The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1913-08-20
SCHOOL REPORT
SHOWS PROGRESS
Only County in This Section
of State Where White Chill.
dren Are in Majority-In-
crease in Pupils.
5 BRICK sCHOOLHOUSES

Supt. II L. Harman, of this
county, has fled with the State Super
intendent of Education his annual re-
port for the scholastic year 1928.
Lexington is the only county in the
central part of the state where the
enrolment of white pupils is larger
than the enrolment OF negroes. Supt.
Harman's report shows that in total
enrolment of 1904, the whites out
numbered the blacks by 1920 or more
than 25 per cent.
Lexington is divided into 80 school
districts, containing 13 town and 6s
country schools for white children.
In only one district do the patrons
INSIST on maintaining two schools;
while thu other 70 districts have
actually carried out the intent of the
constitution to place only one school
for each race in each district.
Every school except two enrolled
20 or more pupils and likewise every
school except two had more than 10
pupils in regular attendance. These
figures indicate that there are no sur
plus schools in the county, although
many could begreatly strengthened by
the consolidation of adjoining districts.
The report shows an increase of 13
boys and A girls over 1911.12. This
increase of 1 per cent. in the white
enrolment during the year stands in
marked contrast to the falling off
among the negroes. The negro enroll
ment for the last IL months decreased
by 1868 pupils, falling from s,105 to
2,737. The negro town schools lost
1876 pupils or II per cent, while their
country schools lost 173 or nearly 9
per cent.
Of the white boys enrolled 81 per
cent. were in regular attendance, and
of the girls 70 per cent. were regularly
in school. The average for both sexes
was 68 per cent, an increase of 4 per
cent. over 1911-12. The average at
tendance among negroes was 81 per
cent, striking contrast to conditions
in many counties
III white teachers were employed,
36 men and 81 women. The average
salary for men was 1924, barely 9Oc
day on 12-month basis. The average
salary for women was S215, less than
60c day on 12-month basis. These
low salaries are unquestionably due to
the inadequate school term, averaging
1913 days in town and So days in the
country. Three of the 13 to 1n schools
and 81 of the 6S country schools ran
less than 100 days The session average
for the entire county was only 81 days,
among the lowest in the state. Every
rural school should run at least six
months and the 4,957 white boys and
girls of Lexington are being denied
adequate educational facilities.
Five modern brick school houses are
now in use at Batesburg, Leesville,
Lexington Court House, New Brook
land and Chaplin. The remaining 76
houses are of wood. Both classes of
buildings contain 1856 class rooms, are
valued at $91, 800 and are owned en-
tirely by the public.
The report shows high school en-.
rollment of 277, less than six per cent.
This shortage in the upper grades is
probably due to the exceedingly short
term. Supt. Harman, however, esti-
mates that only rs white children
failed to enroll.
The per capita expenditure per pupil
was: White, 5000; negro, $110; for
both races, $6.25. Across the Congaree
in RichIand county the per capita ex-
penditure was: White. s27.2s; negro,
1888; for both races, $14.40. Similar
figures for Saluda on the west show:
White, ss03; negro, Sl.0O; for both
races, $t.19.
The 3-mill constitutional tax raised
s14, 944.9O, while local taxation yielded
S6,51217. Several districts are plan
ming to erect rural graded schools dur-
ing 1854.