The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1895-07-13
SuperTutendentss Report.

Of Vermilion. Louisiana.
Gentlemen-I beg leave to submit to
you the following report as Superintend-
ent of the Public Schools of Vermilion
parish.
The public school session ofnine months
duration, which closed on May 9th of the
present year, was M of the most pros
porous in the history of the public schools
of this parish, both in point of advance
ment of the pupils and in number of pu-
pills that attended as well as in the num-
Der of schools that were in active opera
ton. The following figures taken from
the records as found in the Superintend-
ent's Office, and from the records of the
proceedings CT the School Board will show
the correctness of the above statements.
In the years1S76 and 1877 there were only
16 public schools in the parish. In the
years 1878 and 1879 the number dropped
down to 10 schools.
In 1880 there were IS schools,
In 1881 there were ID schools.
In 1SS2-S3 there were IL schools.
In 1SS4-S5 there were II schools.
In 1886 there were 10 schools.
In 1SS7-SS there were 20 schools.
In 1899 there were % schools, when in
1890 they suddenly dropped doWn to ID.
From IS schools in 1890 the number has
since steadily increased until we had at
the close of our last public school session
OIL puDllC SCIiOUIS Il dCU1f6 OHGIdU1DH Which,
rs more than double the number opened in
1890, and "a per cent. more than the num-
Der in 1889.
In the scholastic year ending June, 1898,
there were enrolled in the public SCHOOLS
of this parish CSC white and 10 colored pu-
pills making a total of 796 enrolled.
In the scholastic year ending Nav 25,
1894, there were enrolled 500 white and Isl
scolored pupils a total JG60 enrolled.
In the scholastic year ending May "a.
1895, there were enrolled 1898 white and
IA colored pupils making q total enroll
ment, for the session just closed of 1919
pupils IN our public schools, which is an
increase OF q per cent. over the enroll
menJ OF scholastic year ending in May
1884; and an increase of 6S per cent. over
the enrolment of the scholastic year end
ing June, 1893.
| would at this time especially call the
attention of the members of your Honor
able Board to the fact that there is q grow
ing demand for the establishment of more
public schools in this parish. From every
part of our parish we hear the cry, give
as a school," The demands of the people
of the people for more schools are lust.
They as tax payers have the right to de-
mand a portion of the school funds for the
education of their children. | would
therefore recommend the establishment of
Free Public Schools all over the parish
within 5 or 6 milesof each other when
ever needed.
The number of white children of lawful
school age, as taken from the roll of 1894,
made by the Assessor of Vermilion parish
is 1898 and the number of colored is 1853,
making the total number of children en-
titled to attend the public schools 1896.
The law in Act 10 Sec, 6 of 1882 provides
that not more than forty pupils shall be
placed in charge of any one teacher.
Hence to accommodate the educableyouth
of this parish. it will require the estah-
lishment of 1874 schools, reckoning forty
pupils to each school.
The above is a low estimate, as | was
informed by the assessor that the number
of children shown by his returns is far
short of the actual number in the parish,
owing 10 the fact that a great many re-
tuse to give IN as great a number of chill
dren as they actually have.
The balance in the hands of the Treasn-
rer of the School Board June 90. 1894,
amounted to $4513.28, and his totalreceipts
from that date, from all sources to June
s, 1895, amounts to SSH. 90 making alto
gether the sum of S13, 225. q.
Surprising we had 134 teachers EMPLOYED
at an average salary of $500 per month.
land we have just demonstrated that it
will require the above number of teachers
to properly instruct the children of lawful
age III Vermili0n parish( all of the above
amount, viz: Sl3,225.24 would not run our
schools three months in the year, and
should we attempt TO build school houses
where needed there would not be enough
left to run them scarcely one month dur
an entire session.
In the light of the above facts. [ would
Therefore recommend that this Honorable
Board petition the Police jury of said
to provide q greater revenue for
school purposes, and until such provision
Is made | would further recommend that
no mora 1flnnnu la a ynaI,IaI -, no,,a4n.o4
ing school buildings; that the patrons in
each community who desire d school be
required to furnish house, desks. etc. free
of costs to the School Board. in order that
what funds we may have can lie applied
70 the payment of the salaries of teachers,
that our tree school term may last as long
as possible.
Of course by causing a great number of
children to be placed in charge of each
t~eacher our free school term can be Fun
with the same mount OF finds
ana ordinarily there is a certain propOr-
ZION VINO scarcely ever attend, Ihave gone
into details IN order that tho
authorities and in fact every citi1
zen OF Ver1nilion parish might know of a
certainty that II public schools are vet
III the1f infancy; that as n matter Of fact
more than 20 per cent. of the pdnN
cabie children of Ver1nilion parish have az
seC e1itered school room for instruction:
that eighty children ont of every hundrai
are growing up in relative ignorance and
almost absolute illiteracy and that not
the fact that we have canse
fpr gratulation on account of the compar
3S9yely rapid progress public schools
Lave made during the latter half of the
0asHdecade, we still have a gigantic task
g perform, viz: that of developing our
rec public school system to that degree Of
DertecSion that illiteracy within the bor-
iers OF Aermilion parish may be blotted
mt.
! have visited all the schools in The par