Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/688

 670 MISSOURI at least four months in every year in each school district, the general assembly may raise the necessary amount by a local tax. The per- manent school fund on Jan. 1, 1875, amounted to $2,624,354, the income of which, with 25 per cent, of the state 1'evenue, is distributed annually according to the number of pupils enumerated. The -amount thus distributed March 31, 1874, was $410,269. The legal school age is from 5 to 21. The general assembly is empowered to provide for compulsory educa- tion. The supervision of public instruction is vested by the constitution in a board of educa- tion, consisting of a superintendent of public schools, elected by the people for four years, and the secretary of state and attorney general. A state university, "with departments for instruction in teaching, in agriculture, and in natural science," is made a part of the free public school system of the state. Appropria- tions of any public fund for sectarian education by the state, county, or any municipal corpora- tion, are prohibited by the constitution. The most important statistics of the public schools of the state for 1873 are thus reported by the state superintendent: Number of persons between 5 and 21 years of age. 705,817 White males 843,540 " females 824,084 Colored males 20,591 " females 17,652 Number between the ages of 5 and 16 years 485,249 Number of public schools 7,829 For white persons 7,547 For colored persons 282 Number Of school districts 7,483 of school houses 7,224 of private schools 661 of normal schools 5 Number enrolled in public schools 871,440 " in private schools 88,525 " in university and normal schools. 1,252 Daily average attendance in public schools 210,692 Number of teachers (male 6,281, female 8,395) 9,676 Average monthly wages, male $39 87 " " female $3036 Total income for school purposes $2,117,662 From state fund, including 25 per cent, state revenue $252,461 From county fund. $181,546 From township fund $187,222 From taxation $1,496,488 Total expenditures $1,638,853 Teachers' wages $1,125,605 Buildings and grounds $295,026 Rent of rooms and repairs $84,518 Fuel and contingencies $67,387 Furniture and apparatus $65,822 Balance of moneys unaccounted for ,. .. $470.:i(>!> Total valuation of school property $6,774,506 Cost of education per scholar, based on enumera- tion $8 00 Cost of education per scholar, based on attendance or enrollment $5 70 There are six normal schools, supported at public expense and without charge for tuition, with an aggregate capacity for upward of 2,300 pupils, viz. : the normal college connected with the state university, with accommodations for 150 students; the city normal school in St. Louis, 150; the North Missouri school, at Kirksville, 700; the South Missouri, at War- rensburg, 600 ; the Southeast Missouri, at Cape Girardeau, 500 ; and the normal department of Lincoln institute, at Jefferson City, 200. The condition of these institutions in 1873-'4 is shown in the following statement : INSTITUTIONS. Normal department state university.... North Missouri nor- mal school South Missouri nor- mal school Southeast Missouri normal school St. Louis normal school Normal department Lincoln Institute... 1871 1871 1873 1857 1866 Annual itate appro- priation. No. of in. structon. $10,000 10,000 5,000 5,000 No. of pupila. 113 128 40 The normal schools are established upon abroad and liberal basis. The North Missouri and South Missouri schools have been erected at a cost of about $150,000 and $200,000 respectively. The complete course embraces four years. The normal department of Lincoln institute is for the training of colored teachers, while that in St. Louis is a city institution, though open to applicants from all parts of the state. The law requires two teachers' institutes to be held in each county every year. The state univer- sity, organized in 1840, is at Columbia, near the centre of the state. It has received Mis- souri's portion of the national grant of land made by congress in 1862 for the establish- ment of colleges of agriculture and the mechanic arts. Its government is vested in a board of 24 curators, who are appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate, and who ap- point the president and instructors. There is also a board of five visitors, who are required to examine into the condition of the university at least once a year. The plan of the institu- tion embraces the college proper ; the normal school, opened in 1868 ; agricultural and me- chanical college, 1870; school of mines and metallurgy at Bolla, 1871 ; college of law, 1872; medical college, 1873; and department of analytical and applied chemistry, 1873. It is expected that other departments relating to the mechanic arts, the fine arts, engineering, and architecture and construction will be or- ganized. The total number of students in attendance during the year 1873-'4 was 553, including 5 resident graduates, 176 in the col- lege proper, 216 in the preparatory department, 107 in the school of mines, 34 in the law, and 15 in the medical school. The whole number of instructors was 29. The university is open to women on the same terms as to men. The scientific department of Washington university in St. Louis was opened in 1857, and the col- lege in 1859. It now embraces: 1, the acad- emy, a preparatory department ; 2, Mary insti- tute, a seminary for girls; 3, the college; 4, the polytechnic department; 5, the law school. In 1873-'4 the number of instructors in all depart- ments was 22, and of pupils 908. The colleges and professional schools of the state are repre- sented in the following statement for 1873-'4 :