To the Board of Education of the State of Connecticut: Your Secretary respectfully submits his fifth annual Report. In this Report the following subjects are referred to or discussed: 6. State Text-book on Physiology. 7. Elementary Lessons in Sci ence. 8. Catalogue of Normal School. 9. Report of Council of Edu cation. 10. List of School Visitors. The statistical summary hitherto given at length at the beginning of the Report, has been divided and the parts will be found under the subjects to which they specially refer. The compilation and arrangement of the returns from towns, forming the statistical tables of the Appendix, are wholly the work of Mr. A. J. Wright. He has also carefully collected and tabulated facts relating to management of the Town Deposit Fund. A part of the laws relating to education, compiled by order of the General Assembly, with a brief commentary and history of important provisions are made a part of this Report. FINANCIAL STATEMENT. Summary of Statistics for 1886-7. Dividend per child from School Fund, Income of Local Funds, Amount raised for schools by Town Tax, 825,554.26 Number of districts that raised a tax during the year, 128 Cost of new school houses, 56,831.89 School Fund. On the 30th of June, 1887, the principal of the School Fund was invested as follows: The dividend declared March 1, 1887, was $114,945.00$860.50 more than last year. In January, 1887, the school census showed 153,260 persons between four and sixteen years of age. The above dividend enabled the Commissioner to distribute to the towns "for the support and encouragement of the public or common schools throughout the State, and for the equal benefit of all the people thereof" seventy-five cents for each person enumerated. In the year ending August 31, 1887, 6.4 per cent. of all the moneys received for schools was derived from this fund. Town Deposit Fund.-The amount reported as interest on town deposit fund is $38,835.65. The origin and present condition of this fund is stated on pages 134-147. Amount of fund as reported for 1887, was $753,326.87. In the amount [$528,593.88] reported as invested in town securities is included a large sum upon which towns do not make any pretense of paying interest; other considerable sums which the town officers never heard of; other sums invested in town farms, public buildings, etc. The reports from officers charged with the care and legal application of this fund unmistakably indicate that not a dollar* thus invested, in any sense promotes education in the common schools, as the condition of the trust requires. It follows that this large trust fund given upon plain conditions, has been, to the extent of these town orders and bonds, entirely estranged, if not illegally diverted from its original purpose. Of the notes secured by mortgage a large part, not accurately ascertained, are worthless. A few towns hold some unproduc tive real estate taken on foreclosure. In fine, five-sevenths of this fund devoted by the state and received in trust by the towns, if not dead, is in a profound and very unhealthy sleep. The interest is not a substantial sum of money which can be devoted to schools, but a fiction, legal or illegal, which appears on the books or not, as the town desires. Local Funds.-The amount of interest on local funds is reported to be $7,723.20. While no investigation has been made it is probable that these funds have been absorbed, and have practically disappeared in the same manner as the town deposit fund; that this showing of interest is merely a method of book-keeping, and that there accrues therefrom no real addition to the amount appropriated to public schools. State Tax-From the State tax the Treasurer paid to the towns $229,890.00 at the rate of $1.50 for each enumerated * A considerable sum, perhaps $20,000, is held by town officers awaiting investment. This when invested would be really productive. |