The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-01-11

nual report or the Parish Superintendent
of public schools of Grant parish, / be.
leave to submit the following:
On the first day OF January, 1895, Their
was In the hands OF the treasurer of tn,
school funds $2779 80; since that tim,
there has been paid into the treasury
and distributed by me, the total sum O
1852 n, which amounts came from tn,
following sources:
Current State school fund 1888 *
Interest on 10Th section. 265 II
One and one half mills tax. 80. 800 6t
oiis. $3.50. ...-........ 70 q
Institute fund ..... "a OK
The $2672 n above does not include
any OF the taxes of the current year.
The revenue which comes to the pub
lie school fund from the parish taxes, etc.
OF the year 1895, amounting to 81 ,208 81,
| IN the hands of the treasurer, and is un-
distributed. which, with the money on
hand to the credit of the several school
districts, gives us s1,736 Sc in the treas
urer's hands ready for use in public
schools.
There have been 112 months of school
taught in the parish during the year, of
which the white children received eighty
months, and the colored children thirty
two months. In the white schools there
has been an average enrolment of thirty
nine pupils per school and an average at
tendance OF twenty eight pupils. In the
colored schools there has been an average
enrolment of 50 pupils per school and an
average attendance OF SO pupils.
Acting with the board of examiners,
have examined tbirty-three applicants to
teach in the public schools of the parish.
and have granted certificates to fourteen
OF the applicants.
For failure to attend the Institutes held
in the parish have cancelled six certifi-
| Gates. have held two Institutes during
the year, one at Colfax, April 18th and
IL, and one at Pollock on July LIST, I'd,
and third.
| have visited most OF the schools in
the parish, and note with pleasure the
the growing interest in public schools
generally among teachers, patrons and
students, which attribute somewhat to
the renewed interest in that line aroused
at the institutes, together with the pro-
nounced effort and determination on the
part of the authorizes to raise the grade
OF teachers in the parish, thereby securing
the services of the most competent to
take charge of our schools; but would
suggest to the board just here, that while
the grade of teachers is being raised the
salary of teachers must be raised accord
ly. Good and competent teachers are
entitled to good salaries.
l found the most common complaint
among the teachers to be the great va
riety of text books from which they were
forced to teach, rendering it impossible
for them to properly classify their pupils,
often having to hear two and three class
es from among the same grade of students
on account of their having books differ
ent, thus consuming much time that
might be otherwise given to the students
II they had all uniform text books. was
highly pleased with the action of the
board on the suggestion that the books
adopted by the State board be used in the
public schools of Grant parish. l endorse
1t most fully, and will nee every effort to
see the resolution strictly complied with.
note the frequency with which the
board pro rates the money of some of the
districts. it~appears to me that this is
unwise. as it virtually destroys the bene-
fits of the public school funds, by having
several small schools with short terms.
instead Of one large school with long
term. / trust that hereafter the board
will consider seriously all applications tn
have the money of district distributed
among two or three little neighborhoods, |
and decline to grant such requests except |
for very strong reasons. If it is necessary
to pro rate the funds of district it is |
necessary to divide the district, and a |
careful examination of the school map
will show that If the school houses are |
located, but few of the children |
in the parish will have to go more than |
two miles to attend school.
l attended the meeting of the Parish |
superintendent at Opelousas, in July, |
and found that the police jury OF Grant |
parish is less liberal than most of the po-
lice juries1in the State in the matter of |
making appropriations for the benefit |
Of public schools, and would suggest that |
the parish board urge upon them the i'm /
portance and the necessity of increasing
the appropriations for that purpose.
l have made a careful and painstaking
of the scboolable children
in the parish and find that there are fonr
thousand five hundred and two 1902
within the schooiable age in the parish.
/ note with pleasure the general inter-
est manifested by the board as body
and individually, in every matter that
c.lmes up looking to the interest of the
public schools and the advancement of
interest in the parish, and
[eel that the parish should feel justly
proud of her present school board and
with the continuance OF the present har-
mouious cooperation of the school Off
,ials and the patrons Of the parish we
may confidently look to a general advance
IN the parish from an educational stand
point. Most respectfully yours,
j. A. WILLIAMS,
Parish Superintendent.
Official Proceedings of the Police