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The teachers in Stara Gradiška were partly paid in cash and they received 1/4 of a cord of wood from their students' parents who came from the villages. Officers and civil servants paid compensation of one forint for their children. It was later decided that teachers could receive their compensation based on the tax raised for the requirements of the regimental command No. 5 with its headquarters in Okučani. Consequently in 1835, the annual teacher's salary, together with a bonus for rent, amounted to a total of 216 forints.
During this period, up to 1870, the following teachers were in charge of the education in Stara Gradiška: Čupić, Šimunović, Maričević, Grladinović, Kolarić and Despenić. Until the end of the nineteenth century when the new school was built, classes were held in public buildings and rent was regularly paid for them. The annual rental of these buildings amounted to 200 forints, and the costs were covered by the municipality (50 forints) and the school district cashier's office ( I 50 forints).
This solution, however, soon proved to be impractical and the increasing number of pupils coming from the fortress and the surrounding settlements, confirmed that a new school building was urgently needed. Some military buildings were ceded at the request of the municipality and at the beginning of 1871/72 a special girl's elementary school department was established. The number of pupils continued to grow as the town was experiencing an industrial renaissance due to the development of trade and transport. In 1874/75 the number of children increased considerably so that five teachers were engaged to hold classes in school departments for girls and boys. This rise in the number of pupils almost endangered the school system since classrooms could hold just 280 pupils, whilst there were 450 children of school age registered within the area covered by this school. This was a time when the number of schoolgirls ( 120) came quite close to the number of schoolboys ( 160). This demonstrates that school standards of that time were very high as was the level of education of the local population.
Due to the war in neighbouring Bosnia, classes were again suspended in the same year and the school building was turned into a war hospital. Whether classes were held or not, depended on the course of the war up to 1881. When they were held with interruptions, it was in an inadequate building made of timber.
Teachers used to gather their pupils when some significant social event took place and there is evidence of a public school celebration held on the occasion of the marriage of the heir to the throne, Rudolph and Princess Stephany in 1881 . On that occasion, encouraged by the commander of the fortress, Major Kelbel, the rich gave gifts to the poor, as well as to talented pupils. At the school celebration, pupils put on an artistic programme consisting of poem recitations and theatrical pieces. Donations to schools and talented pupils became, in the years that followed, an in-egular but significant source of income. There are records, for instance, of a donation by a wealthy merchant from Stara Gradiška, Josip Majer, in money and clothing for pupils. Some donations to the school were anonymous. Probably in order to give a legal form to the donations, a trust fund for the poor was eventually established in Uskoci which provided clothing and footwear for needy pupils. The Trust Fund Board covered all expenses with income obtained from the interest on the fund's money. The capital of this fund consisted of 360 forints in cash and 2,000 in securities, and was deposited in the Catholic savings-bank of Stara Gradiška.
At the end of the nineteenth century the status of teachers in Stara Gradiška improved and in addition to the annual salary ranging between 350 and 500 forints, they received a bonus for accommodation and wood for heating their homes and classrooms free of charge. Teachers were classified into four salary groups depending on their work experience.
From 1871 to 1881 the following teachers worked in Stara Gradiška: Andrija Despenić, Simo Srdić, Jovan Borčić, Mihovil Zadrović, Ivan Crnka and Miloš Drakulić. Since throughout this time there was also a school department for girls, the following women teachers were engaged for their education: Anka Šimunović, Julija Sekulić, Otilija Zarbuk, Terezija Sarić, Antonija Štefanac, Eugenija Grba, Eva Turk, Marija Popović, Rozalija Rudolf and Albina Vončika.
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