necessity. There was sufficient authority under the law of 1879, for the superintendent to travel throughout the Territory and to supervise not in name and form merely, but in reality.
Indeed, the progress, which was soon apparent, following the appointment of Sherman, seems to prove that there was at least some supervision, for the slump of 1876–77 was soon overcome, and as early as 1877–78, the superintendent could show that the schools were already on the upward grade. In the latter year he reported 3,089 youth of school age, of whom 2,740 were enrolled, giving a percentage of 88, although the average daily attendance was put down at 890, or 32 per cent of the enrollment. The length of the term was 124 days, as against 190 for 1876–77; the teachers numbered 37 as against 31; the pay of the men fell from $100 per month to $91; but that of the women rose from $50 to $74. The total expenditures equaled the total income, which was $21,396.
If comparison should be made of the school situation in 1873 and 1880, great progress would be noted. The school enumeration was 4 times as great, the enrollment 10 times, and school property 16 times. Schoolrooms had increased from 11 to 101, and teachers from 14 to 101, but salaries had fallen from $100 per month to $83 for men and to $70 for women.
Of Sherman’s work for the Territorial schools, McCrea continues:
The new superintendent of public instruction entered upon his duties with energy and enthusiasm, and the schools in the next two years showed a wonderful growth. It is difficult to say what part of this was due to the efforts of the superintendent and what part was the result of the favorable industrial conditions in Arizona and the considerable immigration into the Territory.
In 1880 the favorable report of the year before was improved upon in most particulars. Though the number of pupils seeking to attend school was far greater than the accommodations afforded, no effort was made to enforce the compulsory law. The short school terms in many of the schools seriously interfered with their usefulness. Most of the town schools were taught from 150 to 200 days, while the county school terms seldom exceeded 100 days, and were sometimes as brief as 40 days. The lack of sufficient funds in the rural schools, and the too frequent changes of teachers and of the county superintendents, were reported by the superintendent to be the greatest obstacles in the way of the progress of the public schools.
It will be recalled that while public lands had been set aside by Congress for the endowment of the schools when the Territory became a State, none of this land had as yet become available for schools. Gov. Safford had sought authority for the Territory to sell some of these lands, but had failed. Supt. Sherman now sought to bring the matter again before Congress, with the idea of selling the lands and reinvesting the proceeds in productive securities, but failed. Under the act of April 7, 1896, the Territory was first given authority to lease its lands; authority to sell came only with statehood.
