The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1883-01-13
School ofaeetAk1
ers of Boone County
Arkansas:

Arkansas:
have been intimately aequain'-
cd with the most OF you tor some
time, and for the last Two years have
been associated with you officially
in the affairs of the common schools
of our county. This association
has, indeed, been in many respects
both pleasant and profitable to me.
1t has ever afforded me much pleas
uro TO meet with those who are try.
ing to advance the interest of Popu.
lar Education. And it is gratifying
to me to know that the Teachers
and School officers of this county
are making great Improvement in
this direction. | find that School
Directors are taking greater inter
est OF late their reports to the
County Examiner are fuller and
better prepared and, what is still
better, more Of them report. Why, u
few years ago 1t was very difficult
indeed to get the Directors to send
in their Enumeration Reports, but
they now see that these reports
bring the money to their District,
and SO they report. Last year we
succeeded in getting a report from
each District in the county. The
Directors are not only maniiestng
an interest in this why, but in many
other ways. They visit the schools
more, take more interest in the con
dition df theiF schaol houses, the
comfort of their children and the
kind of teachers they employ. Bet
ter school houses are beng built
throughout the county. better teach.
ers employed and better schools es-
tablished. One result of these
marked improvements is to strength
en- the public mind in favor Of free
sch ools.
The people begin, to see that they
are getting the benefits of the school
tax they bay. A great number OF
our Districts are levying a special
school tax, but there is still room
for improvement in this respect.
Let every voter who Is in favor OF
educating the masses 90 to the school
meeting in his District next May
and vote for five mill tax. Don't
be deferred from so doing by those
who may have to pay little more
than it would take to educate their
own children. 1t is right under the
law that the property of the state
should educate the children of the
State, both rich and poor. Under
the old law, il a District did not
have at least a three months school
during the year it could not draw
any of the state fund. The portion
that it would have otherwise receiv.
ed was taken and divided between
the other dstr cts of the county.
This law is amended so that if sui.
fcient amount of money cannot be
raised to support N566oeg Tor three
months the District may vote no
school and lis portion of tbs state
fund will remain in the Treasury tc
the credit Of the District until the
next year. / would call the specia
attention Of tho Directors to the
proviso in tho law upon this sub.
ject The Electors may vote no
school, provided sufficient revenue
cannot be raised to support schoo
for three months. Raised how
By adding to the state apportion
mcnt the amount you can raise by
levying a five mill tax. When yot
have dono this and found that tn,
sum is not sufficient to delray th,
expenses Of a three months schoo
you my then and not until thor
vote no school with the legal righ
to retain your share OF the appor
tionmont OF the state fund. woulC
advise you to look into this matter
as some of our Districts have beer
voting no tax and no school anC
then claiming tho benefit Of this pro
viso, when # they bad voted "a,
five mill tax they conld have sup
ported a three months school, I
you do not want TO lose your par
ri tho state app.rtiJnmeuJ YOU hdl