The New York herald., 1868-01-10
THE BOARD OF EDUCATioy.
Letter from the Citizens Association tn Presi-
dent McLcan-Enormous Increase OF tho
Expenditures Of thc Board.

Letter from tho Citizens' Association tn Presi-
dent McIcan-Enormous Increase OF tho
Expenditures Of the Board.
CITIZENS AssocAuoS NEw YoRxl
Sl3 BROADWAY, Dec ~, 1861 I
JAMES ". MclrAs, Esq, President Board OF Educa-
tlon:-
sra-Ths Citizens Association Is In rscsipt Of your
answer OF December IL to ns letter requesting your
Board appoint comm ee TO confer with the Associ-
relation the reduction Of the expense VI sup
porting systern Of public instruction.
Tho Association regrets that the Board OF Education
has already acted upon the subject and has nay
cluded that 81 900 600 will DO required for the support
Of our public schools for the year 1868.
The Association thanks you for the copy Of tho
minutes OF meeting Of the Board u Education
November o, 1867, wherein appears tho estimate for
1863
In your letter accom- panyns tho copy OF the minutes
you say that So "s $3e 3Is less than the
raised by tax Tor The ssmo purpose for the 1857,
although tha OF pupils 1T the schools is con-
stantly increasing" You mu-i DO mistaken IN the
latter remark since tho estimates Of Jour Board do not
show this Ia reass.
the schools in 1860 20S, and tho amount then
asked Tor 1867 upon this basis 81 522 447 while in
1867 tho number was 207, $40, and the total amount
asked for In the original estimate for 1888 upon tots
basis Ia S. 900o0 so It will ho that tho atend-
Ia 1861 upon winch tho estimated expense for
1855 10 based VAS the s,tsndauce OF 1865
The ASSOCIATION calls your attention 10 very import
ant feature Ia ths manner OF estimating the an0unt
necessary for the support VI the public sohooi syscm
In addition to ,he amount received from the STATE, the
like amount from the city Ind onot~entieth OF
cent the taxable property OF the city and county,
your Board Is entitled by hs Law OF 1867 to "sl0 tor
each pupil who shaIi have actually attended and been
taught The preceding year In the schools ensd 10
| ticipats 10 the apporonmeut
Ia 1854 and up 10 1858 tho amount "a for each
pupil IN 1868 the amount raised TO 50. in 1895 to
S. aud 10 1857 20 $40; but with these exceptions ths
language Of this provision Ia the erent laws Ia idcn
cal Il, would appear to his Association that the lkn
rf aCeD 4
ibo Of two interpretations, and diflcut 10 sag
which OF the interpretations is tho correct ons
The that tho $40 s 90 be for the attendaae OF
scholar for whole YEAR that is ttat tho Board - % DO
allowed $40 each foe the average yeafly attendance
The otnsr Interpretation s tDat tho Board IL entitled
$40 each for every pupil who shalt have attended the
public schools during the preceding year. although that
attendance may not have been ior longer than day,
| and although tho ssms individual may have been
four hvc times In The OF the year by
chsngng from school to school. rhs latter interpfnta.
ton Of thsiaw s the adopted BY tho Board oi Edu
more natural Interpretation, since The expense OF tho
system depends upon the average RttendRgGs for the
rear II this ambg guty existing the aw is the
1 of accident II should DO corrected
Tho statement the estimate or the Board Tor 1903
that the whole number Of pupis taught in onr public
schools IN 1861 sac Ia calculated T. gyo The pub
| tic en- incorrect mrrsfsior. lilo number ut children
VINO attended public Gch0ols dd not amount To
20T s4s but TO abost 90 0oo This latter the number
| rtuurng daily lpstrnction, for whch tho "
al 300 900 Is required 1903 The Assocation u well
aware ~ the importance Of public Instruction. but II
a. coo 600 necessary to support syEten OF Ia
sructng 90 900 children u ~ould he preferable that tho
Boafd u Education should state tho fAc mud not
obtain this largo amount by wna would seem to be the
representation that horo 2o7 sac children 10 atsnd
ance at schools.
There ars 1000 childrsn 20 he educated RI $40 per
capita in addition 10 toe other allowed W law.
be not sufficient let tho price be ralsod 70 $40 or slo