The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-21
THE PLEDGE IS KEPT
Democrats Make a Four
Months School Term.
Comparison of Figures for the Two Admins.
fra.ions Tells The Tale of What
Has Been Done,

Has Been Done,
Ut is we'll known that the Legislature
OF 1901 made q special appropriation or
100000 to secure a four months school
term in every school district in the State
Every district in North Carolina entitled
TO aid from this fund has received the
amount asked for by it for four months
school term. If any district in North
Carolina has failed to have a four
months school under this administration.
II mas been the fault of the local authori- |
ties In failing to apply for aid or in fail
ing TO comply with the simple and neces- |
sary requirements of the act appropriate
ing the 100000 for this purpose. So far
as | know Davie is the only county need
ing aid to have a four months school
term In every district that has not re-
eeived it, Davie could not legally share
in the distribution of the 500, GOO because
of the refusal of the commissioners to
levy taxes up to the Constitutional linn
itation
Longer School Terms.
The following figures taken from the
records of this office show decided in
crease in the length of the terms of the
public schools during the past two years: |
Length of school term 1899 .14.O6 weeks
Length of school term 1900. .1466 weeks |
Total for the last two years
of the preceding admins
tration :. :. :. :. ..2S.72 weeks |
Length of school term 1901 1856 weeks |
Length of school term 1902. 16 weeks !
Total length of school term
during first two years of
present administration ....31.56 weeks !
Increase in length of school
term for two years. 1890. 2.S4 weeks |
Comparing the two years Of the pres
ent administration with the first two |
years of Governor Russells administra-
ton there is a gain of 81 weeks in
the length of the public school term.
Rural Libraries.
Under the provisions of the law passed |
by the Legislature of 1901 800 rural Ii !
braries. costing $1O,6S0 have been estab- |
lished in the various counties of the
State. One third of this amount was
paid by the people in the district, one
third taken from the district school
fund and one third appropriated out of
the State Treasury, so that these $50 Ii |
braries have really cost the State only
$3.50. Under the provisions of the act I
not more than six of these libraries can !
be established in any one county l !
have no doubt that the remainder of the .
500 libraries provided for in the act of !
the Legislature viii be established before
the close of the year. 1t would be diff
ficulttto calculate the benefits that will !
result to the children, to their parents
and to the entire cause of education in
the counties and districts where these
libraries have been established
Some General Results.
TI,or 1IcJ,~l
hearty cooperation among all our edu-
cational forces and among all our peo-
pie in behalf of all our schools
> Never before has there been such |
an educational awakening among the
country people and such educational in
terest and enthusiasm among all the |
people of the State.
s. Improvement of public school |
houses.
During the past two years many new
and comfortable school house have been
erected, many old ones have been repair |
ed and greatly improved, and on the !
whole there has been probably more i'm :
provement in the public school houses |
of the State -than during any equal per-
iod of its history During 1901 white So, |
colored 40 school houses were built. The |
number for 1902 has not yet been tabu |
lated. 1t will exceed the number for |
1901.
A. Consolidation of districts.
Many small unnecessary school dis |
tricts have been consolidated into larger |
and stronger districts and the good work |
is still going on wherever the conditions |
for enlargement of districts are favor
able County superintendent and Boards
of Education are giving intelligent at
tention to this work.
g. Local taxation
More towns and cities have establish
ed graded schools by local taxation dur
mig the past two years than during any
other equal period in the history of the |
State. For the first time in the history |
of the State a number Of rural districts |
have voted local tax for their schools.
The movement for local taxation in the
rural districts is rapidly growing. Near |
~ every mail brings to the office of the |
State Superintendent news of an cleo
ton on this question or inquiries about |
the agitation of the question. There is /
Enthusiastically rapid growth in the SEN
timent for better schools and longer /
terms in the rural districts by local tax i
alton. There has been, of course, no at |
TEMPT to force a local tax upon the /
people of any district.
g. The following table shows very |
decided increase in the number of child |
rem enrolled and in daily attendance upon
the public schools:
Enrolment of white children for
1000 :. -. -. 27O447 |
Average attendance :. :. :. 49, 142, AIS |
Enrolment of white children for
1ooI =. :. 29O, 17S /
Average attendance :. 1922 |
Total enrolment for 1900 ...f 400 452 |
Average attendance for l900... 2O6,9lS |
Total enrolment for 1901 H.. 4Sl,55S |
Average attendance for 1901... 253,Ol9
Number of school-houses built in 1902; |
,vbfte 227 |
COlored .............''. ''.''''''''' ~ |
Croatan .............'...'.' ''''''''''
Total ............,.......... go
This does not include seven counties /
r..s, ,,.ich raporte for 1902 ha We not been |