Ann Arbor Public Schools

To the Board of Education of the City of Ann Arbor : Gentlemen : - Herowith I submit for your consideration my Tenth Annual Report of the Public Schools under your charge. In order that these annual reporte may furnish an intelügible and useful history of the scliools, the items and forms of the general statietics are made, in the main, the same from year to year. I. PEKTAIMNÖ TO THB DISTRICT. 1. Equalized valuation of district propertv 81,570,920 00 2 Cash valuation of school property.. 140,500 00 3. Balance of möney on hand from preceding year 1,919 74 4. Amount received from primary school fnnd 1,166 51 5. Amount received from local taxati.n jone mili tax 1,56192 "uu voted on property... 18,650 00 6. Amount received from tuition- ( residents 846 25 ( non residents 3,967 56 7. Amount received from all other sources 480 29 Total receipte 28,522 27 8. Cost of superintendence and instruction 17,650 70 9. Cost of incidentale 4.315 88 10. Amount paid,'on bonds and interest. 4,900 00 11. Amount paid for permanent improvements 1,461 48 12. Balance remaining 194 21 13. Popiüation of district 8,490 14. Census of school age 2,483 IL PERTAININQ TO THE SCHOOLS. í Í í í ft Í I i f _s s & L5 1. Enrollment, transfers excluded- Boys 254 303 469 1026 Girls 195 245 411 851 Total 449 548 880 1877 2. Average number belonging 318 456 709 1483 3. Average daüy attendance 306 436 677 1419 4. Per cent, of attendanee 96 96 95 95.5 5. Number of men teachers 4 4 5 6. Number of women teachers 4.4 10.3 U 28.7 7. Number of special leachers 2 8. Average attendance of each pupil, in days 138 142 130 134 9. Average age of highest class promoted, inyears, 17.6 14.5 10 10. Number of pupils to each teacher 38 43 51 45 11. Number of non-residents 245 53 37 335 12. Cost per capita for instruction S20 30Ï12 39 Ï7 82 $11 90 18. Cost per capita for incidentals 2 91 2 91 2 91 2 91 14. Total cost of education, per capita 23 21 15 30 10 73 14 81 The items ol enrollment and attondancc are all a little higher than corresponding ones of the preceding year. A comparison of these reporta from year to year will show our schools to be in a healthy and prosperous condition. The following additional items are of suggostive valué, and aro often called for : Number of pupila under six years of age 88 Number of pupila between six and sixteen yearaof age 1,369 Number of pupils over sixteen years of age, 420 Number of pupils over twenty years of ag8, 80 The first of the above items is 27 less than laat year, whieh I truat indicates a growing opinión that children under six years of age cannot profitably attend school. As usual we publish a list of those pupils who havo maintained a perfect attendance throughout the year. The ambition to secure such honorable mention is praiseworthy. The roll is as follows : High School. - Jennie G. Cornwell, Charles G. Almendinger, Fanme L. Gwinner, Libbie J. Hicks, Caroline Rosa. Grammar Department, Central Building. - Lizzie Brehm, Julius Schloterbeck, Amanda Ryer, Willie Thomas, Lydia Greve, Anna Judson, Lottie Jackson, Charles Garrett, lie Hay ley, Wuhe Tate; for twoyears, Willie Loomia, Mary Miller, Harry Price ; for three years, Lutie Rose, Emelie G winner, Víctor Mogk, Paul V. Perry ; for four years, Gertie Rose. First Ward School. - Walter Mack, Frank Hallock, Edward McGraw; for three years, Arthur Tagge ; for four years, Newton Phelps. Second Ward School. -Anna Durheim, Sophia Durheim, Paulino Keubier, Martha Schaeberle, Louise Weitbrecht, Albert Glatzel, Emanuel Henrich, Ernest Lutz, Christian Weiman, Ruth Durheim, Louise Schaible, Theodore Beek, Fred. Schaible, HelenDeFrisz ; for three years, Herman Kim. Third Ward School. - Edward Seyler, August Wurster, Matilda Wurster. Fourth Ward Scfiool- Mollie Hall, Tillie Schumacher, Lizzie Kemper ; three years, Alvin Dodsley. Total 50 - a creditable ahowing. The per cent. of attendance in the schools as a whole, ia as high as we can reasonably expect, but the cases of tardiness are far too numerous. In every school except the Second Ward, tardiness is a serious evil. Occasional cases are necessary and are easily managed, but aome families are chronicallv slow. Edueatiou and character are largely in the blood. Good scholars are usually prompt and regular - they come from families of enterprise, order, cleanliness, godliness. A large influxof primary pupila at the opening of tho Spring torna necessitated an additional teacher, who was placed in the Fourth Ward building, as being more central than any other having unoccupied rooms. The work of tho year in tho grades has been carried forward with uniformity and success. Teachers have all worked faithfully, many of them skilliully. The classes passed their 'final examinations for promotion in general, with much credit. DRAWING. Somewhat more than custemary attention was given to Drawing during tho year. The teachers of grades 3 to 6 inclusive, met the special toacher in Drawing every third Friday afternoon, for instruction in methods of teaching, and to some extent in subject matter. As a consequenco, most of the rooms have made considerable progress in this branch, although tney nave not reaiized all my hopes. The value of Drawing, as one of the practical branches, urges us to emphasize its teaching aa much as justicc to other branches will permit. MUSIC. The Music has boon managed with ability. aa the oxaminations, which were quite severe, well attest. In recommending that Music in the main bc taught by the regular teachers horoafter, I would not bo understood as lowering my estímate of Music in the Schools ; but I see no reason for changing au opinión expressed in my report of 1874, that "special teachers ought not to be regarded as a natural and permanent part of the equipment of a Pul !ic School." The time has come, it seems to me, for the teachers to take the Music into their own hands, and I confldently expect them to do the work onjoinod by the course of study in a creditablo manner.