Public Schools Livingston Columbia County New York By Captain Franklin Ellis^416 1878 No early account of the public schools has been found among the records of the town.  It appears, however, from the history of the Linlithgo church at Johnstown, that Robert Livingston, the first lord of the manor, made some provision for the encouragement of education as early as 1722.  A hundred years later the town voted three time the amount of money received from the State for the support of the schools, or about $1000.  There were at that time 10 school districts, having 580 children between the ages of five and twenty-one years.  Dr. John McClellan and James S. Livingston were for many years the school commissioners. In 1878 the town had 12 districts, containing 720 children between the ages of five and twenty-one years.  The average attendance was 244, and the amount appointed to the town by the county $1705.31.