The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-05
NOTABLE FACTS
And Figures Submitted by ST.
peTintendent Of Schools.
Editor Providence News:

Editor Providence News:
A considerable number, probably a ma
jority. OF the school committee are say
Ing that they are In favor OF kindergar-
tens. but that the financial condition or
the schools In TO be such for the coai-
Ing year that kindersartens cannot be
maintained. at least In anything like
their present number; that other fea-
lures OF the school system must be first
taken care Of and that then. so far as
the funds are sufficient kindergartens
may be provided for.
In view OF these opinions II becomes OF
great importance 10 know as nearly as
possible what the financial conditions are.
Taking things just as they stand since
the last meeting OF the school committee.
cutting out all that was then cut out.
and leaving In all that was left In,
notably the kndergartens as they now
stand, the situation 10 shown In the fol-
lowing table. which adopts for the pur-
pose OF the estimate all the report, ex-
cept as 10 salaries.
Table showing the special committees
estimate OF expenses for the coming
school year. except as to salaries:
Salaries, sisf.s2s: fuel. $4,000; evening
schools, $4,000; books and supplies. s42. Ocv;
water $500: Lights, $500; State Normal.
1900; miscellaneous, sN, 1852: contingencies
5000; Janitors and furniture. ss5. $50; total
estimate, $e9706l; appropriation. s6s5.0u0
deficiency, fl2, ,06l.
The report OF the committee showed an
estimated deficiency OF s6298. which the
above table. revising the salary estimate
ana including the kindergartens both AS
to salaries and supplies. makes $40 1871.
Mr.. Barney, however. made a mistake
OF SASS on the reduction In high school
salaries, the reduction being $4,000 instead
OF sl6.s9s. This item corrected would make
the deficiency reported by Mr.. Barney
sS79i
II should be borne in mind while COM
pairing the two deficien'ie les that in one
case the kindergartens are retained as
now and that I'm the other, Ss kindergart-
ners are dismissed and l6 kindergartens
closed.
REDUCTIONS RECOMMENDED.
And further IL should be noticed that
the committee has not made all the reduc-
tions that / recommended and still think
could very well be made.
For example, The committee on school
houses and tanitors spent last year S5s.-
fO10s For the coming year II asks for
81. $50. and is allotted by the committee
$50 $50, an Increase over last year Of &c.
4723l. IL will have but one Janitor more
next year than last year, probable salary
$3.50. and two rooms for which q janitor
Will receive some extra compensation. II
we allow the committee an extra S2s72sl
for these expenses and for other increas-
ed expenditures. n further reduction In
their estimate can be made OF $4,000.
Similarly. several thousand dollars can
be taken from the estimate for evening
schools by the methods i have already
suggested. or by shortening the term one
or two weeks, or by reduction OF salaries.
IL Is not worse that evening school teach
ers should have their salaries reduced
than that some OF the day school teach
ers should suffer the same fate and Others
lose their places entirely.
The important element In the foregoing
table Is the estimate for salaries. i
subjon my estimate In considerable de-
tail.
Table showing the school salaries to be
paid during the coming school year, at
the rates now fixed
Office sl2, ,4S4: supervisors and special
teachers. slSi75; high schools. slo2 15o;
grammar schools. Sl29,575: primary and
kindergartens s20s. go; schools for individ-
ual work sl2. $50: schools for backward
children. $3.50: total salaries at current
rates, s4Sl. 1884, add for salary increases In
high schools. $3.50; add for salary in
creases I'm grammar. primary and special,
$500; add ten teachers February to July,
$1,000; total. s4S7. .6O4: deduct for ten resig-
nations. 5000: deduct state critics. N2I6;
total, $3275; net salaries. $4Si,S2s.
This estimate FOR salaries, which DIFF
fers 80 widely from that Of the committee,
has been made by making provisional
assignment Of our present teachers al
their present salaries TO all the schools
OF the city, and then adding the items In
each school IL these assignments should
be changed the aggregate OF the salaries
would not be different.
The amount OF Increase due each teach
er during the coming year has been COM
pused from data furnished by the au-
ditor.
More teachers are needed the last half
OF the year than the first half. / have
estimated that ten additional teachers
a. the lowest salary rate for one-half
yeer will add 5000 10 the salary roll
TEACHERS ON RETIRED LIST.
teachers will resign in the fall to 60 upon,
the retired list. and that their places will
toe filed by young teachers. Each such
resignation in the grammar and primary
S2l5, or say $1,000 for all
The number Of sucn designations /
number OF additional reachers that will
be required In February, 1908
II the committee chooses different
estimate 1t will make slight difference
If the committee doubts the accuracy
OF my figures. | advise that they be sub
mtted To the city auditor for examina-
ton. or 70 any expert bookkeeper not
subject to influence.
10 account for the difference between
M. Barney and myself I'm regard TO these
salary estimates l think II necessary to
make the following remarks
MIR. Barney does no; show in his report
that the reductions he recommends are
made from an inflated estimate and stili
leaves an unnecessary amount In ths sal
AIRY fund
Then, too he lngeniously combines his
estimate Of proposed actual reductions In
the grammar and primary schools with
estimate for contingencies. That IN TO
say. he reports reductions In grammar
and primary schools. Including estimate
for contingencies" at sii.s24. How much
OF this g. reduction In expense and how
much Is reduction I'm over estimate he
does not say. The fact is. about s2o0o is
reduction in expense. as my report shows.
and about tq3o4 ls n partial reduction from
en- over estimate. which he calls an "es-
innate for contingencies"
III my figures arc correct. Mr. Barney's
ngures stll contain SASS estimate for
49,, ,f,x aese~ 4fre N