The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-01-07

As there have been several applica-
tions to this Office for copies of the
school law, of which there are none
for distribution, and as several dis
tricts suffered loss last Spring, through
too great delay in sending them to
this Office, / have thought it best to
call the attention of the Clerks of
school districts to this subject through
your columns, with your kind permis-
sion.
The law provides that before the
first Monday in March of each year
the report must be made to the Super
intendent.
This means that the report must be
in the Office of the Superintendent on
that day, as that is the day on which
the apportonment of the school fund
among the districts is made, and he
cannot know of reports still in the of
fees of the clerks or in the mails, or,
perhaps, in some ones hat, where
some reports appeared to have been
carried q week or two before they
reached this Office, and were too late
In consequence.
1t is evident that the Goth of Febru-
AIRY is too late to make q report, espe-
cially when that month has but Is
days as IN last Fehrnarv
In fact, making the report should
never be put off later than January,
as then it will have all of February to
go to the Office, and it is hardly posi-
bic that accident of any kind could
delay report too late if mailed before
February.
And it is wrong also for the children
of any district to be deprived of their
portion of the public fund through
the neglect of the Clerk who has tax
en- an oath to perform his duty.
The annual report should contain
1st, number of legal voters.
End, number of persons over 4 and
under 20 years of age.
Sd, number of male scholars.
4th, number of female scholars.
5th, number of quarters of school
taught
9th, kind of books used.
7th, number of scholars in average
attendance.
8th, amount paid teachers from dis
trict tax.
9th, amount received and paid teach
ers from the cclunty fund.
10th, amount of incidental expenses.
18th, total amount of tax levied and
collected.
18th, names of teachers employed.
The whole number of the male and
female scholars IN the Sd and 4th items
above should amount to the End item,
the number of persons over and un-
der 20 years of age.
In two reports last Winter there was
discrepancy In these amounts.
One in particular reported 81 per-
sons over and under 20 years of age.
Is of whom were males, and q fe-
males. Is and 81 are only 80, leaving
Is persons unaccounted for as male or
female.
There being an obvious error in this
report, and the number 80 being prob
ably the nearest right, it was made the
basis of the apportionment for that
district.
One report also failed to mention
any school taught, and had not the
Clerk happened into the Office just in
time to correct it, that district would
have lost its share of the fund.
These mistakes are brought to no
tice that Clerks may guard against
similar errors, as the items above men
TONED, !. e., the number of males and
females over 1 and under 20 years of
age, and the number of quarters of
school taught are absolutely necessary
IN order to entitle the district to a
share in the fund.
1t is doubtful if there has been a
single apportionment at which some
district has not failed to get is just
portion of the county fund, through
errorin It's report or its failure to ar
rive in time, but if the clerks will take
this notice in good part and act ac-
ordingly, there need be no such cases
the coming March.
Perhaps they had better cut out this
article and keep for reference, and i
in consequence the reports all come il
to.this Office correct and in time, SC
that every district gets its fair share
o the public fund, leaving no occa
sion for fault-fnding or il-feeline
hereafter, shall be amply repaid fol
writing this communication.
j. w. MACK.