Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/380

363 NEW YOKE (STATE) tion of habitual truants. Free district libraries constitute a feature of the educational system, for which the legislature annually appropriates $55,000, and for which each district is author- ized to levy a small tax yearly. The following statement contains the comparative statistics of the common schools for the years ending Sept. 30, 1868 and 1874 : 1868. 1874. Total. Cities. Towns. State. 11 736 11 299 11299 " of teachers employed at the same time for 28 weeks or more . . 16,596 1 464 669 5,235 739 810 13,370 857036 18,605 1 596 846 '5918 622 e'565 ' 7J8T 21 865 5567 16868 22436 970 842 438 049 606815 1 044,364 445868 215 907 299318 515226 Number of times schools have been visited by commissioners 18*963 17*967 17,967 1 064 830 140 785 690 81 9 S31554 11 674 '425 11 856 11 781 Value of school houses and sites $16 459 4S5 $19 006 446 $10 209,708 $29,216,149 Indian schools were maintained in 28 districts at nine reservations, at a cost of $7,262, and were attended by 1,018 children, who were taught by 19 white and 12 Indian teachers. State moneys for the support of common schools are derived chiefly from the income of the common school fund, the principal of which in 1874 was $3,054,772; the United States deposit fund of $4,014,520, which is a nominal loan received on deposit from the surplus funds of the United States in 1836; and the state school tax of 1J mill. The amount derived from these sources in 1874 was: school fund, $178,813; United States deposit fund, $165,000; state tax, $2,664,631; total, $3,008,444. The total expenditures for the support of public schools amounted to $9,040,942 in 1868, and $11,088,981 in 1874. The receipts and expenditures for these two years were as follows : 1868. 1874. Total. Cities. Towns. State. RECEIPTS. Amount on hand at the be <T innin' of the year. .... $1 199 547 58 $814304 65 $238388 60 $1 052 693 25 2 302 515 70 1 070 643 86 1 676 580 24 2 747 224 10 Proceeds of the gospel and school lands 23,134 62 44 59 86 558 68 36598 27 Raised by tax . 6338861 77 4 941 827 50 2922876 01 7 864 703 51 Estimated value of teachers' board 375455 27 199 706 71 199 706 71 272 162 66 112221 24 285582 28 897808 52 Totals $10 511 677 60 $6939041 84 $5 359 6S7 52 $12 298 729 36 EXPEHDITTJBES. For teachers' wages. . $5 597,506 94 $3 880 536 24 $3720982 49 $7,601,518 78 For libraries. 26632 84 15070 94 17942 32 33 013 26 234528 09 188219 82 36595 96 224 815 28 For colored schools 64807 59 58458 18 7'668 87 66,126 55 For school houses sites &c ... 2184064 95 1 146 008 79 816189 21 1,962,198 00 For all other incidental expenses 933 187 60 705804 95 495325 60 1 201 130 55 214 51 'l79 33 179 33 Amount on hand at the end of the year 1 470 735 58 944943 42 864 804 24 1,209,747 66 Totals.., $10.511.677 60 $6.939.041 84 $5.359.687 52 $12.298.729 86 Much importance is attached to the training of teachers for the public schools. Teachers are required to have received a diploma from a state normal school, or a certificate from the superintendent of public instruction, the dis- trict commissioner, or city or village school officer. The state maintains, by an annual ap- propriation of about $150,000, eight normal schools, from which 3,028 students had gradu- ated up to the summer of 1874, besides a large number who had received instruction without completing the course. The courses of instruc- tion comprise an elementary English and an ad- vanced English course of two years each, and a classical course of three years. The course of instruction and practice at the Albany school is two years. Special classes are also formed for the benefit of those desiring a few weeks' instruction each year. .Each county is entitled to send to a state normal school, free of charge for tuition and text books, twice as many pupils as it has representatives in the as- sembly; to other pupils a charge is made for instruction. Applicants for admission must be at least 16 years of age and must pass exami- nation. State pupils are appointed by the state superintendent of public instruction, subject to the required examination, on recommendation of the school commissioners -or city superin- tendents. Teachers' institutes have been main- tained by the state since 1847. These are held annually in the several counties, for a period of about two weeks, with special reference to the wants of teachers in the rural districts.