Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-02-16
The ScllOOs Lam.

L lie OCllOOl Law winch was ratified Feb
ruary 18th, 1872, provides
L hat two dollars shall he paid fro,n The,
public school fund for each pupil tha,
shall be taught four months in free public
schools.
The intention Of tie law is, that the
public school fund shall be used to u;d
and not wholly to maintain free schools
Any district or ncighborhOod, which NAV
desire TO avail itself Of 0id, must laise by
subscription an amount which added To
the aid to be received, will be sufficien; to
pay the salary Of the teacher, and then en-
ploy the teacher.
The schools Of the two races are 10 he
separate, and each race acts for Itself in
making up schools, building and furnishing
school houses and employing teachers.
All free schools which were begun but
not completed prior to the ratification of
this act, may be continued until the 7th day
of March, 1872, and the school committee
in every case may give an order as hereto
fore in payment of the teachers wages for
the time actually taught prior 10 that date.
If the school or amy part of it is taught after
that date the committee shall give an order
in payment ofthe teachers wages only in
accordance with the provisions of this act.
When a district is hot able to maintain a
free school four months, it may receive aid
for two months in the same proportion.
Provision is also made for purchasing
sites, and paying One-half the cost OF build
ing or repairing and furnishing school
houses.
The school year begins January Ist and
ends December 81.
The public school funds for the present
year are The balances of the appoltion-
ment for the years 1869, 1S70-'7l, which
have not been paid, or ordered to be paid
up to this date. These balances altogether
| amount to $G9,0S2 At. This sum is now
in the State Treasury and will be paid to
! the county treasurerS Of the counties to
which it was apportioned at the times above
mentioned, on or before the It'll day of
! March 1872. There is All additional sum
! i'll the State treasury Of about tllirty-five
! thousand dollars, (the precise amount has
not yet been ascertained) TO be immedi-
| ately appOrtOned and diStrit utcd anon"
| the several counties III the State i'll proper
! ton to the number Of children.
| BY the State constitution, and the school
! law Of 1S7O-'71 and also by the present
| school law, at least seventy-ive per cent of
! the entire State and county poll taxes shall
| be used for schOo purposes and for nothing
else.
| The State Auditor cannot today furnish
! an exact statement Of the number of per-
SONS in the State who paid u poll tax in
| 1871, or the exact amount of poll taxes OF
| that year. The estimate is that about one
| hundred thousand persons in the State paid
poll tax, and that tie average State and
county poll tax was two dollars or more.
The school fund arising from this source
must be about one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars. This tax has been or is to be
paid TO the county treasurers of the several
counties according to the provisions OF the
school law Of 1S70-'71.
The poll taxes of the present year have
also been appropriated for the school ex
penses of the present year. This may also
be estimated at one hundred and fifty thou
, sand dollars. A property tax Of six ant
two-thirds cents on the hundred dollars ha
: also been levied on all the property an6
, credits in the State for school expenses o
, the present year. About eighty thousan,
dollars will be raised by tbs tax
By the present law the property tax TO
, school purposes and the State, and connt,
poll taxes are TO be paid TO the treasurer
- of the respective counties.
) 1t is not known how much of the pol
= taxes Of 1871 have been already used TO
: schools 1t is very probable, however, tina
f half has not yet been useG.
1t will be seen by adding all thes,
e amounts together that about four hundred
J, thousand dollars have been appropriated b,
the present school law 30 aid free school,
S i'll the State during the present year.
This sum is not appotioned among the
= several counties in the State according t,
e the number Of children, but each county
= retains exclusively the apportionment.
e heretofore made, and all the taxes le"iet
r and collected III the county for schOO
: purposes.
- The free schools in each county are un
der the supervision and control of tn,
! county commissioners. The law charge
= them with the duty Of looking after ant
e guarding the interests of the common
s schools and of enforcing the school law.
r The school funds OF county are no
e distributed among the townships accordin,
0 to the number Of children, but are to b.
: paid to teachers Of free schools in th
county without any regard TO locality
= The State aid those who will aid them
selves.
0 The present school law was passed b,
the House Of Representatives without
s dissenting vote, and by the Senate Will
very few dissenting votes. IL may there
S fore be regarded as an almost Hnanimou
endorsement Of the principle OF supporting
/ free schools by taxation. The preseu
school system, however, will be of littl
ii value without the aid and active co-opera
G ton Of county school officers and of parent
and guardians.
: The school laws and necessary form
will be printed and distributed over tn
: State without delay.
i ALEXANDER MCivER,
= Supt. Public instruction