Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-12-07
Jersey SCHOOL
COST INCREASES
Outlay for Past Year SILL
4O,O23.73, Says Supt. Ken
dali in Annual Report.
MINIMUM WAGE FOR
TEACHERS IS FAVORED
Irregular Attendance Costly to
Municipalities, Causing
Loss of Funds.
rFrom a stan Correspondence

TRENTON. Dec. DIR. Calvin n.
Kendall. State commissioner of edu-
cation, today submitted TO the State
Board of Education which met at the
state House. his annual report for
the school year ending July 1, l9l2.
The report shows hal the total out
Law for public school purposes during
the year was $21, $40, 929. 70, of which
the sum of s14.5 SAT, sSS.47 was for the
actual current expenses, an increase
In this item over the preceding year
of 81, 1874, 924.99.
The report shows that the total en-
roIment for the year was 459,1S9, an
increase over the preceding year OF
1921. The total days attendance
was 5,4O1, 01O. the increase over the
preceding year being $685. 1S. The
average cost of the schools per pupil
calculated on enrolment. with the
current expenses as the basis, was
Ss1.6S. an increase over the preceding
year of $3.50.
Total Receipts 500.
The total receipts for all school
was S26, 436, 099.24 of which
the State paid Ss,95S, 529,4S, the school
districts raised locally $11,S2O, 1899,
and there was raised from other
sources, including the balance at the
beginning of the year of more than
/. 1000. 600, the sum of 1856, SS0.17.
- -. vxrara M ia nm
as follows: Teachers salaries, S1o,-
OS7, 569.14; fuel and janitors' salaries
S1,316, 273.4S; textbooks and other
supplies, $500, 1853. 92; transportation of
pupils, 1922, 053.3 2; tuition of pupils in
adjoining districts, 1898, 3S5.S4; school
libraries, $35, 51s.53, and Tor miscel-
laneous purposes, S1,SS5, 41i.E In ad-
dition to this the amount spent for
new school buildings and repairing
old ones was S4,9 GIG ,562.15, and debts
and interest amounted 20 81, 51s cTl.9i.
Special appropriations, such ss man
ual training, expenses of the State
department of public instruction, ex-
penses of the two normal schools,
salaries and expenses of county school
superintendents, etc, caused an ex-
pense of 1882, 937.64. The aggregate
balance in the treasures of all the
Bchool districts 1t the end CT the year
was S4.095, 1851.
DR.. Kendall reports that the per-
centage of absence Of pupils was 1lS,
and as school attendance is one Of
the factors in the basis of h dis
tribution of the State money to the
schools. it will be seel that the money
lost by the a Of poor or irreSu-
lar attendance was large.
Favors Salary Increase.
The total value of public school
property in the State is $52,S O6, ISL. 81,
an increase over the preceding year
of more than So. 000, 1000. The total
nenber OF teachers in the State is
1896, or 1866 more than the preceding
year. OF this number 1888 are male
teachers, exclusive of superintendent
and supervising principals. The aver
age salary per year paid to all
teachers was $760.S3, an increase of
1881 over the preceding year. The
report shows that 1,495 teachers n the
State receive less than $500 a year.
DR.. Kendall insists that teachers
salaries should be increased and that
teachers must have greater prepara-
ton for their work.
Some States" says DR.. Kendall,
s'have adopted a minimum wage for
teachers. While some objections may
be advanced to the enactment OF sucn
a minimum-wage law, yet I believe
the time has come when the establish
ment of a minimum wage by stature
should be seriously considered in New
Jersey"
DR.. Kendall urges the elimination Of
superf1uous details in teaching and
wants all mumified and antiquate1
parts of courses of study abolished.