarter century.