Arizona citizen., 1874-02-21
COUNTY SCHOOL BUSINESS.
The following letter is signed "Many Citizens" and addressed to us as editor:

C1IlZe0S v ana auuTcsScu GO us dS culLOI'
 FLORENCE February r, 1S74.-The ques-
 ton has been asked by many of our citi- ZenS of Florence, as to how the people O1
 Tucson keep their public school? Tucson
 at the present time is keeping two schools,
 paying each teacher Sl00 per month ana
 also Sl00 per month for rent-Whlch IS
 equal to three teachers. We of Florence
 furnish our own schOOl-hOuSe and will not
 have funds to keep the school more than
 two more months; and we are slso short
 SIP on school teaching for last year.
 Would it not be well enough to inquire
 into this matter?
 Certainly, it is always in order to in
 quire about any public business, especial
 ly when done in a proper way, and there
 seems to be no impropriety in the man.
 ner iD this instance. The tone of the let
 ter implies a possibility that injustice is
 being done Florence for the benefit of
 Tucson, which is a wrong implication
 upon Tucson and the executive officers of
 the shool law In TIE CITIZEN of Jan
 uary 3, 1874, is an almostcomplete answer
 to our Florence letter; but as many in
 terested may not have noticed the facts as then published, we reproduce these two paragraphs in point:
 The monthly expense of the Florence district is put down at $lI0, and that of Tucson at $2G0.
 A school census was taken in May as provided by law. We have heretofore pub lished an abstract of the census reports from every county and district, giving number, age and sex, and will now only say the whole number of children in Pima county between the ages of six and twenty one, is 75l-bOyS 3S4 and girls 367. Whole numbe of both sexes in Tucson district. 540; in Sanford, 9S; in Florence, G4; in San Pedro, 49. San Pedro district was formed during the present year from Tucson, but no steps having been taken to open d school there, the funds due that district have been given to Tucson; and the board of supervisors having consolidated San former have been credited to the latter. The appOrtionment of funds was made upon the combined census of San Pedro and Tucson for Tucson, and of Sanford and Florence for Florence.
 The facts are that Tucson pays teachers as stated in the letter, but only half as much rent The school law of 1871 re- quired an apportionment of public money in the several districts in proportion to the number of children attending public schools in each, which was very unsatis- factory, and therefore the legislature of 1873 amended It so as to compel an appor- tionment according to the number of children between the ages of six anu 2l years in each district, as shown by a census taken under the direction of the school officers of the several districts. AS stated above, a school census was taken in May last as directed by law, and the distribution of funds to Florence and Tucson districts was made in exact ac- cordance with said census, and it was not in the power of the superintendent to give either different sum than he did. If the census marshals did their duty, FlQrence has had all the money it was possible for her to get under the law if they did not do their duty, then the fault is not with the county superintend- ent, and Tucson had no more power over the matter than Florence, or Yuma, or Prescott. If full justice has not been done Florence, the fault lies in the law or the census marshals, and not by any pos Sibility with the county superintendent or Tucson district. The census shows that Sanford and Florence haG l62 school children last May and Tucson and San Pedro 5S9. Any one can easily apply the figures and see why Tucson can continue two teachers much longer than Florence can one, and also find no possible cause of against Tucson or the county | This subject seems to nave been misunderstood by our Florence 1eighbors, and hence we have occupied considerable space in presenting them with the legal facts.
 Tucson and Florence both need more 'unds for tue education of their children, nd if our vote and share of what Is re- Iuired would supply the want, they would be given with the utmost cheerful less. Whether either will get what is needed will depend upon the ability and public spiritlof the citizens.