Section 142, page 63, of School law, provides that "At the proper time each county superintendent of schools shall notify the county treasurer in writing that the State money apportioned to the county is ready for distribution, whereupon the county treasurer shall forthwith make requisition in due form upon the Second Auditor of the State for the amount specified, and, as soon as the money has been received into the county treasury, it shall be the duty of the treasurer to inform the county superintendent in writing of the fact. County treasurers will please observe the following form in drawing the warrants on the Second Auditor: FORM OF DRAFT. VA., 188 To the Second Auditor of Virginia: Pay to the order of.. cents, the same being the amount due the county of for public free school purposes according to Apportionment No. published by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, dated 188 This money is to be used exclusively for the pay of teachers for the school year, commencing August 1st, 1886, and cannot be used for any other purpose. Superintendents and treasurers will see that this requirement is enforced. Section 150, page 67, of School law, provides that "All sums of money derived from State funds, which are unexpended in any year in any public free school district, shall go into the general school fund of the State for redivision the next year." The unexpended balances of State funds from last year will be adjusted in the next apportionment. A copy of this circular is sent to each county and city superintendent, and to each county and city treasurer. JOHN L. BUCHANAN, Superintendent of Public Instruction. Items from the Counties. CUMBERLAND Co.-Superintendent Carson reports a successful institute of four days at the courthouse, beginning July 27th. Thirty-nine teachers present. Institute opened by Superintendent in a brief address. Discussions of subjects pertaining to school room work, the reading of essays, &c., followed. The presence of several pupils of the State Normal School contributed no little additional interest to the occasion. FLUVANNA CO.-Superintendent Shepherd. An interesting institute was held in this county July 24th to 26th. GRAYSON Co.-Superintendent Hale reports the school year just closed as very successful; finances in good condition, and the people alive on the subject of education. Some good work in the way of building school houses is in progress. HALIFAX CO.-Superintendent Barksdale held an institute July 8th, 9th, and 10th. JAMES CITY CO.-Superintendent Allen reports two days of institute work. LOUDOUN CO.-Superintendent Shumate will hold his institute at Leesburg, September 1st. PRINCESS ANNE Co.-Superintendent Mears. Institute will be held at the courthouse September 1st and 2d. PRINCE WILLIAM Co.-Superintendent Gray held an institute at Manassas, August 25th and 26th. WISE CO. Superintendent Gilly gave his teachers the benefit of an institute at the courthouse, July 12 and 13. Fifty-six teachers in attendance. M. M. Wells, Esq. late Superintendent of the county, Dr. J. B. Wolfe, late Superintendent of Scott, and Professor Kennedy delivered addresses. ACCOMAC Co.-We should be glad to have fuller details from the institute held at Onancock under the supervision of Dr. John E. Mapp, Superintendent. ROCKINGHAM Co.-We shall be pleased to hear from Superintendent Hulvey respecting the institute in his county. NORFOLK CITY.-The city of Norfolk has taken a decided step forward in relation to its public schools. The council appropriated $11,000 for buildings and repairs the current school year. The new building for colored children has already reached the second story. BUCHANAN CO. The superintendent reports that his schools are already in operation. Buchanan seems determined to take the lead in school-work. Suggestions to New Superintendents. -Call the attention of the electoral board of your county to any vacancy existing in district boards of trustees. Failure of any trustee to qualify and deliver his oath, within thirty days after notification of his appointment, to the clerk of the county school electoral board, vacates his office. -Enclose your monthly reports in large envelopes (form 523), and mail them in time to reach this office on or before the 15th day of the month next succeeding that for which they are made. -Do not use scraps of paper for official communications. The usual letter size paper is the best for filing. -Read the Official Department of the file of EDUCATIONAL JOURNALS turned over to you by your predecessor. Text-Books. The circular relating to text-books seems not even yet to be clearly understood by some school officers. It is hoped that the following explanation will remove all uncertainty as to the policy of the Board of Education touching this matter: 1. The books on the list prescribed by the Board of Education, wherever they are now in use, must remain in use. In such case no action need or can be taken by the county or city school boards, and to such case the 3d "Regulation," published in the circular, does not apply. 2. Where other books than those on the prescribed list are now in use they will remain in use unless the county or city school boards determine upon a change. To this case also the 3d "Regulation," above referred to, does not apply. 3. Where county or city school boards determine on a change of books, of course the change will be from books not on the prescribed list to those on the prescribed list. To this case the 3d "Regulation" does apply, since it prescribes the manner in which the books newly adopted shall be introduced into the classes. And in this case also the county or city superintendent should follow throughout the 4th "Regulation." Some confusion seems to have grown out of the meaning which it appears has been attached to the expressions "new books," "old books," &c. A few words will explain. Suppose a county has been using, for example, Sheldon's Readers, and it is the purpose of the county school board of that county to continue their use. Then the pupils of that county needing Readers must buy Sheldon's. It is to be observed that in all cases in which county or city school boards determine to continue in use books not on the prescribed list, it will be necessary for them to make such arrangements with the publishers or book dealers as they may find practicable in regard to furnishing a supply of the books and the price at which they are to be sold. The Board of Education has no contracts with the publishers of books not on the prescribed list. In all cases where the books on the prescribed list are in use or shall be adopted, the contracts made by the publishers with the Board of Education, and now on file in this office, provides for a supply of books in each county sufficient for the wants of the schools at the prices stated in the circular relating to text books sent to school officers. New Superintendents. J. H. Patterson has resigned his position as Superintendent of Schools of the city of Danville, and the Board of Education has appointed Eston Randolph to succeed him. Wm. A. Bowles, for several years past Superintendent of Schools of Staunton, has resigned to accept the office of Principal in the Richmond schools. W. W. Robertson has been appointed by the Board of Education to succeed him. |