Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-03-09
The School Tax.

Mr.. EDITOR AS we are to have an cleo
ton of school officers in this city district on
Monday next, and rs the question of lew
ing district tax will then be submitted to
the voters OF the district, / beg place in
the Journal for Il few word, relative to our
schools and school fund. Under the presen,
law, money for the support of schools, is
derived from three sources
l.. The temporary school fund of the
State is apportioned by the STATE Auditor tc
the counties, on the first Monday in March
Of each year.
2. A general county school tax is levied
by tile County Judge in September of each
year.
3. District taxes are levied by the Coun-
ty Judg. in September, upon the certificates
Of the District Dirccsors, which certificates
are usually ISSUED in compliance with vote
OF the people Of the districts.
The first two sources of revenues are GER
tain that is, the school treasures are sure
to get something each year from the State
apportionment and from the county school
tax. On The fir-t Monday in April annually,
the County Judge apportions among the
school districts OF the county tile amount
then in the county treasury, derived from
the county school tax, and The amount ap.
portioned to the county by the State All
d,tor.
The fund coming from these two sou -ces
is not sufficient to support Il public schools
in this city district. A district tax is abso
lutely needed Tor that purpose. e..
A district tax was levied in this city dis
trct in Sept. 1858, which, by the District
Court, at its late >essi' n, was declared H.
legal and void. No district tax was levied
in 1859, and Consequently We have, had no
district schoel tax for the past two years
For want IF such tax our public schools
have been closed Daring the school year
ending on Monday next, the Directors in
this city have not been able to have the
schools open except for the single t rm now
in progress The amount that will be app
port med to this dstrc. by the County
Judge he first Monday in April will proba-
bly, oe about 81 400 or $l,500-the exact
figures cannot be ascertained = and that
amount will not be sufficient to pay off the
debts that will then be due the tea:hers and
the necessary expenses for fuel, &c. And
unless district tax is lsvied this season.
our Directors will again be compelled to
close the public schools. ag'Hs aa
The Directors, as appears by the notice
published in the Journal, think that a tax
of 23 mills on the dollar will be necessary.
If that tax is voted it will be levied by the
County Judge next September, and will be
payable at the same time county taxes are
due; AID on the first Monday in ,April. 1861.
so much of the tax as shall then be paid IN 1
to the County Treasury will be paid over to
the district treasurer. il! Zs.ao'
| would also cali attention to the fact that
the proposed tax will be levied upon the
county valuation of property within this
district and not upon the city valuations
The ,unty valuation will probably be about
81 100000 tile city valuati on is usually, |
1hlnk, about double that .um ~ ''s-'
There is one other topic to which l wish |
to allude. The Law does rot require separate
schools for colored children but there
could be no. legal objection to the establish
nent Of separate school for them, and no
me can doubt that such a course would be
best tor all concerned The present Direct
ors, in, the absence nof any law compelling
Lhem to 30, have not felt tina; they would be
justified in opening separate school for
,olored children, when Trey could not an
iopate the receipt Of sufficient money sthis ii
spring to pay in full for q single term Of the /,
hree REGULAR schools Of the district. ..s
g In view of tile facts above stated, l venture
o hope that the proposed tax will Be car car
led next Monday, and that we shall not
gam BE- forced 10 endure the reproach Of :
losed school houses. @. 7@5o'" 'aniC.' 4 ,