The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-06-09
SUPT. COOK 8
CARD To PUBLIC
Correct Statement Is Made
in Following Signed
Report.

liShed a card to the public from
Supt n. B. Cook in which several
regrettable typographical errors oc
Cured. The errors have now been
corrected and the card is published
again, in corrected form, as follows:
With the view OF disabusing the
the minds of many citizens who are
other wise we'll Informed, of the idea
that the Board of Public Instruction
of this County Is, or has ever been,
unjust to the smaller schools OF the
county in the distribution of the
Public School funds, l write this ar
tfcle and will state that one of the
amendments TO the Constitution OF the
State of Florida preScribes that the
public school funds are to be distribut-
ed to the schools of the state on the
basis of the average daily attendance
in the schools, and not on the total
number of children enrolled.
The school board of this county has
for THE last twenty or more years
done its best to make the distribution
OF the school funds at its disposal as
nearly equal per pupil in daily attend
ance in these schools as it was prac-
ticable TO do.
The minimum salary per month to
a teacher in this county it, at this
time, $500 per month and by law,
four months is the minimum for a
school term and the smallest number
in daily attendance for which an APP
preparation VIII bemade in this county
is ten. Schools making an average
Of ten to fourteen daily get a term
or four months, and the teacher a
salary of $500 per month. One max
ing an average OF fifteen TO nineteen
gets FOUR months and the teacher
gets a salary of $4,000 per month.
AS the attendance increases, the
length of the term and salary of the
TO give as near as it is possible to
do so. each child his just portion of
the Public School funds.
The appropriation for teachers sal
aries for this school year is S49.O55 90,
and the average daily attendance in
all the schools will not be less than
4,lOO nor more than 1850; all the
reports not having been turned in,
cannot be exact on this point, From
this II Is clearly seen that the aver
age per pupil in attendance for the
whole county is less than $1,000 per
pupil, and it is equally as easy to
see that the children in the small
schools of the county certainly get
their just portion of these funds
We have, in the city. seven schools
with eight months terms. and forty
six teachers are engaged in same.
The gross salaries for these forty-six
teachers for the eight months is $22.-
1000, or an. average per month for
each teacher of S6043.
no oil -,
schools is 1873 pupils with a daily
average attendance of 1874, making
an average per teacher enrolled OF
So Is pupils, and in daily attendance
of 20 IA, and the average cost for
each pupil in daily attendance for
the term is $16.55.
We have five eight-months schools
in the country, to-wit: Number 4 at
Ferry Pass, No. 5 at Roberts. No. 9
at Bluff Springs. No. Is at Muscogee,
and No. 70 at Century. The total ap-
preparation for salaries for the seven
teen teachers engaged in these
schools is $4,000, or an average
monthly salary of $3.50 per teacher.
The total enrolment in said five
schools is SAB pupils with a daily aver
age attendance of 400, giving an aver
age of So pupils per teacher on en-
=
tendance with an average cost per pu-
pill in daily attendance of $19.S5 for.
the term.
These eight months schools appar-
emily receive more per pupil in at
tendance than is their due, but as
these schools are classed as State
aid schools, and we expect to receive
from the state not less than 81 5000
and probablyS2, 10000, this will help
to equalize the amounts received to
some extent, but these high grade
schools cost more per pupil than the
average school from the fact that W.T.
must employ teachers we'll qualified
and who cannot be obtained at the
medium salaries paid.
THE school board of this county
has no secrets to hide from
any citizen or taxpayer-anyone can
look at the books. payrollS or other
statements at their VII.
Now, for myself, I will state that l
have been working in this Office for
% IL years, and during this time
more than six hundred meetings have
been held by the board. and I have
been present at every one. never hav-
ing missed a meeting. | have drawn
more than 10000 school warrants dur
ing this time coving more than one
and three quarter million of dollars
and my accounts have always been
correct to the cent
This is a time when the work in
the superintendent Office is very
heavy. and / cannot afford to neglect
the duties of the office to visit
my friends throughout the county,
much as | would like to do this, but
by motto is, do the work that You
have been emp Dyed 10 do first, and
then get as much pleasure in passing
life as you can, and as far as
possible. lending a cheerful and help
ing hand to anyone in need thereof.
y. B. COOK,
Secretary and County Superintendent
of Public Instruction.