Page:History of Public School Education in Arizona.djvu/83

Rh century, however, the tendency has been toward longer terms of service, with more satisfactory results. Mr. Layton published the report of Mr. Long for the two years ending June 30, 1902, as well as his own report for the period ending June 30, 1904, and Mr. Long returned the compliment by publishing Layton’s report for June 30, 1906.

The early part of the period represented by these reports was one of increased and progressive educational legislation. The laws enacted included one raising the school age. They now abandoned the age limit 6 to 18, and went back to 6 to 21. This increase in age had its reflection in the statistics: In 1899–1900 the school population was 20,833; in 1900–1901, the act going into force on April 1, 1901, it was 23,435, or an increase of 12½ per cent. The reasons for this extension of the school age are self-evident, and it also appears that the people of the Territory made use of their increased opportunities, for the enrollment in 1899–1900 was 16,504, and in 1901–2, the first year in which the effects of the new law would be fairly felt, it was 19,203, or an absolute increase of 16.3 per cent on the enrollment of 1899–1900; but when these figures are measured in per cents of the school population it is found that in 1899–1900, 79.2 per cent was actually enrolled, while in 1901–2 this had fallen to 76 per cent; further, the average attendance based on enrollment fell from 61.6 per cent to 59.9 per cent, and average attendance based on school population fell from 48.8 per cent to 41.6 per cent. There was a compulsory law in force during these years, but it either did not or could not compel attendance. It was reported by the superintendent that in 1901 there were 5,967 school children who were not even enrolled during the year, and in 1902 this number had grown, in part because of the extended school age, to 7,104. The same loss of motion is shown in the statistics of cost. In 1901 the cost per capita of school population was $14.63; in 1902 it was $15.11. During the same period the cost per capita as based on enrollment was $19.15 and $19.41, showing that enrollment under the new law was keeping fairly close to that under the old; but when attention is directed to the cost per capita as based on average attendance, it was found to be for 1901 $30.66, while in 1902 it had run up to $34.82. In other words, the Territory was paying, because of poor attendance, more than $2 for every dollar’s worth of service that it received. The compulsory law was a delusion and a snare; the Territory was paying out money for schools; the educational feast was spread; but like those in the days of Scripture the ones invited to this marriage feast of education were willing to give an attendance of less than 50 per cent.

In 1901 the assembly repealed the provision for the county board of examiners. This repeal went into effect April 1, 1901, and did