Special circulars will be issued within a few days announcing the full faculty for each Institute. Every effort has been made to secure competent instructors for the Institutes, and it is believed it will be an inspiration to the teachers of the State to come under their instruction.

To County Superintendents:

J. W. BRISTER, State Superintendent.

NASHVILLE, June 13, 1911.

The data asked for below is necessary for the distribution of school funds as provided by Section 3, Chapter 264, of the Acts of 1909, for the purpose of making the terms of all the public schools more nearly equal.

Give this report your immediate attention, for a failure to do so may mean loss of money to your county. Return blank not later than July 1, 1911.

Report of...

J. W. BRISTER, State Superintendent.

County.

1. The total assessed valuation of all property, including railroad, telegraph and telephone lines.

2. The total number of children of school age..

3. The amount of taxable property for every child of school age.

NOTE-This can be ascertained by dividing the total assessed valuation of all property by total number of children.

4. The total tax rate for school purposes, including the 15 cents State tax, and not including the tax for County High Schools....

5. The total tax rate, including State and County levy, for all purposes.

6. The total poll tax levy, including $1.00 levy by the State

7. The privilege tax rate applied to school fund ....

8. The tax rate levied for County High Schools.

9. The special appropriation made, if any, for County High Schools...

Subscribed and sworn to before..

The State Commissioner of Agriculture is preparing to issue bulletins for each county in the State, setting forth its resources and other facts of general interest. He has asked the Department of Education to furnish educational data for these bulletins.

We believe this is an admirable opportunity for each county to advertise its educational advantages along with its other resources; and if it appears that the educational condition is not such as to make the county attractive to the homeseeker and invester, it will call attention to the lack in such a striking way as to command consideration and remedy. County Superintendents will please co-operate with us in making the educational chapter of the bulletins most valuable and interesting.

I suggest that you prepare a paper on the educational situation in your county, using between fifteen hundred and eighteen. hundred words, writing the article as if for the press, and not confining yourself to mere answers to the suggested questions. The following outline may be suggestive:

I. Schools of the county.

1. Elementary (Primary and Secondary.)
(a) Number.

(1) With four teachers.
(2) With three teachers.

(3) With two teachers.

(4) With one teacher.

(b) Needs.

(c) Sanitation.

(d) Consolidation.

2. Population of county.

(a) White.

(b) Colored.

(c) Adult.

(d) Native whites who can read and write.
(e) Native blacks who can read and write.

(f) Children of school age.

(g) Percentage of scholastic population enrolled.

3. Attendance.

(a) Percentage of enrollment in daily attendance.
(b) Causes of non-attendance.

(c) Compulsory attendance and whether desirable.

4. Length of school term and reasons for or against a long

term.

5. Community interested in schools.

(a) Whether people generally are favorable to the schools. (b) Interested in public school improvement.

(c) Recent private subscriptions for schools.

(d) Conditions of school library.

6. School moneys.

(a) Annual receipts from State (year ending June 30, 1911.)

(b) Annual receipts from county.

(c) Private individuals.

(d) Other sources.

(e) Total tax levy for common schools.

(f) Total tax levy for high schools.

(g) Total tax levy for all purposes.

(h) Prospect of increase from local sources.

7. The teachers of the county.

(a) Their general qualification.

(b) Number who have high school education.

(c) Number who have college education.
(d) Number who have had Normal training.
(e) Total number of teachers.

(f) Total number having first grade certificates.
(g) Total number having second grade certificates.
(h) Total number having third grade certificates.

8. Condition of school houses in your county.

(a) Number built last five years and average cost.
(b) Number frame-Number brick.

(c) Number in good condition.

(d) Total value of school property.

(e) Contemplated school improvement.

(f) Prospect for a bond issue for school buildings.

(g) Are school house improvements keeping pace with other rural life activities?

(h) Have school houses improved as fast as homes, vehicles, farm machinery, etc?

II. High schools.

1. Have you public high schools?

(a) Number first class.
(b) Number second class.

(c) Number third class.

2. Effect they are having on your elementary schools.

3. Total amount of high school fund.

4. Prospect of increase.

III. Condition of private schools in your county. Give some account of them, their number and value, showing how much they add to your educational advantages.

IV. Plans for the future of your school.

Allow me to repeat that this outline is merely suggestive. It is not expected that you shall follow it closely but in your way describe the educational situation in the county and set forth your educational advantages. We are counting on you to do this in order that your county may be properly represented in the forthcoming bulletins.

With the hope of securing an early and comprehensive state

I desire to direct your attention, at the beginning of the new school term, to a matter which I regard as of very great importance to your schools and communities.

As you know, the General Education Bill provides that a certain per cent of the amount derived from this source shall be used for the establishment of public school libraries. Under the provisions of this Act more than six hundred public school libraries have been established at a cost of something like twenty-thousand dollars, the State contributing one-third of this

amount.

We now have on hand to the credit of this library fund about $15,000. Your county is entitled to its share of this fund. Many counties have taken advantage of this offer on the part of the State; for example, White County has established 23 libraries, Coffee County 27, Anderson 31, Robertson 33, Sevier 22, and others have done almost as well, which shows what County Superintendents and teachers can do in arousing library interest and creating the reading habit among the people. I appeal to you to bring this matter to the attention of all your teachers and suggest to them ways and means for raising funds locally in order that they may receive aid from the State. The State gives one-half as much as a community raises to establish or to supplement a library. It is our hope that this entire fund will be exhausted during this school year.

If we can be of service to you in corresponding with your teachers direct from this Department, please give us the names of such teachers and we will gladly write them. We solicit your earnest effort and promise you our hearty co-operation.

Sincerely yours,

J. W. BRISTER, State Superintendent.