| 1st School Report of Dr. Oliver Bronson to the Florida Superintendent of Schools for St. Johns County Public Schools |
| Department of Public Schools Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Florida Showing the Results of the First Three Months after the Opening of the Common Schools Tallahassee Charles H. Walton, State Printer. 1870 St. Johns County Board of Public Instruction appointed Feb. 25, 1869. Organized April 30, 1869. N. D. Benedict, Chairman; O. Bronson, County Superintendent. Schools. --- Number of youth between 4 and 21 years of age, 910. There are four schools in operation, employing three teachers; three new ones are preparing to commence. Two hundred and twenty-nine pupils are registered; average attendance, 204. Of one hundred pupils 19 have no father, 9 have no mother, and 4 are orphans. About 1/3 of the whole are represented as being unable to purchase the needed textbooks. Each of the teachers has taught previously. One is a graduate of the New York State Normal School, and has been a very successful teacher in that State for ten years. Visits by school trustees, 37; by county superintendent, 20; by others, 85. School-houses. ---One good school-house has been erected by the General Government. Another in use, probably the oldest in the State, was built by funds left for the purpose many years ago by a benevolent gentleman. This has been recently refitted and newly furnished. Each house is well supplied with blackboards, charts, and other useful and convenient articles. One school receives $1,000 from the Peabody Fund. Although recently organized, the patrons and friends of this school are highly pleased with the progress thus far attained. It is indeed a model school, and is steadily increasing in numbers. Another school is liberally aided by the American Missionary Association of New York. Both these schools are the centres of much interest and are visited by large numbers of guests from abroad. The county superintendent and the board have been zealous in their endeavors for the establishment of schools of high grade in St. Augustine, under such auspices as would insure the co-operation of all the citizens. Their labors have been gratuitously performed and have been crowned with success, which is the highest reward. (Note: no idea what the fourth school was!) |