Minutes of Board meetings, 1859-1862

Item — Reel: II HC300

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The manuscript minute book begins with the meeting of October 10, 1859, and ends with that of January 28, 1862. Minutes of a Finance Committee meeting, dated May 7, 1862, appear at the rear of the volume.

Dates

Creation: 1859-1862

Creator

From the Collection: Orleans Parish School Board (Organization)

Requesting Materials

Materials Request Guidelines

Conditions Governing Access

Available to registered researchers by appointment.

Biographical / Historical

The Common Council in 1852 passed an ordinance providing for the annual election of a separate board of directors for the public schools of each municipal district. The Board for the First District was to include 21 members.

In 1856 another ordinance included a provision requiring each of the district boards to make quarterly reports and an annual report to the Council (the ordinance specified the subjects to be addressed in these reports). It further provided that the presidents of the district boards meet to determine standardized reporting procedures. The presidents were also required to provide for the publication, in pamphlet form, of the annual report of the public schools.

The ordinances were designed to implement the provisions of state law relative to public schools in the city. The 1855 law provided that individual boards have exclusive management of the schools in its district. Each board was to elect a superintendent and as many principals as was necessary to staff its schools.