The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-15
A YEAR IN THE SCHOOLS.
Superintendent Bakers Report TO the
Board Of Education.

the Children of School Age, Both
Black and White, Less Than 4 Per
Cent.-A Remarkable Showing-The
School System Reviewed-The Need
for More ACKNOWLEDGMENT New
Departments.
Supt Bakers report Of the public
schools, which he submitted to the board
Of education at its last meeting, is full of
interesting facts about the schools of Sa-
vannab and of Chatham county. The
statistical part shows their numerical
strength and what it costs to educate the
/ children of Savannah.
The population of Savannah, according
to the last census, is 43, ls9. The popula-
| ton of the county, outside the city, is a.
| 551 and the total of the city and county
! $3.50. The number of school children,
| according to the school census taken this
year, is l1,169 in the city and 4, 2sl in the
! county, outside of the city, total in the
city and county of 5,43O
There are in the city 10 schools, s
white and colored, and in the county,
| outside of the city, 80 schools, ~
white and 81 colored In the
city schools there are l03 teachers, IS
white and 25 colored. In the country
schools there are IS teachers. II white
| and 81 colored. These with the officers
of the schools make total of IA, 80 Of
whom are men and ia women.
AN ARMY OF CHILDREN.
The number of pupils in the city
schools enrolled during the last year was
5O33, 1892 white boys and LAO white
girls, and 623 colored boys and SIS colored
girls The number in the country schools
was 1850, 35S white boys aud 287 white
girls, and 747 colored boys and 73s colored
girls In the entire county, city and
country, there were lib pupils, 4,l27
white and 2, $50 colored
The cost of tuition per capita on the
number enrolled was Sl0.7S. The cost on
the number belonging was $3.50. The
cost of maintaining the schools during
the year was $10S, 902. 90.
Supt. Baker takes up each school separ-
ately and gives the statistics of that school.
In the high school there were z teachers
and 227 pupils, 20 boys and 14S girls; in
the Barnard Street school teachers and
All pupils, 203 boys and PA girls; in the
Cathedral school 10 teachers and 402
pupils, 206 boys and 1876 girls; in the
Chatham school II teachers and 873
pupils, Alb girls and 400 boys; in the Henry
Street school IL teachers and $50 pupils,
269 boys and 81 girls; in the Massie
school 9 teachers and 4l6 pupils, 1873 boys
and 233 girls in St. Patricks school 10
teachers and 1856 pupils, 207 boys and 178
girls; in the Night school teachers and
232 boys; in the East Broad Street colored
school 10 teachersand 6l2 pupils, 500 boys
and 1868 girls; in the West Broad street
colored school Is teachers and $50 pupils,
$50 boys and 512 girls; in the white country
schools there were II teachers and 595
pupils, and in the cOlored country schools
q teachers and 49, pupils. There were
only IL deaths Of school children during
the entire year
THE SCHOOL CENSUS.
In his review of various matters con-
nected with the schools Supt. Baker
takes up first of ALL the school census. OF
it he says
"The enumeration of the school popula-
ton, including all children between the
ages of and 49, was made under instruc-
tiOns from the state school commissioner,
during the month of May. the result Of
this enumeration shows that marked
changes have occurred since the last
school census was taken. In the city the
figures are H. 1859 against s, 1855 at the last
census; an increase of BOA. In the rural
districts the figures stand for the present
year 1851 against 5,03l, decrease of 10
1t would seem that many of the people
have removed within the city limits. The
total increase of the school population in
the county is 2,244.
THE utmost care was taken by the ap-
pointment of responsible enumt rat0rs in
both city and country, TO have correct
enumeration and the results prove that
no mistake in their selection was made"
SMALL ILLITERAoY.
On the subject of illiteracy Supt. Baker
says: "In order to disproVe the oft re-
peated charge that Georgia contained
within her limits the greatest amount of
illiteracy of any state in the union, the
enumeration blanks furnished by the
state school commissioner were arranged
with special view to obtain full and &C
curate information on this particular
| point, While the general facts elected
! prove that Georgia is not behind the ma
| jority of her sister states in this most i'm
! portant matter, in our own city and
| county most remarkable and gratifying
! showing is made. From official reports
| filed in the Office of the superintendent
ndswonto by the enumerators, itappears
| that there are in the city of Savannah
only IA white children and 53S colored
! children between 10 and IS years who
| cannot read and write Based upon the
| school population, as returned in the late
| census, IL NOulu seem bIlab the lulteraCV
! in Savannah, including white and colored
| is about 4 per cent. This gratifying
| exhibit, it is only right to say, is attribu-
/ table to the continued and unwearied eff
! forts of an enlightened board of education
! to extend, so far as the means at their
! disposal would permit, the advantages of
an elementary education to all the chill
| dren of the city. There is, of course, not
| so favorable showing in the country dis
tricts, where the per cent. of Hitter
acy exceeds q. But even in that
| part of the county the illiteracy is
| yearly decreasing. More than 60 per
| cent of the children are in attendance
upon the schools for six or eight months
! during the year, "
| MORE SCHOOL HOUSES NEEDED.
The superintendent deals with the cues
ton of school accommodations as follows:
1t was believed at the time the Henry
Street school building was constructed,
that all demands for the accommodation
of white children for years to come.
would be met. Immediately on the or
| ganization of the school, the eight rooms
| provided for in the building were filled,
and in order to receive the large number
of applicants, the hall in the third
story was divided by curtains into four
| rooms. These rooms are all occupied by
classes. 1t is evident that it will be
! necessary to build, at very early day,
I ag,tt II II Il