The number of children in the State, between the ages of six and twenty-one, in 1868, was 592,876. The whole amount appropriated to the several counties was $1,414,614 02. IOWA. The superintendent of public instruction, Hon. A. S. Kissell, in his report for 1970, gives the following statistics: Increase for the year. Number of persons between the ages of five and twenty one; males, 215,812; females, 202,356.. Number of schools... 6,788 349 Average attendance.. 178, 329 17,556 1,025 $0.41 0 37 0.2 Number of teachers employed: males, 4,479; females, Average compensation of male teachers per week. Aggregate amount paid teachers.. Number of school-houses: brick, 527, stone, 229; frame, 5,192; log, 459.. Value of school-houses.. Amount of district tax for building and purch'g grounds. Amount of district tax for pay of secretary and treasurer. 11,994 In this State every civil township is a school district, and is divided by the trustees into sub-districts. Each district holds an annual meeting, elects a chairman and secretary, decides by vote upon the purchase and sale of sites and school-houses, branches to be taught in schools, &c.; they have power to vote a tax not exceeding five mills on a dollar of valuation for school purposes. The sub-districts hold annual meetings, choose officers called sub-directors, who constitute a board of district directors, with corporate powers to fix the sites of school-houses and establish schools, make estimates of money necessary to keep school the legal term of twenty-four weeks, and certify the amount to the board of supervisors, which board causes such tax to be levied and collected. Each sub-director has charge of the school affairs of his district, hires teachers, reports to the board, &c. There is a county superintendent elected for two years, whose duty it is to examine and license teachers, visit and supervise schools, &c. There is a superintendent of public instruction elected by the people for two years, who is charged with a general supervision of all the county superintendents and all the common schools of the State. The school revenue is derived from lands granted to the United States for schools, the 500,000 acres granted by Congress to new States, all escheats, percentage on sales of land in the State, money paid for exemption from military duty, and fines for breach of penal laws. The school fund is under the control of the general assembly. The school fund is not accumulating as its friends could wish. Its investments have been largely made in such a manner that annual losses will always be likely to occur, so long as the present system of investment exists. The proper steps should be taken to avoid this annual loss to the fund, as well as of the annual interest, the loss of which was $34,745 41 greater in 1869 than in 1868. As the school laws make it the duty of boards of directors to manage school funds and property, one of their leading qualifications, next to integrity, should be business ability. But it is a notable fact that persons are often chosen for these positions without any reference to financial ability, or even common prudence. In 1859 the existing school property was valued at $1,213,454 94. There has been raised since that time, by taxation, for building school-houses and purchasing apparatus, $4,378,074 09. This would give, in 1869, $5,591,529 03. But the estimate, according to returns this year, gives only $5,374,542 50 as the value of school property, a difference of $216,986 53. It is earnestly recommended that a State normal school be established at an early day. At the last meeting of the State Teachers' Association a unanimous vote was given to memorialize the legislature on the subject. The people feel the need of the school, and are ready for the appropriation of the requisite funds. Much importance is attached to the training in music which is given in many of the graded schools. The old practice of rote singing is discarded, and "Blackman's Graded Songs" have been introduced. These lessons are so simplified and graded that the youngest child can understand them. In some of the larger towns of the State evening schools have been organized, and are efficiently conducted under the supervision of the boards of these school districts, and are supported out of the common school fund. They are attended by mechanics, apprentices, female domestics, both native and foreign born, and other classes of the people who are debarred from the day-school, and no scholars connected with the schools are found so eager as these to learn. It is urged that the facilities for these schools should be increased, and that they should be extended throughout the State. There are 53 colleges and academies in the State, with 4,728 students attending, and 72 private and denominational schools, with 4,200 pupils. The number of teachers employed in colleges, academies, and private schools is 312. Table of statistical details of schools in Iowa-Continued. $285 00 $3.00 66 50 $69 85 43,700 00 7,896 85 1, 497 19 1, 700 19 3,074 84 36,662 00 8, 413 44 772 19 30.00 2,483 36 907 99 356 26 563.50 337 95 7,864 48 3,948 01 10, 147 73 2,009 73 232 $1,050 50 774.00 868 00 11, 703 15 4, 250 00 19,725 0 3, 692 97 19 62 962 69 205 16 330 00 6, 4:26 80 6,934 56 Grandy. 47 24,769 00 5, 113 64 21 85 53 00 921 25 1,378 34 568 81 9, 707 77 2,922 27 2 633 75 Guthrie. 52 27,838 00 4, 444 7.5 596 70 9.00 1,636 58 7:9 75 297 00 6,408 48 20, 397 45 174 747 00 Hamilton 1 24, 561 00 6, 264 75 6.00 1,553 77 950 35 462 02 Hancock. 9, 400 00 3, 236 54 23 55 751 29 547 37 277 50 62, 585 00 12,388 98 103 00 290 56 2,048 76 086 52 60) 15 13,778 79 7,287 83 55 73 2 112, 140 00 24, 149 02 150 00 3,394 02 2,531 75 787 20 25,303 15 220 730 00 County tax and income of permanent school fund. Temporary school fund, (fines and forfeitures.) Number of volumes in district libraries. Value of apparatus. |
