Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-02-02
our COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM,
NUMBER V
4 remedy fer some Of its defects.


climate, density of population, &c, as ex
lists in our State, to obtain exact uniformity
and equality Of educational advantages, is
practically impossible,
But much nearer approximation, than
is obtained by the present system, is GER
tainly attaiDable The plan we propose for
obtaining such approximation, and equaliz-
ing taxation is as follows; viz; First by a
system OF general and equal taxation
throughout the State, to obtain fund sufi-
cient to defray the expenses of instruction
and keep open the schools a minimum term
Of four or FIVE months, at the average sala-
ries of teachers for the whole State, leaving
the present system of taxation IN force, for
the purpose Of raising building and con-
tingent fund, and keeping open the schools
as much longer than the minimum term as
each district, for itself, may deem expedient
Second, 10 distribute this general fund
among the various districts according to the
number of schools in each, instead of, as at
present, according to the number of taxa
bles. Since writing article No. 4, we have
received the speech of Mr.. Householder, in
the State Senate, in favor of revision of
our common school system, also the school
report of 1865. We shall avail ourselves
to some extent, of the laboTs of Mr. House
holder, by making use of his statistics By
a laborious calculation he has ascertained
that tax of two mills to the dollar upon
the valuation Of the real and personal prop
erty Of the State and about ten per cent. of
the gross receipts annually coming into the
State Treasury, school fund of at least
81, 600, 100000 can be obtained. This near
ly equals the cost of instruction Tor the
whole State in 1864, for an average of 5.53I
months school at an average teacher sala-
ry of $50. 10, and by the proposed method
of equalization would be obtained at rate
of taxation l27 mills less than the average
rate for the whole State in 1864 This is a
general system of taxation such as we have
had in view, and at the proposed rate
would secure minimum term of at least
five months to each school in the State at
the average teacher salary for the State of
$22.79 Thus far we agree In the mat
ter of distribution we differ radically not
only from Mr. Householder but also from
the suggestion of Mr.. Coburn our present
excellent State Superintendent They both
propose distribution per capita, according
to the number of scholars. That this
leaves the distribution as uncertain and une-
quail as that according to the number of tax
ables, must be evident to every one at all
familiar with either school or census statis-
tics, as the proportion of children to adults,
and of adults to taxables under ordinary cir
cumstanees is nearly the same, and every
variation, produced by this method, from
the results of the present one, is as likely to
aggrayate as to ameliorate the present me
quality and injustice. After careful ex-
animation of this point, we are constrained
to adhere to our own proposition, as first
made, to distribute the fund according to
the number of schools. This we believe to
be the only method by which any near ap-
Proclamation to equality of taxation and uni
formity of educational advantages can be
obtained The chief objection to this
method would be its tendency to unnecessa-
rily increase the number of schools this we
believe would be entirely obviated by re-
quiring each school district to provide for
building and contingent expenses by local
taxation. This would doubtless be a suffi-
cient check upon an undue multiplication Of
schools We will now endeavor to give
few additional reasons, why we deem our
plan the more likely to accomplish the de-
sired result AT first thought it would ap.
pear that the present method of distribu-
ton according to the number Of taxables
ought to produce the result desired, and it
was doubtless intended so to do at its adop-
ton, but on careful examination it viii be
found that its failure results from well es-
tablished laws Of population and its effect
upon the value of property. These are,
that as population increases the value of
increases, and that as the density
of population increases the average cost of
education per scholar decreases, while the |
reverse of both these takes place where
population decreases, that is, the value of
property falls while the average cost of edu-
cation increases; thus in Bucks county, we
find the average cost, per month, per capi
Ia, is but43 cents Ehile in Forest county it |
amounts to 50. II or more than five times as
much as in Bucks These differences in |
cost arise from the fact that in densely pop
ulated districts each school has the maxi |
mum number Of scholars. perhaps 20 or so,
that single teacher can successfully in
struet, but In the sparsely settled districts it
often becomes necessary to have schools
where, by reason of distance and bad roads.
there viii be but Is or 20 scholars at most.
yet there must be such schools or a large
portion Of the children of the State be left
without the means of obtaining even the
most elementary education This single
sase viii fully exemplify the utter impossi-
Dility of arriving at any near approxima-
hon to equality by Mr. Householder sys
tenn. Taking his own figures we find For
sst county would get but $500. rs when the
lctual cost OF instruction in 1864 for four
months was 81, ,242.00. Thus by his distri-
oution she would get but two months
chool. Bucks county would get Ss5, ,56s.-
% where the cost Of instruction in 1864 for
,.2S months was 81, 924. 90. Here we sea
he rich oo,4rtr, ,f ProI-s ,,ro,,lJ ,...o.