Arizona republican., 1900-08-11
SCHOOL WORK OF A YEAR
Facts and Figures in County Super
 intendent's Report.

County Superintendent of Schools 4. H. Fulton yesterday completed his~an- nual report and submitted it to the territorial superintendent of public in struction. The document is an elabor-
 ate treatise on the Maricopa county
 school system and contains some in
 teresting figures. It shows that the valuation of lots. school houses and furniture in the county is $1S4,065, and
 the total valuation of school property is $l9O,lSl, the latter figure including libraries and other pharaphernalia ne cessary to the various seats of learn ing. There Were fifty-one school build
 ingS in the forty-seVen districts, and ninety-seven teachers, exclusive of those employed at the high school. The average salary of the men was $T6 per month and that of the ladies $60. The highest salary was that of Superinten- dent Creager, who drew $2,000 for the year. Professor Blount, at the high school, is next in the list, with $110 per month, while the other high school teachers drew $90 each month. Among
 the teachers in the grammar school Professor J. c. Cole of the Central school was best paid getting $90 per month for his services, while the other teachers drew from s65 upwards. Sal aries in the country districts were from $40 to $S0, Will South, at the Balsz school getting the maximum price for his services. The total expenditures for the year was $63, ,S93, against $61, for the previous year. Three new build ings were erected, one at North Gila Bend, in district No. 43, another. the Rohrig school, in district No. 50 at Tempe, and the new structure in Mesa.
 The total number of children between the ages Of 6 and IS years enrolled dur ing the year was 4.394, including 2S col ored. The average daily attendance was 2,4I6 and the percentage Ot at tendance was 93. At about half the schools libraries have been established and about $1,222 is invested in books. The most complete libraries are at the Central school in Phoenix and at the Tempe and the Johnson schools. In part the report says:
 Our county. being located as it is, and the climatic conditions being what they are. make of us, in a sense, a cosmopolitan community. Hence there are pupils from almost everywhere, and coming as they do, from nearly all the states Of the union, where they were under school laws varying as widely as possible. the Maricopa county teacher often finds himself seriously perpleXed to classify his school and make of it a uniform, harmonious whole.
 There is wide difference between two pupils, one of whom can step up to his teacher on the opening of, school and tell him just how much of the course of study he has finished and that he is ready to enter, say the seventh month of the fifth grade, or fully ready for any other grade, while the other pupil, possibly brighter by natura, stands by, unable to take part in the discussion, and feeling that his attain ments are scattered. so as to be of com parative little worth to him. Within few days his teacher will find, possibly. that he actually belongs in parts of two or three, or even four different grades. When the teachers of the ter ritory get a uniform course of study well laid out in their minds much of their trouble will be eliminated"
 In criticism of the course of study now in vogue Superintendent Fulton says:
 T think possibly some of the primary work is little strong, that is, a little too much for our conditions and time That possibly there is too much repeti- tion in physiology and hygiene in the primary grades. That the seventh grade is little heavy, especially the arithme- tic. l think, however, when our schools are properly worked up so the pupils may finish the sixth grade good and strong the seventh can be handled all right.
 As a body the teachers of our county are good, fully half of them being graduates of some normal university One-third of them are graduates of our own normal at Tempe. Most of the buildings and grounds are in good con- dition, with plenty of water and shade, but a few are lacking in both.
 The schools passed through a scourge of scarlet fever and measles the past year, and many districts had to close from one to three weeks and resumed work with part of their pupils out, yet. with all this we had a good years work. '
 A joint county and territorial insti l tute will be held at Tempe during the holidays, and as soon as school com | mences the committee will arrange l plans for the weeks session.