The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-10-25

WHICH SuDCTdcC6u ITOHl Tie amount
necessary to six months school, 81,
500, 498, leaves $915, 1868 to be raised by
the ad valorem tax. A tax of ten
cents on the state valuation would
leave a deficit of $405, sos, and to make
up the whole amount something over
seventeen cents on the one hundred
dollars would be necessary.
These calculations are made upon
the most economical estimates within
reasonable bounds. This, however,
will fail to attain the end sought after
by the friends of education, Wis: An
efficient system of public free schools
for counties are as different from
each other as individuals, and what
will maintain school for six months
in one county will fall far short of it
in another. There being no such
thing in our system as compulsory
organization or compulsory attend
ance, the number actually enrolled in
communities is, in many counties, 80
per cent less than the number shown
by the scholastic census. Yet the
distribution of the fund is made &C
cordIng to the scholastic census, and
not according to the number enrolled
in communities. Mr.. Wurzbach con-
cludes from this fact that less than Sc
per capita wsuld give six months tut
ton. His conclusion would be cor
rect if this were true of all the coun-
ties, but the reports of the board of ed
ucation show that in some of the coun-
ties the number enrolled in schools
or organized into communities eX-
coed the scholastic census, while in a
majority of the counties it approx
mates the census closely, SO that the
distribution of the fund must neceS-
sarily be made according to the Scho-
lastic census.
In order that the friends of this
amendment may see its practical OPP
Grafton, we will cite two instances
from the last biennial report of the
board of education, by way Of show
ing how our amended school system is
going to popularize itself. Harrison
county, while the census OF 1880 shows
it to be the twelfth county in Texas
in population, has the largest scholas-
tic population of any county in Tex
as; viz. 6077. There was actually or
ganized into school communities only
BIB, and actually enrolled
in school only 2340. IN
der the new regime she
will get 36,462. AT Sc per capita, for
her organized communities, $18, 708
will be ample for a six months school,
but this number is not enrolled in
school, 2340 being the number, and
$1,000 would be sufficient for six
months school in this county, which
would leave a surplus to Harrison
county over and above s. per capita,
for those enrolled in school, of $685.
422.
Rusk county, according to the GEN.
sus of 1880, Is twentieth in population,
and according to the official records of
the board of education, is second in
scholastic population, viz: 1916. There
were, last year, organized into COM
munities, 1850, and actually enrolled
in school, $500. Under the new re-
glme she will get $35, S56. At S. per
capita for her organized communities,
$21, 760 would be her pro rata, and
at So per capita for those actually en-
rolled in school, she would get $19, 800,
which would be sufficient for a six
months school.
According to these consultations,
these two counties alone would re-
ceive surplus over and above their
actual needs, of $39,518, which, added
to their available county fund, would
swell the amount to over $4,000, or
to put it differently the children ac-
tually enrolled in school in Harrison
county would be entitled to $40 piece,
and those actually enrolled in school
in Rusk county, about Sill.
Under the present system Harrison
county this year received $21.977, or
about 1887 per capita for those of her
children enrolled in school, and Rusk
county $21 ,613, or 1854 for those ac-
tually enrolled in school.