Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-07-24
YANKToN EVENING" JULY a. 1888

superintendent says be now thinks the
low shOuld place nothing Whatever IN
the school fund but money coming from
the two mill tax aad tlD local taxes, and
the income from sale Of lands when it il
reached. Tie other miscellAneo IS mat.
ters given to the school fund come from
the old statues on ferries, estrays, militia,
etc, which have rot been changed.
Asked about further objections. Gen.
Beadle replied that they were not as @
rule genuine. For instance, people are
used to the district school meeting and
reading section sixty-six, and the catch.
words at its head, "Wbo are voters, they
conclude the only voters were the par.
ents. guardians or other persons having
in charge children of school age end
that regular electors had no say in
school affairs. This would justify all
opposition. But the fact is the old school
meeting with its powers ls gone, and
this school meeting has no power Of any
importance to any. one who has no
children in the school. The real govern
nent is the school township and its
board, and these are chosen by the reg
nlarlY qualified electors. under the gen
eral election law, at public polls, with
the private ballot; and with that ballot
the voter can do more than he can hope
to accomplish in such cancns turmoil
as district meeting affords. All taxes,
all bonds and othel lpatters are in the
hands Of the regular electors of the
township. who choose the boar,llnd vote
upon every issue OF bonds.
plaaaa fall nrf1trn hn Ia, q k1,1
law? was the question, and this was the
reply in substance: The very general
and grave defects in the old law rendered
change necessary. The echool districts
were, despite all effort, unequal in every
| thing, i'll area, numbering pupils, value of
tax able property, school facilities and
usefulness Of schools. To elaborate would
be unnecessary, for the history is before
us every day. But these districts must
be continually changed, divided, bound
aries re.arrange9 and otherwise cut up.
This will continue. No sooner is school
house built, but the district must be
divided in some way. Bonds are issued
upon district, large enough for four
and thus soon are four, or else there is
war. The district that keeps the house
and bonds opposed to division and the
| others try to get away. If the
school house has been paid for
the part cut off loses its share; il
taxes are levied in favor of the entire
district, the old number wants all and
gives the new one none, without quar-.
rel. These are only few of the many
defects, and thus strife and wrong are
endless. Grand Forks county will re-
quire no less than 200 districts within
ten years. How then shall taxes, funds,
and accounts be looked after? The pros.
pect is appalling! The wrongs involved
i'll reaching the end of that series of
changes, are twenty fold what it would
be to combine all in townships.
The school township is proposed as .
present END Of all this, and an end for
ever. They should be larger than land
township use. The law provides that
the whole county be divided into school
townships, and that school and civil
townships should have the same name
and the same area, bat be distinct cor.
porations.
Each ls school corporation that shall
sustain oil the schools within 1t by equal
taxes, for equal terms. and for the equa
advantage of all, and that within the
| township under proper rules every pupi
be sent to the school the paren
, prefers. When q new school is needed
! it is provided for out of the common
treasury. All teachers are employed
J and paid, all school houses built an,
bushes transacted by the one board.
The rest of the law is largely employ
ed in directing, limiting and checking
this power. The largest area necessary
requires larger power in board, bu
that power cannot be misused, and M
school can be neglected. No two mem
! bers can come from the same locality
The local school elect moderator, VII
represents them to the board and ha
useful protective powers.
Other parts of the law provide fo
teachers institutes, township libraries
accounts of school officers, reports an
other subjects as to which there can b
no question. The law uses an unequs
tax when necessary, at first, upon th
districts, to bring them all into the schot
= township upon equal terms.
1t is question of. forever quarreIiu
over district boundaries and keepin
public officers at work upon such thing
! or to use large boundaries for perm,
, nent ones, put the county superintent
ent at his proper work, and transact til
: entire school affairs of the count
through twelve or fifteen responsible
boards. It is so much cheaper and be
IS ter that the people will all support it.
The law leaves superintendent FRI
= from interest in the change. They fave
e it for the good of schools. 1t is goin
!. into force in about forty counties, and
is in allegiance in about fifteen. If ar
feature about voters or other points, r
quires change it can be done. The ge
eral features only are important. 1t is
y much more equal, fair and just than tt
e old law and district plan that it wi
surely stand. 1t is the present tenden,
of all school legislation in the states. II
best schools are under this plan; Il
poorest under separate districts. The
J. is much more that might be said. but Il
l. fair reading of the law will show it ar
the fair application of the law will il
prove greatly all schools and school bus
ness.