Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-29
THE SCHOOL CENSUS
County superintendent Dimmitt
3eceives Instructions.
WILL BE COMPLIED IN SEPTEMBER
Calls Attention to New Compulsory
Education Law Enacted by Last
General ACKNOWLEDGMENT That
Gains Will Be Shown in Returns.


County Superintendent Beniah Dim
NIT Is In receipt of a circular from
State Superintendent R. C. Barrett iii
regard to taking the school census for
1902. The time for making this emu
meration Of school children is be-
tween the first and tenth days of Sep
TENDER in each year, and the returns
are made by the director in each sub
district to the secretary Of the school
township in which he resides, that Of
ficer in turn reports to the county sup
erintendent, who makes it a part of
his annual report to the superintendent
of public instruction. Attention is call
ed to the new compulsory education
| law which was enacted by the last gen
eral assembly. An extra effort will
be made this year to make the cen
sus most complete, and it is Thoughts
that gains will be shown when the re-
turns come in.
The following figures are taken from
| the last school census taken in Sep
TENDER, 1901:
Pupils between the ages of five and
twenty-one: Males, 5,643; females,
5,6l1.
Enrolment in public schools, 1885.
Total average attendance, 6,36S.
Number of school houses, 116.
Value of school buildings, $376,S4O.
| Number of teachers employed,
males, 40; females, 226.
Address to County Superintendent.
| To County Superintendent:
| The taking of the annual enumera-
ton of school children is SO important
that we address you for the purpose of
urging that you leave nothing undone
to secure prompt and accurate re-
| turns.
AS you are aware, the school census
includes all persons between five and
twenty-one years of age who are resi-
dents of the district. No exception
whatever is made and to be complete
the list must include the names of all
persons of the stipulated age even if
married or temporarily absent to at
tend school or engage in other work.
A child in one of the charitable or re-
formatory institutions must be emu
merated in the district where its par
. ents reside. To do justly with all the
districts, it is absolutely essential to
have correct list of all who are EMIT
led to school privileges in each separ.
ate district.
i Section of the law for compulsory
attendance says: 1T shall be the duty
l of all officers, empowered to take the
school census, to ascertain the number
of children of the ages of seven ca TIC
/ fourteen CAD years, inclusive, in theil
respective districts" 1t will be neces
sary for the county superintendent to
4 give timely notice of this new require
ment to the secretary of each schoo
corporation and the director in each
subdistrict, as it must be made part
! of the superintendent annual report
to this department.
/ The time for taking the enumeration
is fixed by the statute, which should be
strictly followed. Section PISS says
that each director shall, between the
first and tenth days of September in
each year, prepare list of the heads
of families in his sub-district, the mum.
Der and sex of all children of school
age, and by the fifteenth day of said
month report this list to the secretary
of the school township, who shall
make full record thereof" Section
2764, referring to the Duties of the sec
:. rotary, says: HE shall, between the
I first day of September and the third
Monday in September of each year, en-
ter in book made for that purpose
the name, sex and age of every per
son between five and twenty-one resid
ing in the corporation, together with
the name of the parent or gardian.'
We call your attention to this impor
tant matter SO that you may use the
best means possible to have the emu
meration taken at the right time, anc
with the utmost care in respect to SIC
curing an accurate count in every dis
: trict In your county. We suggest tina
/. it may be well to send blanks to secre
| taries, and directors in sub-districts
i containing form number "a, for theil
+ help and guidance in performing theil
. duty in this matter.
R. c. Barrett,
, Superintendent of Public instruction.