Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-12-03


school officers, then add the fifty -four county
supefintendents, and you have the sum total
of school officers in the State, besides the state
superintendent, making nearly one ninth of
the voting population. When the duties and
responsibilities of executing the law are divided
up among SO many. persons it is easy to see
the probability of many failures in this re-
spect, Take any of the old reports, and you
will find that the State Superintendent COM
planned of the failures of the county superin-
tendents, the county superintendents made
similar complaints against ths secretaries of
the boards of education, while they in turn
lodged their complaints against their subor,
dinates-the trustees. have been thus
specific, not for the purpose Of excusing an
apparent neglect upon the part of the ia.-ss-'
lieent state superintendent; for [ know that
he. has made unusual efforts this year to obtain
reports from the several counties,-but TO il,
lustrate what conceive to be the chief defect
in the present law-its complexity. i have
selected the lightest and perhaps the leastims
portant of the duties imposed upon the vari-
Gus school oficers-that of making reports.
IF they neglected the least of their duties,
what is to be expected in the more important
ones of levying and disbursing taxes, estab-.
fishing schools, building school houses, EN-.
ploying competent teachers and fixing their
salaries |? IF you can devise system By
which to concentrate the powers and duties
necessary to be exercised in any system of free
schools upon much smaller number of off,
GERS, the chances of neglect and malfeasance
are not only greatly diminished, but the mas
chinerv of the whole system becomes much
more simple, aud If errors or defects are
found TO exist, they can be more readily de.
for 4n1 III e
is annually raised for the support of free
schools. The State fund distributed this wear
alone amounts to ,s237, 215 S8 add to this
the amount raisedsby township levies, which
must be at least double this sum, aud we have
about 500, 900 of which about 5000 900
belong to the fund for building school~houses:
consequently the balance left for the support
of free schools will be about $500 900, or an
average of about $500 for each district in the
State. It is to be regretted that exact figures
cannot be given, but owing to the want of
complete reports from all the counties, this
cannot be done. The number OF Youths en-.
rolled for 1872 was 1T0,051, about half of
whom attend school. The foregoing state~
ments show that sufficient means have been
provided for the education of the children of
the State. And yet it is known that there
are many districts in which no schools were
held last year. During the past summer I
took some pains to inquire at different poiats
as to the operation of the school system
Sometimes the reply would be, 1--WE have
had a school, but the teacher was incompe-
tent" Sometimes, ''We have had no school
this year." and again, I'VE have had no
school for two years Occasionally the re-
plies would be favorable, but in no case did
hear it said that the taxes were not high
enough. My purpose is not to bring the sys-
tom of public instruction into disrepute, nor
to censure officers entrusted with its manage.
ment; but it is to point out some existing
evils, with the hope that sufficient remedies
NAV be provided against them in the future.
The new Constitution requires that .'the
Legislature shall provide by general law for
thorough and efficient system of free schools"
The fact does not seem to be generally rea>
lized that the school system is not only our
greatest public interest. but that it also re-
qulres an expenditure of money nearly equal
to tho amount raised for State and courty
purposes combined. will not attempt to
su@gess in detail any plans for putting into
execution this lmpol tant provision of the Com
shtutlon. But | earnestly recommend that
you will consider simplicity, efficiency aud
economy as Of primary Importance in any
plan that yon p,ay be pleased to adopt.
The 5th section of article 12 of tho Con
stitution is as follows
"The Legislature shall provide for the sup
port of FREQ schools by appropriating thereto
the interest of the invested 'school fund ;"
the net proceeds of all forfeitures aud fines
accruing to this State under the laws thereof:
the State capitation tax ; and by general tax
alton, on persons or property or Otherwise
1t shall also provide for raising in each county
or district, by the authority of the people
thereof, such proportion of the amount re-
quired for the support of free schools therein
as shall be prescribed by general laws"
1t is clearly the duty of the Legislature
hereafter, as heretofore, to provide for raising
means for the support of schools, partly BY
State taxation and partly by local taxation
The questions that seem 10 be left open are
the rate of State taxes, and the mode of levy.
ing the local taxes. The present lag impo-
sing tax of one mill on the part of the State
appears to have given general satisfaction, aud
it would seem to be the part of wisdom not
to disturb it. Under its operation, the weal>
thier counties contribute something to aid
their less fortunate sisters. or in other words,
the wealthie1 counties pay more taxes than
they receive in the annual distribution from
the school fund, while other counties receive
more from this fund than they contribute to
it in the way of taxes. Therefore, any IN.
crease in this tax would necessarily Increase
this disparity between its burden and benefits.
The proportion of money to be raised
by local taxation, you will doubtless de-
termine upon after mature deliberation
but it ought not be less in any county than
the amount distributed to the county FROM ths
State fund; any amount less than this would
place the schools upon so feeble basis. as to
destroy their usefulness
One of the most Important questions that
will arise in connection with this subject, and
perhaps the most difficult properly to solve, is
whether the county court shall levy one uni
form tax for the whole county, or whether it
shall have proper power to levy. The pres
els system of township levies is most unsat>
isfactory, and the same objections would lie