Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-11-03
PUBLIC sCHOOL:FUND.
VeIcrs Read and Think Before
Yen Sete.

\ parent who has but one child to
send to school, aId pays school tax
OH 81. 200 and his capitatiOn tax, saves
money by the public school. His pre-
sent school tax property and capitatlOn,
is S4.00. The private tuition at 81 -
per month for four months, would be
$500. The quota of this county of the
present school fund will furnish schools
to the entire county for over four
months. If parent has two children
TO send to school and pays a school tax
on 5000 with one capitatiOn, his tax
is 800, and his private tuition would
be $1,000. Now, while the families of
this county that have children, would
average at least two children of school
age. not one family in twenty pays
tax on Sc 900, and not one in five that
pays tax on 5000. Besides, there is a
large number of families whose school
tax would not be One-fifth, or even one
tenth the amount that their tuition in
a private school would cost; and many
have the privilege OF the public schools
who are utterly unable 20 pay the pri-
vate tuition.
What then becomes of the bugbear
that was so industriously paraded last
Spring, and that frightened so many
out of their wits. viz: that the school
tax would impose an additional bur
den OIL the people already grOaning
under heavy taxation? Is it adding
to a mans burden to offer him for one,
three or five dollars what is now cost
ing him ten, fifteen or twenty dollars,
and that something which he cannot
do without?
''If the people of a county arc to be
educated at all. this is not only the
cheapest way to DO it, but the only aCGy.
To oppose then a county tax for educa-
ton when it is needed, is simply to OPP
pose universal education at present.
The Church and the school house lie
ty, and ruin will come to q State that
undertakes to rear 4 superstructure
upon any other foundation"
BY authority of the State Board CT
Education, the question will be sub
mitted to the voters of Washington
county at the November election, to
vote a small County School Tax of
fuur-fifths of a mill on the dollar. for
the purpose of supplementing the
State Fund In paying Teachers and
County Supt., for the year ending Au-
gust 81. 1872. If this tax is voted,
about eleven-twelfths of the fund thus
raised will go to paying Teachers.
"44. No school district shall receive
any part of the funds unless it has
made provision for schOOl-hOuseS, itIr-
niture, apparatus, textbooks for indi-
gent children, and all other means
and appliances needful for the success
full operation of the schools" School
Law, Sec. A.
"Be it ordered, That each County
Superintendent make a personal i'll
spCction of all the School Districts un-
der his supervision i'm advance of the
payment to these districts of any of
the State or County funds for the year
beginning September ], 1871, and that
he make and file with the County
Treasurer a list of the names of such
districts as have so fully complied with
the law and regulations pertaining
thereto as to entitle them to draw the
funds apportioned to them, and the
County Treasurer shall not honor the
drafts Of the Board of Trustees of any
district which Is not on the list fur
nished by the County Superintendent.
1t shall also be the duty of the County
Superintendent 10 report to this office
the name of any district which has
failed to comply with the law and to
state wherein the failure consists. -
Order of State Board.
The voters of Glade Spring School
District are asked to vote One-fOurth
of mill on the dollar for district ex-
penses. All the other districts, except
Undertook, are asked to vote one
fifth Of mill for district expenses.
This small sum less than an average
of 5000 to each Township is only in
tended to meet such of the district eX-
penses as require money, and the law
imperitively demands, not including
schoOl-houses. The people show
willingness to provide schOOl-hOuses
without a tax tor that purpose. 1t
will be seen from the above facts, that
if the people fail to vote the district
tax, in all probability there will be no
public schools this year, as there is no
probability that a fund for district ex-
penses, such as the law requires, can
be raised In any other way.
The case in relation TO the county
tax for paying teachers is this: The
State school tax for this year. about
81, 900 for paying teachers, will furnish
seventy or seventy-five schools, about
the number needed) for about four
months. The law requires the schools
to be continued five months. If the
district tax is voted and the county
tay for DaVincr tcachere is ucI voted