State Superintendent of Schools..

The State Superintendent of Schools is appointed by the State
Board of Education for a term of four years and is ex-officio secretary
and treasurer of the Board. He is the executive officer of the State
Board of Education, which, in addition to having general control of the
State School System, is charged with the duties of interpreting school
laws and acting without expense to the parties concerned in all contro-
versies and disputes involving the proper administration of the public
school system. He carries out the policies established by the State
Board of Education. He conducts conferences of school officials and
teachers, issues teachers' certificates, passes upon proposals for the
sale of school site? and buildings, and the plans for the construction
of new buildings. He directs the taking of the bi-ennial school census,
prepares courses of study and an annual report. He also issues
bulletins from time to time on the conditions and needs of the schools.

Either in person, or through his assistants, he has general super-
vision over the educational conditions in the counties and co-operates
with county school officials in welding together school interests in a
State system. He certifies to the Comptroller each year a list of
schools entitled to receive State aid, and the amount due each county
in part payment by the State of the salaries of superintendents,
supervisors and attendance officers; for books and materials; for
reduction of taxation; on the basis of children enumerated in the
school census, and for days of school attendance; and from the Equali-
zation Fund. He audits the accounts of the county boards of educa-
tion and sees that their expenditures conform to the law. His approval
is necessary in the appointment of county superintendents, super-
visors, and attendance officers by the County Board of Education.
The State Superintendent is a member ex-officio of the Board of
Trustees of the State Teachers' Retirement System..

All communications pertaining to the supervision and administra-
tion of the State School System (Baltimore City not included) should
be sent to the State Superintendent of Schools, or to him as secretary
of the State Board of Education.

Work of the State Department of Education

The twenty-three counties of the State in 1938-39 enrolled nearly
175,000 pupils in 1,283 public elementary and secondary schools in
charge of 5,186 teachers. Over 41,000 of these pupils were in the last
four years of work of the 178 high schools distributed in the twenty-
three counties of the State. In the same year the counties expended on
schools approximately .510,213,000 for current expenses, of which
$4,433,000 or over 43 per cent, was received by the twenty-three
counties from the State of Maryland and Federal vocational funds.
Baltimore City received $1,470,162 from State and Federal school
funds for the maintenance of schools and the retirement system for
teachers.

There were *11,098 graduates from county white elementary schools
and 6,309 from county white high schools in 1939. Of the white girl
graduates from county high schools, over 5 per cent entered the Tow-
son, Frostburg, and Salisbury Teachers Colleges. The three teachers
colleges for white students had an enrollment in the fall of 1939 of

"Includes eighth grade promotions in junior high schools.