New York State Education Department Bureau of Statistical Services Annual Financial and Statistical Reports of School Districts

Arranged into three subseries: 1. Annual reports, 1904-1964; 2. Annual reports, 1965-1990; 3. School data forms and other materials.

13638-12: Arranged by fiscal year, then alphabetical by county.

13638-13, 13638-15: Arranged by school type, then by county.

Between 1856 and 1912, elected school commissioners in each county outside of New York City supervised all common school districts and all union free school districts in their commissioner districts. The school commissioners sent abstracts of statistical reports for those districts to the Department of Public Instruction until 1904, when they were sent to the newly-formed New York State Education Department (NYSED). The NYSED reports are included in this record series. City school districts operated under their own superintendents and were not part of the school commissioner districts.

Starting in 1912, appointed district superintendents of schools in each county outside of New York City supervised the common school districts, which offered elementary instruction only; the (so-called) dependent union free school districts, which usually offered both elementary and secondary instruction; and the central school districts, almost all of which offered both elementary and secondary instruction. Central school districts were new districts, mostly created after the mid-1920s, composed of consolidated common school districts and usually one or more union free school districts. The district superintendents of schools sent reports of the school districts that they supervised to the State Education Department, and those reports are included in this record series. The district superintendents did not supervise the (so-called) independent union free school districts containing more than 5000 population (4500 after 1920) (usually located in larger villages or in suburban areas) or the city school districts. The city school districts and independent union free school districts operated under their own superintendents. The reports of those districts were sent directly to the State Education Department, and are also included in this record series.

The Bureau of Statistical Services was created in 1904 along with the New York State Education Department. It was charged with collecting basic statistical data on New York schools, school districts, colleges, and professional education programs, and publishing the data annually. Non-public schools are also required to participate in this reporting. In 1965, the Bureau created the Basic Educational Data System, which centralized the collection, storage, and dissemination of statistical data in a single computer system.

Generally, the reports in this series contain information on buildings, pupils, staff, curriculum and budgets. Although the format of and specific kinds of data collected in these reports change over time, the statistical reports generally provide information concerning: school district name, number, town, and county; numbers of schools and buildings; property values of sites, buildings, equipment, and library; number of volumes in and added to library; number of teachers or of professional and nonprofessional staff; number and total daily attendance of pupils; session length; private schools in district; compulsory education law violations; number of high school graduates, including data on the number entering institutions of higher education; name of school principal; miscellaneous information concerning specific types of instruction given (e.g. patriotism, hygiene, humane treatment of animals), schools' flags, observance of Arbor Day, vaccination of pupils, and medical inspections of pupils; names of school district officers; data on part-time, continuation, evening vocational, and summer schools, teacher training classes, and "Americanization" classes. In general, the quantity of statistical information on school district staff and pupils collected decreases greatly in the later reports.

Financial information collected increases in quantity over time. Earlier reports have statements of bond receipts and payments, and other revenue receipts and payments for expenses. Later financial reports give detailed statements for school funds, including: General Fund; Internal School Fund; Special Trust Fund; Construction Fund; Capital Reserve Fund; and Repair Reserve Fund. Also included are statements of the District's indebtedness, assessed valuation, and bank certificates of amounts on deposit.

13638-12: This accretion contains annual financial reports for various counties throughout New York State, as well as public and non-public school data forms and basic education data system reports.

B0555Series B0555, Annual Financial and Statistical Reports of Private and Parochial Schools and

Series B0558, Annual Census and Enrollment Reports of School Districts, contain reports submitted annually to the Board of Statistical Services.

Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1854-1902/1903

State Education Department, 1903/1904-1957/1958

and in the State Education Department, Annual Educational Summary, 1959/1960-1992/1993. More recent data is available online at www.nysed.gov.

13638-12, 13638-15: Container list is available at the repository.

13638-13: Electronic index to the BEDS school codes is available.

13638-99: This accretion includes records from transfer lists 781050, 800001, 800002, 850900, 960400, 870500, 910300, 91300A, and 920180.

13638-12: This accretion includes records from transfer lists 910300, 920180, 93-100, 94-200, 95-120, 96-66, 980111, 980112, 010061, 020051, 040022, 050147, and 090014.

13638-13: This accretion includes records from transfer list 050148.

13638-15: This accretion includes records from transfer lists 000086 and 000087.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.