Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, MADISON, Dec. 10th, 1860. To His Excellency, ALEXANDER W. RANDALL, Governor of the State of Wisconsin : SIR-I have the honor to transmit, through you, to the Legislature, the Twelfth Annual Report from this Depart ment. Very respectfully, ...Your obedient servant, J. L. PICKARD, State Superintendent. 40317 1919 L IK 902 TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT. To the Honorable the Legislature, of the State of Wisconsin : REPORT: I.-STATISTICS. Tables 1, 2, and 3, of Appendix B, present an Abstract of the Reports received from Clerks of County Boards of Supervisors. These reports are not in all cases reliable. Especially is this true in the columns of averages. When absolutely correct they can not be relatively so, since each officer pursues his own course of making up averages. So many are employed in this work, it is impossible to secure any thing like uniformity in the results. By special reports received directly from the Town Superintendents, I have learned that many schools are without registers, and of course no reliable statistics can be gathered of the number in attendance upon schools, or of the average attendance of pupils. Some averages have been so manifestly incorrect, that I have made changes in the figures according to what I conceived to be the true state of the case. The reports not unfrequently exhibit an average of from 15 to 50 months' school during the year, or an equally incorrect average of attendance of pupils. Could I see in all cases the origin of such errors, they could be easily corrected. Such changes as have been made in these particulars, have been made without any accurate knowledge of the facts, so that they cannot be fully relied upon, but must be more nearly correct than the figures I have changed. The County Clerks simply copy the reports sent them by the Town Superintendents. The Town Superintendents copy the reports of District Clerks. It is difficult to procure any correction of these reports without consuming more time than their value would warrant. The only portions of the reports upon which the distribution of the Fund depends, are the number of children over 4 and under twenty years of age, and the length of the school taught. These are supposed to be nearly accurate, except that in the latter a few instances appear of more than twelve months' school in the year. Every county in the State has made its report. The main facts embodied in the reports, may be found in the following of parts of districts,.. 1,827 of districts reckoning 24 parts equal to one whole dis trict,. 4,211 Number of districts not reporting. 85 Number of parts of districts not reporting, 74 118 Number of male children between four and twenty years of age,.... Whole number of children between four and twenty years of age, registered in schools,.... Number attending school under four years of age, Total number in attendance, 194,357 2,272 over twenty years of age, Average number of months schools have been taught,......... 6 2-11 4 9-10 Average number of months schools have been taught by male teach 3 7-10 ers,.. Average number of months schools have been taught by female teachers,.. Amount of money received from State, in both apportionments, de female teachers,. all other purposes except libraries,. 367,481 10 139,887 65 64,374 46 2,012 91 573,756 12 171,460 54 402,765 23 574,225 77 469 65 Number of school house sites containing less than one acre,. Number of school houses destitute of outline maps,.. Number of school houses without black-boards,... Number of district libraries,.... Number of Volumes in district libraries, Number of volumes loaned for reading, Number of select and private schools, other than incorporated academies, .... Number of pupils in the private schools, 161 6,473 School Districts.-The number of districts reported last year was 3,538; parts of districts 1,611, making a total of 4,331, supposing 2 1-2 parts equal to one district on an average. By reference to the Summary it will be seen we have now reported only 3,399 districts, or 139 less than last year. That there is a diminution in number of districts during the year is evident from the fact that the number of districts unreported this year is 33 less than last year. The parts of districts have increased in number from 1,611 last year, to 1,859 this year. (78 parts unreported last year, against 74 this year.) Judging by the number of school houses reported in joint districts, I have changed the average number of parts making a whole district, from 2 1-2 to 2 1-4. This gives a total number of districts of 4,211 against 4,331 last year, or a diminution of 120. Two counties exhibit great discrepancies between the reports of last year and this. Jefferson county reports 86 less, and Winnebago county 32 less than last year. Taking the number of school houses as a guide, I suppose the present reports correct. This will make a difference of 118, still leaving a diminution of 2 districts, allowing the gain of 33 to balance the 7 towns not reported. This fact is very encouraging in our educational work, since division of districts, as a general thing, prevents progress by crippling the ability of the district, both as to numbers and wealth, to secure a gradation of schools. More or less new territory is every year organized into districts, so that the process of consolidation of districts must have been carried on to a greater extent than appears from the absolute statement given above. In the early settlement of our State districts comprised large territory with few children. The old house built for the accommodation of the few, in many cases still stands, and as population has increased, the district has been cut down to suit the size of the house. Petty jealousies and neighborhood difficulties have done much to cripple the cause of education, by diminishing the size of districts, while the end sought in such division is seldom attained. It may be sometimes advisable to make a division of a district, where the features of the country are such as to render it impossible to secure a suitable site for a school house without manifest injustice to one or the other part of the district. Even then it is better to seek additions from other quarters to make up the loss by such division. In the newer settlements, a little patience under difficulties and embarrassments, will be amply repaid as the population and wealth of the district increase. Some districts. may be too large, but the danger lies in the opposite direction. No absolute rule can be given as to size of districts. I would make them of equal size with townships, and allow such subdivision as may be necessary. Upon the change necessary to this end, I am not at present prepared to make any recommendation, for while I am satisfied with the township system in theory, I have not become enough acquainted with its practical workings to warrant me in making any sug gestions in regard to it here. Joint Districts, as will be seen, comprise about one-fifth of the whole number of districts. The simple fact, that nearly one half the appeals to this department, growing out of alteration of districts, come from joint districts, and that one-fourth of all other appeals have the same origin, is evidence conclusive that they are not desirable, but, on the other hand, a source of difficulty. Inequality of assessment, varying interests, and local jealousies, of several towns, will, in a majority of cases, overbalance the benefits derived from joint districts. When absolute necessity compels their formation, local interests will be assimilated and the causes of discord proportionably removed. Reports, upon which apportionment of school moneys is based, are often, and in some cases necessarily, incorrect. The apportionment to a joint district will sometimes be less, sometimes more, than it can justly claim. In the first case, injustice is done the joint district; in the second, its neighbors suffer. This evil may be in part remedied by a change of form of reports, which can be made without any legislation. |