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cient salary, for our salaries are liberal. We pay from eigh-
ty to one hundred and twenty-five dollars per term. But
it is attributable chiefly to the fact that we'can keep our
schools open but two terms in the year, while our sister coun-
ties continue theirs three or four terms. Our best teachers
therefore go where they can find more constant employment.
We cannot hope to remedy this difficulty, until by some
means we can continue our schools a longer period.

The reasons that we cannot keep our schools open longer
than two terms will appear by a single glance at my report.

When the present Board first took charge of the schools
of the County, we had in Bank, $4,493,78, this with the
amount of Public School tax received from the State and the
interest of our County fund, gave us the sum of $22,115,95,
to operate our schools for the last year.

We had 92 schools in operation for two terms at an ex-
pense of $17,396,49, and this with the amount invested in
books on hand, the amount paid for salary of Clerk and other
necessary expenses, and $2,206,77 left in Bank at the close
of the last scholastic year makes the amount we received. It is
therefore very evident that without a considerable increase of
receipts we cannot continue the schools longer than two terms
in one year.

As stated in my last annual report the majority of oar-
school houses are unfit for the purpose for which they are
used. To remedy this in a measure the Board have agreed
to appropriate one half the amount required, to those school
"districts in which the citizens will contribute the other half
and build a house according to the plan laid down. This
arrangement I hope will give us a few good school houses
during another year.

In short to make the system a success in our County and
to enable it to accomplish all of which it is capable, we must
have more funds.

Respectfully submitted,

J. H. CHRIST,
President of Board of School Commissioners

of Carroll County.

CHARLES COUNTY.

Port Tobacco, December, 1866
REV. L. VAN BOKKELEN, LL. D.,

State Superintendent Public Instruction.
Sir:

Since my last Fall report, the Public Schools of Charles
County, now numbering thirty-five, have been in successful