The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-05-05
|0UR SCHOOLS
/ RANKED HIGH
,dd,ess Of Superintendent Hodge
TO Board Of Trade
|DuI|fS OF THE BOARD
~. If Teachers Institutes in Giving
o,.oer Training for the Con-
duct Of School Next Term.

.;,0 ~. Hodge deli vered at the
Smoker: Smoker" held last week;
,he Board of Trade e m,
Wien | reached home from The
rooierencp for Education for the
s sSt and found my name on the pro-
0,sm for a talk on the subject Our
$, s to this gathering of the re.
sentative av men of Fort Pierce and
/, Incie County. it set me thinking:
Flaw MS can with the short experience
/, have had in relation with and to our
s I make this subject of interest
am, am glad | had the opportunity in
jacksonville. the 10th to 2lst inclusive,
Il meet with the leading Educators
from the South, and some few from the
NORTH .,.
These the State Superintendent and
snneryisor of Rural schools of each
state south of the Ohio river and west
10 Texas with the principals of schools
and colleges of several states and with
ihe county superintendents. principals
and members of school boards of Florida
assembled to confer on the problems
and questions that are continually arls-
ing IN regard to Education IN the South
and more especially in regard to those
Of our rural schools
| feel that this Conference was OF
treat benefit to those who attended, ano
will undoubtedly benefit the people al
large or more particularly the patrons
! Of our schools, in, that the new ideas
and methods obtained and the enthus'
lasm aroused will certainly be made
manifest in results from our work in
our schools
But wish to state though st. Lucl'
Is one Of the youngest counties IN this
state, she is by no means at the real
Of the procession of the various counties
IN this state, and in most the southern
states, but is forging ahead step by stel
until, truly believe she is peer t
many Of the counties and ahead of mos
Of them. We have not as fine build
ings, nor do we spend as much none.
/ fur school purposes as others, and tn
reason is because we haven't got 1t t
spend; but in that we have we giv'
freely and our teachers and patrons
and school children as enthusla site
body Of people as you will find in tn
United States.
Where will you find a county in thi
state or any other, where the schoo
tax is at the maximum milIage in near
y every district?
We have the one mill state schoC
tax, the seven mills county and tn
three mills sub-dlstrict making a tots
Of eleven mills. Last year the schoc
fund was nearly Sl9, 200. This year
will amount 10 over $40, coo il the take
are collected in full.
In counties which are rapidly settlln
Up, you know the outlay is more tina
The income. There have been sewers
new buildings erected and turnShe
and Il was necessary to go INTO debt I
DO this The first of July the preser
flscal year, the debt was about SO, OOC
Ia the taxes are paid in May and Jun
IN proportion to last wear, the scho'
debt will be smaller at least 81, ZOO u
June Both.
We have total of % white schoo
m this county with an enrolment {
over 700 pupils with Is teachers, som
teachers teaching two schools durin
The year.
The average salary of the Fort Pierre
teacher is about so and the countr
teachers about $50.
We have three negro schools with
enrolment of over l20pup.s, with fo'
teachers.
The county furnished five months
our schools, and the suh.dstricts fro
one to three making from 8 to s montl
school in those that had winter term
ihis being new county and conside
lng the number of buiIdInLs erected al
tne salary paid our teachers, | thin
VIC showing not so bad.
Had time, | would enter upon Il
subjects of bonds, but as there are
Jew things regarding our schools tn
think are important, | will omit tn
ior the present, and if the legislatu
passes amendments offered, ! will
some future time offer you somethi
10 regard to them, if you wish it.
AS you know, | entered upon r
gulies as Superintendent the LIST
January. Since then have visited
sne schools that were then in sessit
Ok other schools have since beg
winch will visit during May. T
Jaw makes this obligatory on the pa
Of the Superintendent.
found most of the teachers dol
good work. in fact it seems that
were doing as well as they knew, bu
found q few, l am sorry to state. Il
snelr "know how" if you will acct
mat term. was not developed. IT
were sadly lacking in method and disc
ane' found several, who had attel