hubert howe bancroft - Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History ...

EDUCATION. 719
modifications and improvements, is now tli3 basis of
the school law of California.
of the state school superintendent contain statistics showing the condition
of the country to be very unsettled in regard to schools, but that was no
more than was to be expected from 1850 to I860, during the period of the
greatest restlessness in the population. The deficiency of public schools
was partly supplied by private ones, teachers being numerous. P. K.
Hubbs was stale supt from 1853 to 18o6. He was succeeded by A. J.
Moulder, graduate of the Virginia military institute. The report of 1856
shows children of school age in Cal. to number 30,039; enrolled on public
school register 15,090; daUv attendance 8,495; schools 321; teachers 392.
A large number of the children were under private instruction. San Francisco
took and maintained the lead by passing the first local ordinance under
the school law Sept. 25, 1851, dividing the city into 7 districts, and providing
for a free school in each, and for a board of education. 1 his was
chiefly due to city supt Nevins, who organized the department, an appropriation
of $35,000 having been secured, and in 1852 another of $30,000, and a
school tax of one-fifth of one per cent levied for school purposes. r lhe first
3 schools opened in 1851 under the ordinance were the Happy Valley, under
J. Denraan; the Powell st or North Beach, under J. Tracy in Nov.; and the
Washington st grammar school under £. Jones Dec. 22d. In 1852 the Rincon
under J. Western, 8th Jan.; the Spring Valley under A. W. Cole, 9th
Feb.; Mission grammar under A. Rix, in May; Union grammar at Clark's
point under A. Holmes, June 7th. The Spring Valley school was leased to
the city by Nevins for 99 years for the nominal sum of $700 for the entire
period. There was a constant increase, until in 1856 the S. F. schools numbered
24, vis: 7 grammar, 2 mixed, 6 intermediate, and 9 primary, the daily
average attendance being 2,516 out of 3,370 enrolled. Much trouble was
had concerning school lots owing to squatters. S. F. Annals, 684-5. Until
1854 the city owned but one of the school buildings, but after this a number
were erected. State Sttpt Jlepi, 1864-5, 342 et seq. In order to furnish school
houses the city contracted a debt of $60,000 in 1854, and increased the tax
rate from 28 cents for city and county to 43 cents. The bad and dishonest
financial management of the state officers and legislators affected the public
school fund during a period of years.
The first apportionment from the state fund was made in 1854, and its
inadequacy is apparent by the following table.
1854
1855
1856
State Fund
$52,961
63,662
69,961
County and
City Tax
$157,702
119,128
121,639
Subscripting
and rate bills
$42,557
39,395
28,619
Salaries
$ 85.860
181,906
200,941
Expenditure
$275,606
334,638
305,221
It was not until 1856 that a high Bchool was organized in S. F., the lack
of it compelling parents to send children away, and to patronize sectarian
schools against their judgment; but the first heavy expense of erecting
school-houses had first to be borne. The present public pchool fund is derived
from three sources; the state fund, the county fund, and the district
or local fund. The state fund is derived mainly from a property tax, supplemented
by a poll-tax, and by interest on certain bonds held in trust by
the state for the benefit of public schools, and also by interest on balances
yet due on school lands purchased from the state. The amount of the state
fund apportioned in 1885 was $1,845,883.03; and inl886 it was £2,012,235.01.
The county and local funds made up the remainder the total expenses of
£he public schools, being for each year over $3,000,000. Jtrpt of SUtU Supt of
Schools for 1887 in Lty. Jour., app. no. 7. According to the school census of