Lucia Smith,
Superintendent

It is my pleasure to report the schools of Carroll County in a reasonably fair degree of efficiency.  A constant effort for improvement in the condition of the school's has been put forth by the county superintendent, whose aim has  been to elevate the conditions by lifting the teachers to a plane of great proficiency in knowledge and the power of skillfully applying that knowledge.  We have striven to impress upon the teacher of the fact that he must not only know the thing taught, but he must know a thing to be taught -in other words, he must make child-life a study. 

 Within the last two years we have succeeded in establishing two graded common schools in the county, one at Ghent, which school has been a striking success from the beginning-and one at English.  These schools give the patrons a free school as high as the eleventh grade. This we think quite a step in advance for the county. 

The Carrollton graded schools are among the very best in the state.  The teachers are a body of industrious and skillful workmen.  We aim to make the Carrolton and Ghent schools models for the entire county.  The course of study for the county is up-to-date.  Two-thirds of our teachers hold first class certificates, and there is but one third grade teacher among us.  Most of the small districts are supplementing the State fund by a local fund, so that they may have better teaching facilities.  The school buildings, with one or two exceptions, are in good repair, and are well furnished with school furniture and apparatus.  The financial condition of the school districts is first class.  They are either out of debt, and in many cases a good balance in the treasury, or they have the debt approved by the people.  We have great hope for the people of Carroll County.  We have seen the dawning of better educational interest among the people.  I am serving my last year in the office of superintendent, and shall retire with the consciousness of having done what seemed my duty under any and all circumstances.