Supt Hammond Makes a Report

Concerning Education in Michigan.

Interesting Resume of the Status of the Public School System of the State.

The forthcoming annual report of Superintendent of Public Instruction Hammond will give some interesting figures relative to the cost of conducting the public school system of Michigan last year. It will show that the total resources, including the amount on hand from the previous year, were $7,867,646.95, while the total expenditures were $6,683,024.50. The receipts were as follows: Amount of one mill tax, $650,973.68; amount of primary school interest fund, $950,080.79; amount received from non-resident tuition, $86,538.63; amount received from district taxes, $4,524,995.08; amount received from loans, $404,276.61; amount received from all other sources, $331,884.75; balance from previous year, $918,897.41.

The following shows the total expenditures: Amount paid men teachers $1,075,621.56; amount paid women teachers, $3,077,257.04; amount paid for buildings and repairs, $621,194.86; amount paid for interest on loans, $118,996.94; amount paid on bonded indebtedness, $402,021.80; amount paid for all other purposes, $1,387,932.30; balance carried to this year, $1,184,622.45. The total expenditures of the graded school districts were $4,519,090.84, and of the ungraded districts, $1,761,911.86. The total bonded indebtedness of districts is $1,826,955.55, and the total floating indebtedness, $180,918.50. The total indebtedness of graded districts is $1,794,957.92, and of ungraded districts, $212,916.18. The total amount due the districts at the close of the year was $357,105.90.

The average monthly wages of men teachers in graded schools was $69.56, in ungraded schools, $28.15, and in all schools, $43.05. The average monthly wages of women teachers in grade schools was $42.96, in ungraded school $24.29, and in all schools $35.28.

The number of townships and independent districts reporting was 1,284, number of graded schools districts 672, number of ungraded districts 6,485, total 7,157. The total school census of the graded districts was 402,715, and of the ungraded districts 301,015, a total of 703,730. The total enrollment was 287,274 in the graded districts, 208,751 in the ungraded districts, and 496,025 in the state. A total of 741 districts in the state furnished free text books, this being an increase of 28 over the previous year.

The number of private or select schools that reported was 403, in which there were 406 men and 737 women teachers, and 45,465 pupils. The number of teachers necessary to supply the graded schools was 6,255, of whom 5,430 were women. Of the 6,618 teachers in the ungraded schools, 6,485 were women. The average number of months school taught by men teachers during the year was 6.89, while the average for women teachers was 7.22. There are 6,059 frame school houses in the state, 1,481 brick, 74 stone and 281 log, a total of 7,885. The whole number of sittings in these school houses is 614,043.

The estimated value of school property in the graded school districts is $13,946,524, and in the upgraded districts $4,192,065, an aggregate of $18,138,589. A total of 6,409 districts report dictionaries in the schools, 5,495 report globes, 6,191 report maps and 6,319 report United States flags. The total number of township and district libraries reported was 3,382, and the total number of volumes in such libraries 822,410. The total amount paid for the support of these libraries was $99,179.80.

Seventy-two teachers' institutes were held during the year, with an aggregate enrollment of 7,042. The amount received from the state treasurer for the support of these institutes was $1,735.56, and from county treasurers $12,569.28, a total of $14,304.84. Sixty-eight counties report county teacher's associations.

The aggregate per diem received by county school examiners was $16,379.70, and the total amount paid county school commissioners $66,505, making an aggregate of $82,854.70 paid these officials. The amount allowed by supervisors for expenses of county boards of examiners was $9,133.81; amount paid chairmen of boards of inspectors $31,061.35. The total amount of primary school interest fund apportioned among the counties was $1,048,354.50, the rate per capita for children included in the school census being $1.50.—Hillsdale Leader