St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-24

cess of the average attendance for the
past year.
There is reason to believe that the
increase in attendance on the PUBIC
schools for the past two or three years
has been in considerable part occasloned
by the effect of the prevailing business
conditions upon the private schools. At
tendance on them is known to have
largely decreased during that period; ana
the transfer of pupils from private TO
public schools has been an easy economy.
This process is believed, however, to
have now about completed itself; so that
the future increase of resort to the pub
lie schools is not likely to much exceed
that of population. In fact, the return
of prosperity to the generality OF our cit
izens may naturally be expected to re
place in the private schools many pupils
who have been transferred to the public.
1t should, therefore, seem to your COM
mittee unnecessary to make further out
lay in the erection of additional school
buildings, for a considerable time 10
come. Portions of our population live
at some distance from schools; but your
committee believes the districts assigned
to the several buildings may be so rear
ranged, from time to time, so that no
pupil need to travel more than mile in
going to school. In a city, with i'm
proved and Travelled streets reaching all
parts, even this extreme case could not
justly be thought hardship.
g. The committee recommends that the
purchases of fuel for the schools should
be included with the general purchases
for all the city departments, which will
report.
g. The committee also recommends
that, for all statistical and accounting
purposes of the board, a uniform year
beginning on Sept. 1, and ending on
Aug. 81, be adopted. This would save
even triplication of statistics. and much
confusion and obscurity in the latter.
To illustrate the present method, in the
report of the board for the year ended
1895, now in press, table appears from
the comptroller's office, giving state
schools for the year, the ending of which
is placed at July 81. This table makes
the total cost s451,S7S. Another table
compiled by the board, covering the ex-
pense for the year in detail, but placing
the ending Of the year at Aug. 81, gives
had been no school open during the
month of August. 1895; and none had
been open in the month of July. 1894.
The school period was wholly within the
beginning and ending of each of the
selected years; yet there was a differ
ence in the statement of expenses.
amounting to almost $4,000. Much need
less and somewhat costly work would be
saved by the adoption of the uniform
year, and the making of a single report
Of school finances and operations, based
upon 1t.
TO- The committee would aso recon-
mend a substantial decrease in the num-
ber of engineers and janitors employed.
A single janitor, in buildings with IL
rooms and under, which includes 80 of
the buildings, should suffice. In none
should there be employed more than a
single engineer and a single janitor.
For a number Of the smaller buildings
only portion Of one mans time can pro-
fitably be used. The existing scale of
wages Is liberal and will secure an
abundance of men. competent .and willing
to work full hours.
RECAPITULATION.
The savings in expense of maintaining
the public schools, recommended by the
committee are as follows:
By consolidation OF the high
schools ...................... s23, 500
By increasing the number of pupils
per teacher in the lower grades
and normal ........................3 SO, 600
By dispensing with supervisors and
supervising teachers ............. 10000
By discontinuance of three subur-
ban schools ................. S,13S
BY decreasing the force of engin-
eers and janitors ten mep. ...... 5000
Total ............. ..... So. .2ss
Savings resulting from changes in the
mode of purchasing and distributing fuel
are naturally incapable of estimation at
this time, and hence the committee can
give no figures for them.