Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-01-24
Egg A meeting of this School District

Ts-A meeting of this School District
viii be held on Friday next, at the School
House. There seems to be some dis
Satisfaction in reference to the ac-
ton of the Directors as regards the late
assessment made for school purposes. As
we understand the subject the matter
stands thus: At the meeting of the dis
irict last October, $3.50 dollars was voted
for finishing the school house, and s75
for Incidental expenses, making in all
Sl25. The assessment list, however,
we are told, foots up a total of S545,
showing that the Board of Directors have
assessed the sum of S118, Tor more than
one-tltth, more than the District voted.
Section lll6, Of Chapter 60, OF the
School Laws provides that
In leyying a tax the district meeting
shall designate the respective objects for
which the same is raised, and the amount
TO be raised for each object; and the az
9regote amount shall be assessed and COL
fectea by the Secretary as hereinafter pro-
ri1ed."
Now does this section empower the
Board of Directors to assess a sum be-
yond that voted by the district? We
believe 1T does not. The law gives to the
District alone the power of determining
the amount of money to be raised, and
the purposes to which it is to be applied,
and it is obvious to us that if the Board
OF Directors has the power to increase
the tax one-ffth, they have also the right
To double or treble it, or to assess any sum
they may deem necessary, rendering void
at their pleasure, the provisions of the
law guaranteeing this right to the Dis.
trict.
That the Board has overstepped their
authority in increasing this assessment
we have no doubt, but hat they did it
from the best of motives we have also no
doubt. The amount voted by the Dis
trict was, without doubt, insufficient for
carrying out the objects stated and as
1t was compulsory with the Board to
take the responsibility of increasing the
assessment or allow the wishes of the
District to remain unsatisied, and the
District to remain without proper school
facilities, they very properly, in u opin-
ion, determined to adoptt the former course,
The estimates presented at the meeting in
-nA.AhA- la~i-And rrhiAh-~~~NIh~-L~vvf
the amount voted, were, we understand,
much beneath the price for which the
work could be done, and it was necessary
that the Board should either pay a sum
considerably greater than those estimates
or allow the intentions of the voters of
the tax to remain unfulflled, as Section
ll77, of Chapter II, provides that
mo property shall be subject to tax
alton for district purposes more than once
in any one year"
This increased assessment, as we un-
dersland it, is to meet the payment of in
terest on the loan from the School Fund,
for which 10 provision was made, the
matter having been entirely overlooked
at the District meeting /; 10 pay the addi-
tional cost of the work above the esti-
mates made. and to provide for the ordi-
nary loss occasioned by uncollectable as
sessmen.s. We do not believe that the
additional amount assessed Will be more
than sufficient for these purpose, and
though We believe that the Board has ex-
ercised a power which is not given them
by law, yet We think that its exercise in
this case has been for a good purpose,
resulting in the general benefit. Ifthere
is anything that can excuse an usurpa-
.ion of authority in our eyes, it is when
it is done for the good of public schools
and the cause of education, and we think
The Board deserves credit rather than
ecnsure for the course they have pur-
sued.