TABLE I.-Common school statistics of the United States. Expenditures: and apparatus.. $26, 207, 041 $31, 229, 308 $35, 450, 820 $39,872, 278 $39,962, 863 $46, 289,074 $49, 453, 269 Looking at the comparative table above, Table I, it will be seen that the per cent of the population enrolled in the "common schools" (elementary or "district" and high schools) was 20.01, a very slight decrease being noticeable since 1900, when the per cent was 20.51. But the ratio in actual attendance has increased more than enough to make up for the loss in enrollment. And the average number of days' attendance on school by each pupil enrolled was only 78.4 for the year 1870; it reached 86.3 days in 1890, and in 1902 passed the hundred limit (100.6); in 1904 it reached 102.1 days. The aggregate of school property increased in value $41,000,000 over the previous year. The average expenditure for school purposes arose to 16 cents per day of instruction for each pupil, the amount for the previous year being 15 cents per day. The following table gives, for the year 1903-4, the Federal, State, and local expenditure for all purposes with some degree of approximation; also the expenditure for the different classes of schools and other institutions of learning. It will be seen that there was expended for education a sum nearly equal to one-half of the cost of the National Government. Of the total amount expended for all public purposes by the States, counties, cities, towns, etc. ($691,000,000), nearly twofifths (39.5 per cent) was paid for common schools. Total disbursements by the United States (as reported by Census Bureau).. Estimated expenditure by minor civil divisions. Total public expenditure............... Expended for common schools (elementary and secondary). Approximate expenditure for private schools (elementary and secondary).. Approximate expenditure for universities and colleges.... Approximate expenditure for normal schools....... Total expenditure for education.. $725, 984, 946 106,000,000 585, 000, 000 1, 416, 984, 946 273, 216, 227 22,000,000 40, 000, 000 3,000,000 6,000,000 344, 216, 227 TABLE II.-Number of pupils and students of all grades in both public and private schools and colleges, 1903-4. NOTE.-The classification of States made use of in the following table is the same as that adopted by the United States census, and is as follows: North Atlantic Division: a Including pupils in preparatory or academic departments of higher institutions, public and private, and excluding elementary pupils, who are classed in columns 2 and 3. A classification of public and of private secondary students, according to the character of the institutions in which they are found, is given in Chap. XXIX, vol. 2. This is made up from the returns of individual high schools to the Bureau, and is somewhat too small, as there are many secondary pupils outside the completely organized high schools whom there are no means of enumerating. e Including colleges for women, agricultural and mechanical (land-grant) colleges, and scientific schools. Students in law, theological, and medical departments are excluded, being tabulated in columns 9-11. Students in academic and preparatory departments are also excluded, being tabulated in columns 4 and 5. d'Mainly State universities and agricultural and mechanical colleges. e Including also schools of dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. f Mainly in schools or departments of medicine and law attached to State universities. Nonprofessional pupils in normal schools are included in columns 4 and 5. There are, in addition to this number, 23,612 students taking normal courses in universities, colleges, and public and private high schools. (See Chap. XXVIII, vol. 2.) 53, 640 19,760 49, 510 5,472 |