OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF NEW BEDFORD, TOGETHER WITH THE Superintendent's Annual Report, For the Year 1890. NEW BEDFORD: MERCURY PUBLISHING COMPANY, PRINTERS TO THE CITY. 696807 IN SCHOOL COMMITTEE, December 1, 1890. Voted, That the Secretary of this Committee make the Annual Report. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. By direction of the School Committee, I submit to our fellow-citizens the following Report for the year 1890. School census, May, 1888 (children between 5 and 15 years of age), 6,208 6,833 Increase in the number of pupils in the city between the ages of five and fifteen, for two years, 625. A state law requires the census of children between the ages of five and fifteen to be taken each year during the month of May. Upon this enumeration of children the apportionment of state aid for school purposes is made to cities and towns. The cost of taking this census in New Bedford is about three hundred dollars a year, for which no monied return is made from the state fund, as cities of the size and valuation of this city are excluded from the apportionment. The city receives, however, under state law, a large sum of money for school purposes each year from the proceeds of the dog tax, and a sum can well be spared each year from the dog fund for the school census. This census has been taken in the city with all the care possible, and undoubtedly the returns are quite accurate. The shifting character of a certain portion of the population, and the different nationalities represented, make it, however, a difficult matter to enumerate the children with absolute accuracy. The figures, therefore, represent rather less than more of the actual number of children of the enumerated ages who are in the city, although the actual number belonging in the schools shows an increase that corresponds very closely to the increase shown by the census. ROOMS USED FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES (DAY SCHOOLS), INCLUDING HALLS |