New York State Department of State County Clerk's Reports on Common Schools

Alphabetical by county, then alphabetical by town.

These reports were submitted by county clerks pursuant to a law of 1819 requiring that they forward to the superintendent of common schools copies of reports received from town school commissioners. In 1821 the office of superintendent of common schools was abolished and its functions transferred to the secretary of state. The first folder in the series contains a draft of the secretary's report to the legislature, probably for 1821.

The reports by the school commissioners of each town provide the number of common school districts wholly and partially in the town that submitted reports to the school commissioners; amounts of school funds received from the county treasurer and town collector; and (included in most reports) titles of textbooks commonly used.

For each common school district the following information is provided: school district number; length of time that any school was kept; length of time that school was kept by an approved teacher; number of children taught during previous year; total number of children aged five to fifteen residing in school district; and amount of school funds received.

These records were apparently among many series transferred from the Secretary of State to the State Library in the late 19th century. They were partially burned in the 1911 Capitol Fire. Subsequently they were transferred to the State Archives as old series number 228, accession number -74.

Restricted in part due to burn damage. Use under supervision of archivist.