physical apparatus has been purchased, and additions have been made to our already excellent library. A lecture course was maintained in connection with the school, and another is projected for the coming year, including George W. Cable, President Merrill E. Gates and Professor Brainerd Kellogg.

The commercial department offers a course of one year, and another of three years. The former fits for accountants, stenographers and general office work. The latter includes the sciences and mathematics and covers as much work as any other three-year academic course.

The Grammar School.

The experiment of allowing pupils one period of 35 minutes each day for reading books from the new library in the room has proven very satisfactory, and the practice is continued. For promotion to the high school, in addition to the regents' prelimi nary certificate, pupils are expected to hold pass cards in physiology, advanced English, United States history, English composition and drawing.

The teachers have been eager for the best things. Meetings are held bi-monthly, in the superintendent's office. The presence of an excellent normal school in our midst makes it possible for our standard of teachers to be raised. Eight are normal trained. A visiting day has been established, which is expected to be helpful.

The general record of attendance is excellent. The practice of presenting honor rolls for punctual and perfect attendance has begotten a worthy pride in this regard. At our graduating exercises such rolls were presented to young gentlemen, one for being neither absent nor tardy for 11 years, the other for 13 years.

PORT JERVIS.

JOHN M. DOLPH, Superintendent.

Attendance and Promotions.

The past year has been one of progress. The average daily attendance shows an increase of about 5 1-2 per cent. The tardiness was less than ever before, being only 3-10 of 1 per cent. During the past five years promotions in all cases where the term work was satisfactory have been made without final examinations. The final examinations were held for those who on account of absence or unsatisfactory work had not a clear record. Under this arrangement the number of final examinations has become steadily less, and the attendance and daily work better. The free text-book system, which has been in operation in all grades during the past three years, has cost less than was expected. The entire cost has been less than 34 cents per pupil registered for each of the three years, while the results of the system have been clearly recognizable in the increased attendance, the saving of time in the organization of classes, and the better care of books by the pupils.

Number of children between 5 and 6 years reg

istered..

218

Number of children between 6 and 15 years registered ...

1,549

Number of children between 15 and 17 years registered...

170

Average daily attendance...

Number of children between 17 and 21 years registered...

71

1,511.8

Average per cent. of attendance.

95.5

Number of regular teachers.

41

Number of special teachers..

1

Average daily attendance per teacher.

36.8

Cost per pupil in average attendance of instruction and supervision.

$13 04

Cost per pupil in average attendance, of all expenses except bonds and interest.....

Cost of free text-books per pupil registered.

$17 98 .333

SARATOGA SPRINGS.

THOMAS R. KNEIL, Superintendent.

General.

The past year has been a most prosperous one in the public schools. The attendance has been more regular; the number registered greater than ever before in the history of the village. The most noteworthy change in the curriculum has been the introduction of kindergartens in four of the graded school buildings. The experiment has worked most satisfactorily, and school authorities and parents are delighted with the results. In April, the teachers' institute for the second commissioner district was held in the village. It was a graded institute and the village schools were closed for its sessions, attendance of the teachers being made obligatory.

The institute resulted in great benefit to the village schools, and their teachers, measured by its results, in inspiration for faithful, intelligent service, no more successful institute was, I believe, ever held in the State. In the spring the board of educa tion decided, owing to the overcrowding of the lower grades, to centralize the three grammar schools, in a building to be erected on the high school lot, and annexed to the high school building. The building is now in process of erection, at an esti mated cost of $20,000, and will be ready for occupancy in September.

The new building will add greatly to the school plant of the village, now without a peer among the villages of the State, and will be a model of excellence. We expect to do better work, more economically than ever before. The sessions will be from 9 a. m. to 2 p. m. and so centrally located is the building that no pupils will be obliged to walk more than three-quarters of a mile to school.

The board of education in the spring recognized the faithful work of the teachers in the grades below the high school by generous increases in salary.

SENECA FALLS.

F. S. PORTER, Superintendent.

General.

The work of the past year was pleasantly accomplished, and in passing over it in review there seems to be an advance in both the quantity and quality of the work done.

We are changing to a system of semi-annual promotions in the belief that thereby the work will be better adapted to the individuals of the class. The abilities of a class of thirty or forty pupils to master any given course of study vary as greatly as do the abilities of any 30 or 40 men to succeed in life, and the wisdom of keeping a large class together on a level for a long time is not apparent. With half-year classes bright pupils can more easily advance beyond their grade and the disappointment to those who fall behind their class will be less. The chief gain, however, is in bringing the work closer to the needs of the individuals of the class.

Arbor Day is taken by the graduating class as their field day. In the afternoon exercises are given in Academy Hall, after which the class plant their tree. We thus give an added interest to the day and to a certain extent hold the class responsible for its appropriate observance.

The Study of Literature.

During the past year we have given much attention to the study of literature in the grammar grades. Teachers and pupils have found the work pleasant. That it has been profitable is evidenced by the increasing desire of pupils to get and own books, in many instances that have come under our observation preferring them to other gifts when they have had their choice of Christmas or other presents.

SING SING.

J. IRVING GORTON, Superintendent.

Kindergarten.

In accordance with your request, I have the honor to report as follows: We have for several years employed in our lowest primary classes all the kindergarten methods that we deemed practicable for the children of that degree of mental development, but now that the permissive school age has been made four years instead of five, we have planned to open a pure kindergarten in each of our schools, and to connect with them a class for the training of teachers in kindergarten work. All this is now (October 9, 1894) in successful operation, and we are encouraged to hope for its continual success.

We have purchased this year for the public library, which continues under the charge of the school authorities, 81 volumes, making the total number in the library 3,283. The number drawn for reading during the year was 11,896, besides a large number used for reference in the library, of which no record was kept.

Our school and reference library now contains 520 volumes, many of which are used for supplementary reading.

We consider that both our public library and our school library are doing very great service and abundantly repay us for all their cost in time and money.

Our two Remington typewriters are still in constant use by the most advanced high school class. They require very little attention from the teachers, as the pupils are permitted to assist each other in learning to manage them, and after that only prac tice is needed. They are used for preparing a variety of school work, including algebra, Latin, composition, and about all kinds of written work.

TONAWANDA.

F. J. DIAMOND, Superintendent.

Statistical.

I have the honor to submit herewith the most salient points in the history of the schools in Tonawanda during the past year. The school population of the town is not far from 2,400. Out of this number the day schools registered 1,590, and the night school 83, making a total of 1,673. With three parochial schools in operation throughout the year, these figures would seem to