The age-herald., 1900-02-13
CONTAINS SOME
 INTERESTING DATA
Valuable Publication Concerning
 Public Schools.
THE LAST ANNUAL REPORT
Statistical Information Concerning the a System from 1883 Up to the Present Time-Just from
 the Printers

me -aIlnutil T6pOTl Ol stHS iDiiAuluBtidi1t
 public schools for the year ending June 9o 1899. has just come from the printers.
 It is very complete publication of 179 pages, and gives detailed history of tine city schools for that year, together with great deal of other information of inter- est to the patrons and the public general 1y.
 Under the head of superintendents re- port is given the total number of pupils enrolled and the average attendance, also the growth of the schools year by year, since their establishment in 1883. It Is shown that 3,916 pupils were registered, of which number 2,555 were white. The aver age daily attendance of the white children was 935, and the negroes SS per cent There were GA white teachers and 22 colored. In 1SS3-S4 there were 967 names enrolled with an average daily attendance, of 4s9, or 82 per cent, The cost per pupil was $1O.5O. Tn 1S90-'91 the enrolment had grown to 3,7O6, with an average attendance of S9 per cent. In 1S9S-'99 the enrollment was 3916, with an average daily attendance of S4 per cent. Tn 1SS3-S4 there were IS teachers; in 1S9O-'91, T, and in 1S9s-99 the number had increased to S6. Tn 1Ss3-'S4 the teachers pay rolls amounted to sz175; in 1Se0-'91, $s5 9S4.27, and in 1885, -'99, $2S,64S.96. Prior to- 1S9f-'95 the school year consisted of nine months, but since that time it has only been eight, the schools closing the last of May.
 The report also contains a statement of the actual census taken in 1899 This shows the total number of children Of school age that is, between and 20 years of age, to be 9,54S, of which 4931 are white and 4,612 are .colored. Of the whole number of children of school age. 1,27S are years old, and the remainder gradually decreases with the in- crease of age. There were only 5S4 at the age of 20.
 The school property is valued at $2O0 OOO. There are seven schools, the city owning
 six of the buildings and renting one Four of the schools are for white children and three for coored. All of the buildings were erected prior to 1892
 Superintendent Phillips recommends in his
 report the establishment of three additional
 schools of the primary grades. The total
 capacity of the school buildings now used
 for white children, counting fifty seats to the room, Is only 2,6OO pupils. and the total registration of white pupils last year was 2,5O0. He also recommends the re-estabhshment of the Normal Training school, which was abandoned in 1898.
 Superintendent Phillips recommends the establishment of night schools. In support of this recommendation he says:
 There are hundreds of young men and women in our city whose time during the day is not their own; their labor is neces- sary to their support, and in many in- stances the support of dependent families. kIar, af md varying in age from IA ito 20, have never enoyed opportunities for instruction, and would gladly attend a night school. This class of young people in our city, have reason to believe, is rapidly growing and forms an increasing element in our popula- tion. In these schools I would sug-. gest that regular courses be given in read ing, wratng, history, civics, bookkeeping. mathematics and meehaa1ical drawing. Such course should be of the most practical character and adapted to the industrial and commercial demands of the city"
 The superintendent urges the parents to take more interest in the schools. He says: During the past year, there has been a gratifying increase in the co-opera- ition of parents with the schools. It has been. the constant aim of the teachers to interest the home in order to secure the highest welfare of the child. As a means to this end, teachers are requested to visit the homes, whenever their duties will per- mft, and parents urged to visit the schools for the purpose of observing for themselves the work of the teacher and the pupils In some of the schools special days have: been announced as parents day. when the parents are invited to the regular school work, and hundreds of vis- itors have responded to the invitation. In other schools, mothers meetings have been held and large audiences of mothers have been addressed by teachers and others upon vital issues bearing upon the educa- tion of their children"
 Since the establishment of the schools sn 1883, there have been. 193 pupils gradu- ated, the largest number being in 1895, when Hhirty-fiye diplomas were awarded