Receipts And Disbursements For School Purposes
Amount on hand Oct 1, 1876 $ 14.36
| apportioned to districts | $1,926.04 |
| Proceeds of Gospel and School Lands | 102.47 |
| Raised by tax | 2,251.58 |
| From teachers’ board | 384.00 |
| From other sources | 290.36 |
| Total receipts | $4,968.81 |
| Paid for teachers’ wages | $4,184.38 |
| Paid for libraries | .67 |
| Paid for school apparatus | 10.84 |
| Paid for houses, sites, fences out-houses, repairs, furniture, etc | 510.27 |
| Paid for other incidental expenses | 453.11 |
| Amount remaining on hand Oct. 1, 1877 | $41.76 |
The Union Free School District No. 12, of the town of Afton, was formed a joint district August 8, 1874, by consolidating districts numbers 5 and 12, under authority of D. G. Barber, School Commissioner of the Second School District of Chenango county, given July 8, 1874. The number of persons in the district at the time of its formation qualified to vote was 184.
The first school meeting in the new district was held at the Union school-house in district number 12, Sept. 25, 1874. R. M. Gallup was chosen Chairman, and Thomas Covert, Clerk. D. A. Carpenter, Thomas Covert and D. C. Church were elected trustees; G. M. Champlin, Clerk; and Deloss Lyon, Collector.
At a special school meeting held in the new schoolhouse of District No. 12, Oct. 6, 1874, at which time there were 200 persons qualified to vote, it was decided to establish a Union Free School within the limits of that district, pursuant to the provisions of chapter 555, of the laws of 1864, and the amendments thereto, and the following named trustees were elected:–Edgar Garret to serve for three years; Thomas Covert for two years; and G. M. Champlin for one year.
The trustees met as a Board of Education, Oct. 7, 1874, and organized by the election of Edgar Garret, Chairman, and G. M. Champlin, Clerk. The Board appointed Deloss Lyon, Collector, and George Hickox, Treasurer, but the latter refusing to serve, Eli M. Shay was appointed Treasurer Oct. 12, 1874.
G. M. Champlin was re-elected trustee in 1875, and Thomas Covert in 1876. In 1877, D. A. Carpenter was elected trustee in place of Edgar Garret; and in 1878, Amos D. Caswell was elected in place of G. M. Champlin. The Board at present (1879) consists of D. A. Carpenter, President, A. D. Caswell, Clerk, and Thomas Covert, Trustees; Eli M. Shay, Treasurer; and Joel Gillett, Collector.
January 2, 1875, the school-house and lot in what was formerly known as District No. 5, on the east side of the river, was sold at public auction to Harvey Church for $280.
The following amounts have been appropriated for school purposes:–In 1874, $1,393; in 1875, $1,366; in 1876, $1,555; in 1877, $1,650; and in 1878, $1,630.
The school building is constructed of wood. It consists of a main part 28 by 56 feet, two stories high, and a wing 28 by 40 feet, also two stories. It is kept in good condition, well ventilated and clean, and is supplied with patent iron standard folding seats. It contains three school rooms, one recitation room, with good black-boards extending on all sides of each room, two cloak rooms and a library room.
| The present estimated value of building is | $4,000.00 |
| he present estimated value of lot is | 1,100 00 |
| The Academy library contains 314 volumes, valued at | 200.00 |
| The Philosophic Apparatus (original cost) is valued at | 173.00 |
| Total value of school property is | $5,473.00 |
| Revenues and expenditures during the year 1878 | |
| Received from tuition | 192.45 |
| Received from Regents | 82.36 |
| Received from Common School Fund | 558.85 |
| Received from local tax | 1,602.42 |
| Received from Gospel and Literature Fund | 47.87 |
| Paid for salaries of teachers | $2,483 95 |
| Paid for repairs of building and other property | $1,949.90 |
| Paid for apparatus (Globe) | 510.27 |
| $ 5.00 Excess of expenses over expenditures $ 18.78 | |
The teachers in 1878 were James M. Sprague, principal, and Mary E. Littlefield, assistant.
The whole number of scholars taught during the year ending August 29, 1878, was 95; of whom 39 were males and 56 females. Their average age was 15 5-10 years.
The number of academic students June 29, 1878, or enrolled during part of the year ending that day, who pursued for four months or more of that year classical studies, or the higher branches of English education, was 34; of whom 13 were males, and 21 females. The average age of the males was 17 3-10 years; and that of the females, 17 years. The number of scholars pursuing classical studies during the year was 11, 8 males and 3 females. The number preparing for college in that year was 2.
Rates of tuition–Common English studies, $18.00; mathematical and higher English, $24.00; classical, including the preceding, $30.00.