The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-08-30
EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS
Record of Growth Of Public Schools
in North Carolina For Past Five
Years Compares Favorably With
That Of ANY Other State-Interest-
ing Statistics.

Washington, Special.-The record
made by North Carolina during the
last five years in educational faciii-
ties compares well with that of any
State III the union, as shown by the
report of the commissioner of edu-
cation for the United States for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1906. The
report has just come out and is very
interesting.
There were 676,615 children Of
school age in the State-474,G57 white
and 221 ,95S colored. For the eduea-
tion of these children the State was
spending $1,2S7,275.70 annually, ex-
elusive of $l61 1863 raised by local tax
alton. The total amount expended
for each child in North Carolina, of
school age, including local taxes, was
$2.l7 the average amount IN the
United States being $3.50. The aver
age monthly salary of teachers was
$26.7S for white and $22.19 for col
orcd teachers, and in the United
States the average monthly salary
was $4S. The length of the public
school term in North Carolina was
7615 days; average length in the
United States, 145 days.
The average value of the school
houses in the State was for white,
1921 .43,, colored $13G; $50 districts
were without schoolhouses of any
kind; S29 had log houses. In differ
ent counties of the State schools were
closed during the winter on account
of hte buildings not being inhabitable.
Attention is called to the fact that
a great hinderance to effective educa-
ton in a State so large and sparsely
populated as North Carolina is the
multiplication of district schools to
:atisfy special families. Nearly one
half of the white school districts IN
the State and Al per cent. of the col
orcd districts contain less than 90
children OF school age. Another
noticeable fact in Connection with the
report Of the commission is that 80
per cent. of the entire population IS
rural and agricultural and that lllit-
eracy among both the white and col
ored race is decidedly on the decrease.
The enrolment in schools for the
United States for the year 1904
reached a total of 17,996,S90, being
and increase Of 357 ,422 over the pre-
vious year. Of the total amount ex-
pended for all purposes ($691, ,O0O,-
O00) nearly two-fifths, or 39.5 per
cent. was paid for common schools.
1t will be seen that the Federal, State
and local expenditures for education
for the year 1903-'4 amounted to al
most one-half the cost of the national
government.
Durham led North Carolina in the
number of children attending school.
With a population Of 6,679 she had
2,713 children in school; Asheville,
population 16,47S, had 2,637 children
in school; Charlotte, Figures showing
number of children attending school
are not given); Concord, population
1910, number of children in school
2,713; Greensboro, population 2,793
number of children in school 2,260
| Newbern, population 5000, number OF
children in school, 1857; Wilmington
population 21,344, number in school
not given Winston, population 10,S04
number of children in school 1,735.
To run her schools during the yeal
Asheville received from the State 500
from the city, $20,1S6, from the
county and other taxes $10,94S, 6
total of $32,335 as against a total OF
| $4,000 for Concord; $37 ,494 for Dur
ham; $23,690 for Greensboro; $9,31t
for Newbern; $26,455 for Raleigh
and $17,500 for Winston, no figure:
being given for Charlotte It vii
thus be seen that Durham received
more than any city in the State anC
that Asheville came next with Raj
eigh following.
! While Durham received more fo
being followed by Durham, Raleigl
and Asheville in the order named
these expenditures being for perman
ent investments, teaching and Incl
dental expenses. The figures for th'
ulIIefenC places were as IoIloWS. ASH
eville, $30,1S6; Charlotte, no figure
given; Concord, $39,750; Durham
$50, 500; Greensboro, $4,000; New
bern, $S,954; Raleigh, S30,342, ant
Winston, 1910.
Among the higher institutions o
learning reported closed recently i
the North Carolina College, at MI
Pieacant.
The total value of property possess
ed by institutions of higher learnin
In the United States IS $464, ,216, ,5455
gain of almost $33,000,000 over tn
{ amount for the preceding year. Thi
? is an instance of the growth of col
! leges throughout the United State:
J Trinity College, at Durham, is th
z only institution in the State that re
n ported gifts amounting to over 800
j ! coo Fer the year, the amount receive
{ by it being 100000 The total valu
OF all gifts reported by the severe
: universities receiving donation
: amounted in the year to a total G
| over $9,000,00O.