The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-07-04
COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
superintendent Ready TO Present hais
Annual Report


o Ed. Wilson Manning, super
intendent of county public schools, has
just completed his report to be pre-
sented to the board of education at
their annual meeting Monday after
, noon at $3.50 o'clock. This meeting will
| also be the first annual one of the new
board, which is composed Of Colonel
w. A. Johnson, chairman, W. H.
Sprunt and Donald MacRae, and it will
be solely for the purpose Of receiving
the report referred to and auditing diff
ferent accounts.
Captain Manning's report is made out
according to the form furnished by C.
H. Mebane,- state superintendent of
public instruction, and covers the pc
Rod of twelve months from the first
Of last July, 1898, to the 1st of July Of
the present year 1899. 1t gives a col
lection Of decidedly interesting data,
which is well worth knowing. Perhaps
the most interesting to note is that dur
ing the time mentioned, the enrolment
OF colored children in the public
schools was 2,110 against 1871 whites,
- - ~ III lCoI1y q loulL A. .
and to sustain these schools the whites
actually paid taxes to the amount Of
$14, 1876. Sc, while the colored only paid
$1,30O.70. The salaries averaged per
month by the teachers is another point
of interest; as the white female tutors
averaged $36.77, while the colored fe-
male teachers averaged 1910. The
white male teachers averaged $40 and
the colored male only $40, but there are
not many male teachers.
The report in detail is as follows:
Number of children in the county be-
tween the ages Of 6 and q years, 1909
white males, 1,549 white females, 2,193
colored males, 2,257 colored females.
Total, 1908.
Number of children enrolled in pub
lie schools, S33 white males, 97S white
females 957 colored males, 1,153 colored
females. Total, 1921.
Average attendance of pupils during
the year, 1,246 whites and 1,051 colored.
Total, 1921.
Number of schools taught for whites,
IA; for colOred, 16.
Average length of school terms in
county, % 3-5 weeks for white schools
and % 1-3 weeks for colored schools.
The average in the city was 80 weeks.
Number of school houses 81, of which
80 are frame and l brick and 16 of the
frame buildings are used for colored
SCHOOLS. NO new SCHOOLS were erecIeu
during the year, and all the buildings
are in fair condition, though most Of
them need painting.
Number of pupils enrolled Of differ
ent ages as follows.
Whites-Six years, 80; Z, 1913; 8,181; 9,
PIG; 10, 234; II, 224; II, 2O6; IS, 175; IA,
143; Is, 1914; 16, So; II, 81; IS, Is; and
10, 4.
C~olored-Six years, 1O4; 7, 1853; 8, 293;
9, 26O; 10, 266; IL, 259; II, 225; 10, PIP; IA,
1T; Is, 1872; 16, 63; II, 20; Is, 10; and
10, 6.
In the schools LII white pupils and
1860 colored pupils studied arithmetic,
geography, English grammar, history
of North Carolina, history Of the
United States, and physiology. Higher
studies were taken by 185 pupils.
Value of public school property for
whites, inclusive of property lease Of
$50, 200, $76,69O; value Of schoo property
for colored, SIT, 500, which includes a
$4,000 lease.
Number Of white polls returned for
taxation, 1853, inclusive of 81 insolvents
of 1877 collected and 81 listed by
sheriff; number Of colOred polls, 1905,
inclusive of So listed by sheriffs.
umb of insolvent white polls at
las settlement with sheriff, including
2 abated by commissioners, 1852; num-
Der of colored polls, including Z abated
by commissioners and 43 with property
sold to county, 1,130.
Total amount levied IN each poll, Is
cents in revenue law, 81 cents in school
law, II cents by justices of the peace
and county commissioners under law
ordering for county purposes, Is cents
! under special acts for special purposes.
Total levied on each poll, $2.7S. Amount
applied to schools from each poll col
lected, $1.29.
The report also gives the assessed
value of property in the county, and
gives other information, though Of
minor interest.