The following collection of records consists of reports created by the school trustees of Albany County towns submitted to the Albany County Education Commissioners and New York State Department of Public Instruction/ Education Department. In addition, reports by the Albany County Education Commissioners are included. The reports to the Education Department provide annual salary information for teachers in Albany County, school operation costs, attendance numbers, and names of parents, teachers, and students. The reports from the Education Commissioners were compiled using the reports and records received from school trustees. Annual commissioners’ reports tallied the financial and statistical data from the districts each commissioner was responsible for. For example, Colonie and Guilderland appear in the third commissioner district. Some of the statistical data included in the reports is the education level of teachers, if additional school buildings were constructed, and whether or not Arbor Day was observed during the year.

The collection contains reports from the following Albany County towns and municipalities: Berne, Bethlehem, Coeymans, Colonie, Guilderland, Green Island, Knox, New Scotland, Rensselaerville, Watervliet, and Westerlo. Reports for the towns of Broome, Middleburgh, Niskayuna, and Wright, located outside of Albany County, are also included.

Public education in New York State began as the new state was emerging from the American Revolution in the 1780s and 1790s. However, the early efforts to organize public schools did not fully take root until the early 1810s. Many school districts today can trace their beginnings to the 1812 law establishing a state-wide education system. The Common School Act of 1812 divided towns into school districts and provided financial support through local taxes and tuition fees. When the public-school system was created student enrollment was voluntary and many pupils did not attend past the age of 15. However, by the 1830s “as many as 90% of nonurban youth in New York attended school for at least part of the time.” (Ment, 1985)

In 1854, New York created the department of Public Instruction to oversee the statewide school system. The State Education Department and Commissioner of Education were not established until 1904. (Ment, 1985) As the population of New York grew in the nineteenth century the public-school system needed to change to accommodate the influx of potential students. Tuition was eliminated in most cities during the 1840s and 1850s, and statewide tuition for public schools was eliminated in 1867. (Ment, 1985) In Albany County, the school system followed the statewide trends with private schools such as Albany Academies catering to the children of the elite while all children had the opportunity to attend public schools.

The trustees of each school district were required to prepare an annual report outlining the yearly budget, expenses, and identifying teachers, students, and parents by name. In addition, the reports provide statistics on attendance, size of the school buildings, and children’s vaccination rates.

This series of records contains 40 boxes of reports from school trustees to the education commissioners 1829-1911, primarily from Albany County. The reports were filed in the Town Clerk’s office where each district resided. All nine towns of Albany County are represented as are the municipalities of Watervliet and Green Island.

Cohoes was incorporated as a village within the Town of Watervliet in 1848 and a city in 1869. School district reports from Watervliet dating before 1869 may include students and districts that became a part of the City of Cohoes. Likewise, the village of Voorheesville was incorporated within the town of New Scotland in 1899. Trustee reports for school districts from New Scotland includes data for schools that became a part of the Village of Voorheesville school districts. The village of Altamont was incorporated within the town of Guilderland in 1890. The schools located in Altamont are a part of the Guilderland school district.

Arrangement: by locality; chronologically by year therein.

Quantity: 20 cu. Ft.

This series consists of reports from the town of Berne school district trustees to the County Education Commissioners. The Berne reports cover the years from 1829 to 1910. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher name and salary, and names of students and their parents/ guardians are included in the reports.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of Bethlehem to the County Education Commissioners. The Bethlehem reports cover the years from 1871 to 1910. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher name and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of Coeymans to the County Education Commissioners. The Coeymans reports cover the years from 1871 to 1907. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher name and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardian are included in the reports.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of Colonie to the County Education Commissioners. The Colonie reports cover the years from 1896 to 1910. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher name and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports. The Town of Colonie split from the Town of Watervliet in 1896 creating a separate municipality.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of Guilderland to the County Education Commissioners. The Guilderland reports cover the years from 1829 to 1910. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher name and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of Green Island to the County Education Commissioners. The Green Island reports cover the years from 1896 to 1910. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher name and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of Knox to the County Education Commissioners. The Knox reports cover the years from 1874 to 1910. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher names and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of New Scotland to the County Education Commissioners. The New Scotland reports cover the years from 1870 to 1902. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher name and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of Rensselaerville to the County Education Commissioners. The Rensselaerville reports cover the years from 1840 to 1910. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher name and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of Watervliet to the County Education Commissioners. The Watervliet reports cover the years from 1815-1894 and reports with no date. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher names and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports. Colonie and Watervliet split into separate municipalities in 1896. Reports from the Town of Watervliet may include data for districts that became a part of Colonie in 1896.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees for the town of Westerlo to the County Education Commissioners. The Westerlo reports cover the years from 1857 to 1910. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher names and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports.

This series consists of reports generated by the Albany County Education Commissioners using the data collected annually from each town.

This series consists of census data from Albany County school districts from 1875 to 1893 and reports with No Date. The data includes the names of students, parents/ guardians, and teachers.

This series consists of documents regarding the financial accounts of school districts in Albany County from 1851 to 1911.

This series consists of reports from the school district trustees from towns located outside of Albany County from 1875 to 1901. The towns are Brome, Middleburgh, Niskayuna, and Wright. The yearly budget and expenses, teacher names and salary, and the names of students and parents/ guardians are included in the reports.