Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-02-01
PROPOSED AMENDMENT 70 THE
SCHOOL Law.

" G arecelyed, few days ago. the first
number of the Teachers Advocate. en-
closing a petition to the Legislature Of
Pennsylvania, asking the establishment Of $
system Of equal taxation throughout the
State, for the purpose Of raising a school
fund sufficient to defray the expenses Of tu-
ition oyer the whole State for minimum
school term of not less than six months,
and that the fund be distributed in proper
ton to the whole number Of pupils between
the age OF SIX and twenty-one years. THIS
embodjes substantially the resolutions Of the
recent Supeantepdents Convention at Har-
risburg. Like many well meant efforts Of
dellberatiYo bodies, where time is wanting
to consider and digest the various plans laid
before them for adoption with view 70
The attainment Of some definite purpose, it
aims at laudable object and proposes some
measures absolutely necessary to the accom-
pHshmcnt Of its design, but it ends with
asking for that, which if granted would
inevitably illustrate the very object, designed
to be accomplished. As rule. longer
school terms and better schools are greatly
needed throughout the greater portion Of
size state Neither can be obtained without
t2lsiation OF the character above petitioned
for, but il the general taxation ana increased
appropriation be granted and the method Of
appropEation made in proportion to the
whole number Of pupils, it will only agrra-
yate instead Of ameliorating present evils. 4
As matter Of course this was not the de
sign Of the Convention, nor is it the design
OF the petition referred to, but it win be the
ineTitable result if the legislation thus ask
ed be granted. The mistake is in the method
OF distribution proposed By the present
method, there is discrimination against
The sparsely settled school districts, where
help is most needed and in favor of the
densely populated districts where it is least
needed. This evil would be aggravated bv
the distribution in proportion to pupils. lust
IN proportion to the increased approximation.
Every teacher and director knows Yerv well
that, while one teacher can with ease teach
fifty or seyenty-fve scholars. if properly
classified, there are schools required in MANY
districts where but. twenty or twenty-five
scholars can be gathered together. Yet
these twenty-five are entitled to as good
teachers and as long school terms as the
larger schools. BY the proposed method
OF distribution the larger school with its one
teacher would receive three times as large
an appropriation as the smaller one though |
the cost of tuition in each were the same.
we 40 not pretend to believe that the con
Ventlon, nor the parties circulating the peti-
tons, ever intended to ask the legalization
OF such hardship and injustice, but we do
believe that the great majority of the Con
yentlon and indeed Of Superintendents and
teachers generally are wofully deficient in
their knowledge Of the school statistics of
the State and the working of our school
laws already in existence. We can account
IN no other way for the contradictory char
acter of these resolutions. 1t would be
suicidal act for the friends Of education to
enact such a law Under its working with
The minimum school term increased to six
months, half the schools of the State would
be closed within the next year. Having
iraWn up and urged the original resolutions,
as submitted to the Committee of the Con
yention, making the distribution in proper
Ion to the number Of schools, we still be-
Ieye it to be the best method yet proposed
and most in accordance with the spirit of
our school system. BY it each school would
get the same amount of appropriation, gra.
lea schools with several teachers counting
q school for each teacher. Where better
schools or longer terms were wanted, they
.ould be obtained by the present system of
ocal taxation, which with building and Incl.
icntal expenses would be sufficient check
1pon the tendency to an undue increase of
schools. 1t may be objected that this gives
arge and small schools the same amount of
nd from the State, while the larger should
.oceive more, but it must be remembered
hat the spirit Of our system is to assist the
l5edy, and that tho small schools are inva
lably found in poor and sparsely populated s
districts where help Is most needed. As an !
Illustration Of the comparative merits Of
ne three methods herein mentioned we will !
axe two districts In Pike county. IIacka-
7aEen had, in 1865 703 scholars, II schools,
'aId Slol2.00 tuition, paid teachers S23. 90
'cr month, had four months school, and
eceived a State appropriation of sI42.2 27
y about one-eighth of the cost of tuition.
here was an average of Ga scholars to a
chool and the expense of each per month
or tuition was 40 cents THE proportion Of =
he State appropriation to the amount rais-
d by local taxation for tuition for the whole
State was about one-sixth, the average cost
'er month per scholar for tuition was p
ents, and the average teachers salary was !
i50.573.) The distribution was made in pro- !
'ortion to the number of taxables. If it
lad been made in proportion to the number !
# pupils it would have been 48 cents to !
ach pupil for the four months or 1897. "A {
II one-third of the whole cost of tuition. If c
had been in proportion to the number of a
chools each school would have received 8
'20.25, and the district 1922, IS or about
ne-ffth Of the actual cost Of tuition. Pot Q
or district had IS scholars, 2 schools, paid 4
POS 90 tuition, paid $26.00 per month to S
cachers, had months school and received a t
State appropriation Of $9.02 or about one
r-1rf7. Ill = IL. II