The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-23
EDUCATION.
DF THE STATE IN
EONDlTION..
Le First of the Officers to
,rt to the Public Printer
%reater Than Ever.

" III d IuOSL
laestions affecting their in.
Mr. Mayfeld's discussion of
lspensary profit question is par
lrly timely, showing that legisla-
Is needed to make the schools re-
funds from this source as in.
led by the constitutional conven-
The introduction to the report
las follows:
b the Honorable, the Senate and
House of Representatives of South
4 Carolina:
7 Gentlemen: I have the honor to
submit the following as the twenty
eighth annual report OF the Depart
ment of Education:
The statistical tables shows a gen.
eral improvement.
The department has been free from
disturbance or friction. Harmony has
uniformly prevailed among the teach
ers and school officers.
Ali things considered the schools
for the year have been satisfactory
and the results accomplished as great
as could have been expected.
The school law passed at your last
session contains few conflicting sec.
tions of minor Importance which l will
call to the attention of the committees
on education during your session.
A few changes in the law are need
ed. These I will suggest when take
up the subjects to which they relate.
The enrolment for the year is lar
ger than ever before in the history of
the State. Last year the number of
white pupils was 103, and this
year 109, 159, an increase of 5, 450; col
ored pupils last year lis, ,292, and this
year 123,17S, an increase of 1886; a
total increase of white and colored
pupils of 9,316. This increase has sur.
passed the most sanguine expectations
of those charged with the manage
ment Of the department. This scho-
lastic year was put eight months, in
stead of twelve, commencing Novem-
ber 1 and ending June 80, caused by
the change in the law. Had the
schools that were taught during the
summer months been included in this
report as they would have been had
the scholastic year been 12 months
instead of eight, possibly the enroll
ment would have been still larger.
Formerly the scholastic year ran
from November the LIST to October
the 30th. Under the new law it runs,
after this year, from July the 1st to
June the 3Oth. This was wise change
as it makes the scholastic year coter.
minal with that of the collegiate and
graded school and thus prevents di.
vision of tie sessions of these schools.
Formerly a part of the sessions OF
these schools was incorporated in the
report of one scholastic year and the
remainder in that of another. As
soon as the officers familiarize them.
selves with the change they will be
pleased with it, for in addition to the
reason already assigned it gives am
pie time in which to prepare and for.
ward their reports.
The schools for the whites average
1896 months, and those for the colored
3.25 months. It will be observed that
the average is not as great as that OF
last year, but this is to be accounted
for by the shortening of the scholast
ic year, putting the schools for the
summer months into. the next scholas-
tic year. Had the schools for the sum-
mer months been included in this year
the average length of session would
have been increased beyond that of
any previous year.
By careful management all the
schools of many of the counties have
been brought to cash basis, and in
many other counties some of the
school districts have been brought to
q cash basis. In but few of the coun.
ties are all the schools on credit ba.
sis. I had hoped to see the schools OF
every county in the State brought to
q cash basis by this time, but this has
been impossible. Work along this
line has been quietly done, with but
little, If any, notice taken of 1t, and
in no way has the cause of education
suffered on account Of it. Efforts
along this line will be continued, but
lean not promise results as the terms
of the law are at times in the way and
prevent wise action which would &C
complish the purpose. The condition
of the schools of the several counties
are so very different that no general
mandatory law on the subject would
meet the exigencies of the case or pro-
vide the proper relief. An amend
ment to the law with proper limita-
tions giving a wider discretion on this
line to school officers would aid great.
ly, if it did not altogether accomplish
the end desired.
The total school expenses for the
year were several thousand dollars
less than last year, but this is also &C.
countable for by the shortening of the
scholastic year and putting the schools
for the summer months in next year.
It may have been expected by some
that the expenditures for the year
would be largely in excess of any pre-.
vious years. But it should be remem
bered that the counties on cash basis
used only the tax formerly levied, a
poll tax and a two mill tax. In some
counties not on a cash basis only a
poll and two mill tax were used, and
Sinno county was the full amount OF
= coll and three mill tax used. The
condition Of the schools of the differ
4 ant counties rendered this course both
proper and expedient. This is but an
! tratance Of the advisability of making
! fhe law more flexible. The State con.
stitution OF 1895 provides as follows:
Section 6. 4 * There shall be as
sed on all taxable polls in the State