The Tupelo journal., 1903-12-04
WHITFIELD'S REPORT
FULL OF VALUABLE AND INTER.
EsTlNG STATISTICS.
COMPARISONS ARE MOST INSTRUCTIVE
The Most Striking Feature Is the In
crease in the Number of School
Days of the Rural Schools
Other Matters of Interest
to Mississippi People.

The report of State Superintendent
OF Education Whitfield, just completed,
VIII doubtless be received with more
interest than that of any other de-
partment in view of the prominence
OF the educational question in the
State campaign.
Mr.. Whitfield'S report is full of the
valuable and interesting statistics
and affords opportunity for compari-
sons that will prove not only entertain
ing but highly instructive.
The statistics showing the enroll
ment of pupils in the State for the past
TWO years show that the white enroll
ment has increased over 5000 pupils
While the colored has increased less
than one thousand, and further, that
While the enrolment of the negro
children is now about $4,000 more
than that of the white, in average at
tendance they show hardly more than
three thousand children. 1t has been
the general impression that there was
a large preponderance of negro chill
dren attending the public schools. The
principal fall in average attendance
among the negroes being in the separ-
ate districts where the white children
Is double that of the negroes and there
is also a much larger percentage of
attendance among the whites in the
rural districts.
In the matter of salaries, the aver
age salary paid two years ago to the
white teachers was $30.64; this year
the average is $33.S5, an increase of
more than So, while the negroes are
receiving an average of only 80 cents
more this year.
Probably the most striking feature
of the report this year is the large in
creas in the nummber of school days
of the rural schools. The average for
the State two years ago was 90.2 days,
while the average for the last scholas-
tic year, as shown by the report, is
40 days, or an average increase of
one entire scholastic month. This in
crease was largely due to the energetic
canvass of the State superintendent
in the interest of local taxation for
longer terms. Two years ago the
average lengtI of term for the separate
school districts was 1888, this year it
is l6G days, showing a very healthy in
crease.
The total receipts for schools two
years ago, for the counties. exclusive
VI separate SCLOOl ulSlIlCtS, was Sl,-
2S6,241.73. This year the receipts from
same sources was 81, $50, 39S.69, show
ing an increase of receipts in the rural
districts of 1894, 1868 During the
past scholastic year 81 1855 ,4S7.09 was
expended on the rural schools, while
two years ago only 81, 0S9, 409.72 vas
expended. In other words, there was
expended during the last year about
$300,0 600 more money than the year
previous, on the rural schools.
The separate school districts also
show large increase in receipts and
disbursements. The receipts being
1891, 900 last year as against SAP, 900
previously. The disbursements in
creasing from 1888, 900 to $4,000.
The total amount of money disbursed
by separate school districts and the
counties is over $500, 900 more than it
was for the period covered by the pre-
vious report.
Following is a synopsis of statistics
taken from the report:
SYNOPSIS OF STATISTICS, 1902-1903.
Number of pupils enrolled exclusive
Ae - ~ ~ dict, nj rs.