School Board Records--Jan 1882-July 1882

A report from Superintendent T.T. Baudouin said the attendance at school in 1881 had been good for the first four months but had dropped off in the fifth month partly due to the heat and partly due to the indifference of the parents.
He also reported that the furniture in the schools not owned by the parish was poorly adapted to the needs of the students. This furniture was described as ill-shaped benches with a board attached to the back for a writing table. These schools also had very small blackboards or none at all.
Mr Baudouin also advised the purchase of reading charts for beginning students and geographical charts and globes for each school.
The board agreed to purchase the reading charts for each school. They authorized the opening of ten schools on the first Monday in Feb. for five months. The teachers were to be paid not more than $40 a month.
The teachers were Miss Amanda Perkins, Mrs. K. M. Haggerty, Miss Leila P. Bruce, Miss E. J. Pursell (until April when she was replaced by Miss Fisher), Miss M. C. Manny, Miss Rosa Fleming, Miss Mary Thorp, Mrs. G. E. Knight, Miss Mary A. Thoroughgood, and Miss Arabella Dessauers.
In July 1882 the board met and heard a report that there were a total of 506 children enrolled in school, 113 were white and 393 black. This was only one-third of the white children and one-quarter of the black children in the parish. There was an 85 percent attendance of those enrolled.
The board voted to open 10 schools for five months beginning the first Monday in Feb. The teachers were to be paid not more than $40 a month.