CITY OF CHICAGO. At a meeting of the Board of Education, held June 29, 1869: The Committee on Publication was authorized to print Five Thousand copies of the Fifteenth Annual Report and Rules of the Board, for distribution. S. JOHNSTON, Clerk. REPORT. Gentlemen of the Board of Education: ONLY ten years have elapsed since the President of this Board first made a report of the progress of the schools for the year then just past, and presented his suggestions for the work of the year to come. Meanwhile the city has enlarged in area from fifteen square miles to thirty-eight, and increased in population from fifty thousand to three hundred thousand inhabitants. Her schools were then thirteen in number, employing one hundred and one teachers, with an average enrolment of 5,516 pupils. The present year closes with thirty schools, employing four hundred and seventy-nine teachers, with an average enrolment of 22,838 pupils. At that time the total expenses of the schools were $70,000, distributed as follows: Salaries of teachers and superintendent, $43,000; incidentals, $12,000; rent of buildings, $15,000. The total expenses of the current year have been $746,320, divided as follows: Salaries of teachers and superintendent, $353,815; other current expenses, $100,120; for permanent improvements, $292,385. To secure the most economical expenditure of so large an amount of money, and to prevent waste, requires the utmost care and scrutiny. It should be a source of great gratification and thankfulness, that we are able to present to our constituents a report in which exists so much that is commendable, so little that is deserving of censure. We have added to our school accommodations during the year 4,872 seats; by the erection of the Clarke, Franklin, and Hayes houses, each 945 seats, and the Elm Street and Wentworth Avenue Primaries, each 512 seats, together with 1,013 seats in additional rented rooms; increasing our corps of teachers 78. We have also contracted for full sized buildings upon the Forest Avenue and Larrabee Street lots, and for twelve-room Primary buildings on the LaSalle Street and Mitchell Street lots. These will be ready for occupancy during the coming school year. |