the several school districts of the State, blank forms for reports, accompanied with such explanations and instructions as may be deemed necessary. This suggestion is made in compliance with the request of many friends of education and receives the approv al of my own judgment; and it is believed, should it be carried into effect, it will result in the removal of all obstacles to the collection of extensive and reliable statistics upon the educational af fairs of the State. This plan is already adopted in several other States.

CONDITION OF THE SCHOOLS OF THE STATE.

There are in the State fifty counties, five of which have organized by the election of county officers for the first time, during the present year, to wit: Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Monroe and Trempeleau. From none of these counties, except Monroe, have any reports of schools been received. La Pointe has had a partial and inefficient organization for several years, but has yet taken no measures for the establishment of schools. In fact, the settlement in that county is so isolated from the rest of the State, and the population so sparse, that there is but a small and barren field for the exercise of any effort for the establishment of schools. The counties yet unorganized are Buffalo, Dunn, Door, Kewaunee and Shawanaw; from which, of course, no reports have been received. Of the counties organized previous to the present year, and which have heretofore reported upon the school matters, Adams* and Pierce have failed to do so this year up to the writing of this report. Reports, therefore, have been received from thirty-eight counties, containing four hundred and thirty-five towns.

In speaking of towns, the ten cities of the State are included. From the following ten towns within the counties so reporting, no reports have been received, to wit: Woodville, in Calumet county; Eagle Point, in Portage county; Eagle, in Richland county; Depere and Morrison, in Brown county; Borina, in Ou

• Adams and Pierce received, bnt too late to be included in the report.

tagamie county; Royalton, Scandinavia, Centreville and Caledonia, in Waupacca county. The five towns last named have been formed since the annual reports of 1853.

The number of school districts in the State is two thousand one hundred and sixty-four, and the number of parts of districts is one thousand and sixty-two. It is impossible to ascertain the exact number of school districts in the State, as the several parts of a joint district are reported to the town superintendent of the town in which such part is situated. In some instances, parts of joint districts lie in four different towns and in two counties. But as near as can be ascertained, from data in our possession, the whole number of school districts in the State is about twenty-six hundred.

Joint school districts are, in many respects, unwieldly and impolitic organizations, for reasons it is unnecessary here to state, and town superintendents should resort to their formation only when' the most urgent necessity exists; such is obviously the sole intent of the law. It is gratifying to observe, that while there is a large increase in the number of school districts, principally in the newer counties, and from territory heretofore unorganized, there is, as appears from a comparison of the reports of 1853 and the present year, a decrease in the number of districts in the older and more populous towns. This is a cheering indication, as showing that in towns where the experiment has been tried, the people are getting tired of small districts, and the inevitable concomitants of a small amount of taxable property, few children drawing public money, miserable school houses, poor teachers, short sessions, and almost a total want of progress in the school. May other towns profit by their experience.

The whole number of children residing in the State, on the 31st of August last, as shown by the reports, over four and under twenty years of age, is

Males,

Females,

Number reported in towns, making no distinc-
tion in regard to sex,

Total, .

77,766

72,590

4,769

155,125

Showing an increase of 16,467 over the number reported last year, which is a larger annual increase than in either of the last two years. The number over four and under twenty, that have attended school, is not reported in thirty-seven towns, that have otherwise reported, but the entire number reported is 101,580; showing an increase of 6,322 since last year in the attendance upon the public schools. In addition to these, 994 over twenty, and 1359 under four years of age, have attended upon these schools. It is doubtful whether any very rapid strides up the rough steeps of science have been made by the latter class.

The following table shows the whole number of children residing in the State, over four and under twenty years of age each year, from 1849 to 1854, inclusive; together with the number who have attended school, and the per cent. of attendance in each year: Year. Whole No. of Children. No. attending School., Per cent.

In considering the low per centage, shown by the above figures, attending school during the year ending August 31st, 1854, it is well to state, that in thirty-seven towns, containing 10,102 children over four and under twenty years of age, no report is submitted of the number attending school. If we suppose that the general average attendance was the same in those towns as in the others, which is probably the case, or if we deduct the 10,102 from the whole number of children reported, and thus ascertain the average in towns fully reporting, we shall find the true per centage of children attending school during the past year to be a trifle over 70 per cent., and the whole number attending school to be 108,651. The average length of time for the State, that schools have been taught is 5 1-4 months. The highest average in any county is 7 3-4 months, in Kenosha county; the lowest, 3 months,

in Jackson county. The average number of months taught by males is 3 2-5; by females 4 1-3, showing that more female than male teachers are employed in the schools.

The average length of time scholars of a legal age have attended school appears, by the abstract, to be 4 4-9 months; but as in several counties such average is greater than the average number of months of school, it is plainly erroneous. By rejecting the reports from such counties, this average amounts to about 4 months. The average amount of wages per month, paid to male and female teachers, and the total amount of money expended for teachers, wages in each year, under the present system, will appear by reference to the following table:

It will appear from the above, that the price per month paid to male teachers is $2 86 over that of 1853, showing a larger increase than in any previous year. The advance in price per month paid to females is $1 37, being a larger increase than in any year since 1850. These are healthful indications regarding the schools, for as prices advance so will the qualifications of the teachers, for school districts in the management of their financial matters will not lavish high wages upon incompetent and unprofitable instructors. The highest average per month paid to male teachers is $45 in St. Croix county; the lowest average is $15, in Crawford county. The highest average per month paid to females is $22 50, in Marathon county, the lowest average is $7 25, in Monroe county.

The amount of money expended, during the year for common schools, is as follows:

For teachers wages,

Building and repairing school houses,

For libraries,

For other purposes,

i

163,485,64 55,309,38, ! 2,040,00 21,281,52

Total money expended in the State for school purposes,

Showing an increase during the year of

$242,116,54 76,982,37

The number and material of which the school houses of the state are constructed, and their total valuation in each year from 1849 to 1854, both inclusive, will appear by reference to the following table:

Increase in the total valuation during the past year, 62,195,66 The reports as to the number of school houses in the State for the past year, are evidently incomplete. While the reports show an expenditure of $55,309,38, on school houses, principally in erecting new buildings, which sum added to the valuation of last year, makes about the valuation of these buildings this year, substantiating the correctness of this item of expenditure; it appears that but one brick school house and five of stone, have been added to the list of last year. It is well known that very excellent framed school edifices have been erected in several villages, and in many of the smaller districts, and it is believed that the past year will compare favorably with any previous one in the number and character of the school houses that have been built. The large amount of money expended for such purposes seems to prove such a result.