Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-15
How Much Money and Bonds the Schools
have Resolved from the CITY
The schools Must be Pale.
A Careful and Candid Statement Of Facts
that None will GalBsay, from the
President Of the School
Board.


board of education OF the city Of Mem
phis, relative to the funds, etc., placed
in possession of said board. The inter-
view with the city-sttorDey on Thurs
day IN regard 10 school matters, pub.
lished in yesterdays APPEAL, has
caused some comment, and ID view of
the fact that some are disposed to inter-
pref it amiss, came to seek an inter-
view with you upon the subject.
President KOrtrecht-I Will cheerfully
give you any information that NAV
have upon the subject Of the city
schools. The charter provides that the
board of education shall annually, in the
month of December, make an estimate
of the expenses of the city schools for the
ensuing year and report the same to the
mayor and board Of aldermen of the
Ncity, who shall thereupOn proceed 10
levy tax upon such property as is taxed
for other city purposes sufficient to cover
such expense, within tbelimit, however,
that the amount called for shall not ex-
ceed ten dollars for every child in the
city between the ages Of six and twenty
years. This is the general fund for the
annual support Of the schools. The
building fund, the charter provides,
AlElAA A0A OALCE4 AAfE EALAA VI Allll AlOh-
sand dollars per annum for the term of
ten years from the fourteenth OF Janu-
ary, 1865, making five hundred thou
sand dollars in all. This building fund
the school charter requires the mayor
and board of aldermen to provide on the
requisitiOn Of the board OF education,
but leaves it TO the discretion of the
mayor and board of aldermen to raise
the annual acquisitions for the building
fund either by taxation or by an annual
issue Of city bonds.
Rep0rter-What is the nature of the
sums that have been annually appropri-
ted by the city council 10 the board Of
education?
President kortrecht-The charter Of
the Memphis city schools, passed by the
legislature January y, 1869, provides
two funds for the benefit Of the schools
one q general fund ior the annual sup
port OF the schools, and the other
building fund to purchase lots and erect
buildings to be occupied by the schools.
Reporter-HOw has the board of
mayor and aldermen complied with
these requirements Of the school charter
IN furnishing funds for the schools?
Answer-For the first fouI years, until
December 1872, the collections from
taxes levied for the general fund were
sufficient to keep up the schools. Dur
ing the same four years the city met
the acquisitions for building fund not
IN money, but by an annual issue Of
fifty thousand collars ia city bonds,
worth on an average about fifty cents
on the dOllaT.
Rep0rter-How were the bonds then
issued disposed OF by the board of edu-
cation?
Answer-In 1870 or lS7l thirty thou
sand dollars OF the first issue were used
to pay for the lot on which the Mal ket
street school building stands. The re-
remainder we're in part sold from time
to time, and in part pledged as security
for losns OF money, Thus the money
was raised to purchase the lots and erect
the building for the Market street, Pea
body and Clay street schools, and the
other lots and school buildings now
owned and in use for the city schools.
Reporter-1O what extent has the
mayor and city council furnished these
funds to the schools for the years 1873 4?
Answer-For 1873, they levied a tax
for both general fund and building fund
of barely the amount the school board
called for and needed 10 pay teachers
and pay current expenses Of the schools.
The school board managed, by the
closest economy and by reducing the
salaries of teachers, not only to carry
the schools through the year, but also as
no definite building fund was furnished
for that year, they succeeded from the
taxes collected, in carrying the schools
through the year, and also saving fifteen
thousand dollars, which was transferred
to the building fand, and with it erected
and paid for the Clay-street school b lid.
ing, with irs eight fine schOolrooms, now
in Use by the colored schools.
Reporter-HOw have the schools been
provided for the present year, 1874?
Answer-As to the general fund, the
school census taken in 1873 showed the
children in the city to number, my
recollection is, between thirteen and
fourteen thousand. The exact number
could be obtained from Mr.. Carnes, the
secretary OF the board. Without them
/ cannot be exact, but my recollection is
pretty good. On this scholastic popula.
lion Of nearly fourteen thousand chill
dren the school beard made its esti-
mates, and found il would take about
ninety Thousand dollars to carry the
schools thrl ugh the year, and called on
the mayor and general council TO levy q
tax of that amount for the support OF
the schools. This, instead OF being the
school charter limit Of ten dollars per
child OF the scholastic population, was
less than seven dollars per child. The
mayor and general council, instead OF
levving the tax called for, only levied 9
tax for the schools which would yield, il
all were collected, about sixty thousand
dollars. The tax levied, instead Of being
ten dollars per child, the amount author
lied by the school charter, or seven dol
lars per child, the amount called for by
the school board, is in fact less than five
doIlars per child of the scholastic pOpu'
lstiOn OF the city In 1873.
ReporteT-HOw has the building .funC
for the schools for 1874 been provided
for?
Answcr--None whatever has beeI
provided. In the early part Of the veal
the school board called on the mayOl
and general council to provide for rails
ing eighty-fiye thousand dollars for the
building-fund for the schools, thirty-iivC
thousand dollars to make good for the
deficiency for 1873, and fly thousand
dollars the amount due for 1874; bu
none whatever has been provided for ol
paid. The present administration o.
.he city, instead of providing building
fund for the schools, as required by tbs
school charter, have repudisted and dis
credited the one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars city bonds issued to the
building-fund OF the schools for 1870
1871 aud 1872 They publicly deny the
validity OF these bonds, and thus far fai
and refuse to furnish any building-funC
for the schools whatever.
RepOrter-Is the school board now il
debt, OF what is its condition?
Answer-The general fund for the sup
port Of the schools owes the teachers anC
employees their salaries for the month oi
October Just past, and some few bills FOL
| fuel, repairs, ETC., altogether under sever
thousand dollars, with now from one
| fourth to one-half money on hand to pay
them. We hope by the close OF thii
month to have money enough to pay
the October salaries in full. The schOo
board has borrowed money from tins
to time TO pay for the erection OF school
buildings, pledglng the city bonds issued
! on the building fund account 10 secure
such loans. IL now owes betweeE
I thirty-fve and forty thousand dollars O
/ sucn loans, principally contracted
several years ago IN building the Marke
/ street aud Peabody schoOlnouses.
! Repcrter-Whatr rate OF interest doe
the school board pay for these loans9
Answer-For most Of 1t ten per cent
Per annpm. In one OF two cases Rs higf
as twelve par cent, or ona per cent. Pc
I month "a Dald. but tne&e are exceptional