Education. He conducts Conferences of school officials and teachers,
issues teachers' certificates, passes upon proposals for the sale of school
sites and buildings, and the plans for the construction of new build-
ings. 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 supervi-
sion 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. He audits the accounts of the county boards
of education and sees that their expenditures conform to the law. His
approval is necessary in the appointment of county superintendents,
supervisors, and attendance officers by the County Boards of Education.
The State Superintendent is a member ex-officio of the Board of Trus-
tees 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 1931-32 enrolled in school
nearly 169,000 pupils in 1,665 schools in charge of 5,043 teachers. Over
31,000 of these pupils were in the 178 high schools distributed in the
twenty-three counties of the State. In the same year the counties
expended on schools approximately $8,892,000 for current expenses, of
which $2,726,000, or 31 per cent, was received by the twenty-three coun-
ties from the State of Maryland and Federal vocational funds. Balti-
more City received $1,459,000 from State and Federal school funds for
the maintenance of schools and the retirement system for teachers.

White high school enrollment and attendance in the counties in-
creased last year between 5 and 6 per cent. There were * 10,825 gradu-
ates from county white elementary schools and 4,397 from county white
high schools in 1932. Of the white girl graduates from county high
schools, 6.6 per cent entered the Towson, Frostburg and Salisbury
Normal Schools. The three normal schools had an enrollment in the
fall of 1932 of 783 students, which includes 289 enrolled from Balti-
more City at Towson.

Approximately 36 per cent of the white high school graduates of 1931
continued their education beyond high school in colleges, universities,
normal schools, hospitals, commercial schools, etc., in 1931-32.

Towson, Frostburg and Salisbury Normal Schools gave diplomas in
1932 to 330 young men and women, of whom 106 were from Baltimore
City. Of the county normal school graduates, 36 per cent received teach-
ing positions for 1932-33. Over 29 per cent of the county graduates re-
turned to teach in their home counties. In October, 1932,97 per cent of the
white elementary teachers held first grade certificates, 2 per cent second
grade certificates, and only 1 per cent third grade certificates. In 1920
one-third of the teachers held first grade certificates, one-third second
grade certificates, and one-third held third grade certificates. In the
financially poorer counties, which cannot carry the minimum require-

* Includes eighth grade promotions in Junior high schools.