On 7 Jan. 1823 Rives, as chairman of the Committee of Schools and Colleges of the Virginia House of Delegates, introduced a motion regarding primary schools. It called for the president and directors of the Literary Fund to be “requested, from such information as they possess and can procure, to report to this house, a statement of the accounts of the school commissioners of each county and corporation with the literary fund; shewing the number of children educated in each, in every year—at what expense, together with the number of school commissioners, and their charges for their expenses: and the sums drawn in each year from the literary fund. Stating also, what counties and corporations if any, have failed to make the annual returns required by law—and how far, it appears from the reports received, that the present appropriation for primary schools is sufficient for the purpose of primary education of indigent children; and to what extent, if any, the said appropriation ought to be increased” (Richmond Enquirer, 9 Jan. 1823; also printed in JHD description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia description ends [1822–23 sess.], 105–6).

The enclosed report summarized the massachusets plan, which included the division of that state into townships and further into school districts based on population density; called for the levying of an ad valorem property tax in each township for the support of schools; and designated the responsibilities of the district trustees, the schedule for school sessions, and the amount of teachers’ wages (Report of the Kentucky Commissioners description begins Report of the Commissioners appointed by the General Assembly of Kentucky, at their October session 1821, to collect information, prepare and report a System of Common Schools, Frankfort, 1822 description ends , 6–7). The bill i originally gave mr cabell on this subject was TJ’s Bill for Establishing Elementary Schools, [ca. 9 Sept. 1817].