St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-11

expenses OF the schools should not re-
quire extended comment. Our answer
TO this statement wherever ii toccurs and
to all calculations based upon it, is IL IS
UNTRUE.
Our answer to the question 'tDoes not
the Common Council burden the tax
payer pretty HEAVY, when they grant
levy OF AZ mills, etc.," is that the ques-
tion of heavy taxation is matter of
opinion. An examination as to the con-
qltlon of things elsewhere reveals the
tact, however, that heavier burdens are
borne by other municipalities. In the
last published report of the Commits
slOner OF Education the rate of taxation
FOR school purposes Tor the following
named cities is given. 1t will be noticed
that Philadelphia, the model city of the
writer of the Communication, leads
the list:
Philadelphia, Pa, % mills on assessed val
uation
Harrisburg, Pa, 13 mills on assessed valua-
ton.
Lincoln, Neb., 10 mills on assessed valua-
ton.
Columbus. O., 5la mills on assessed valua-
Troy, N. Y, 13-1OO mills on assessed val
uation.
Rochester, N Y, 47-1o mills OH assessed
Newton, Mass, 4S.1OO mills on assessed
valuation
Omaha, Neb, mills on assessed valuation.
LA La Crosse, Wis, mills on assessed valua-
In regard to the mill state tax for
school purposes, a little investigation of
the law, or inquiry would have shown
the writer of the communication"
under consideration, the error in his
estimate of the money received by the
Beard of Education from this source.
The Board of Education does not
receive revenue equal to l mill
on the dollar levied upon the assessed
valuation of the city. Such a tax is
collected, but tits turned over to the
state and is distributed in such way
that wealthy and favored localities are
compelled to aid in the support of
settled districts, where they could with
difficulty be maintained without this
help.
The question in regard to the num-
Der of school desks states the condition
enormously. The last report of the
City Superintendent gives the number
OF school sittings as 12,770, and the
average number belonging as 1882, in
stead OF 1860, as stated by the writer of
the communication" As there were
1856 pupils enrolled last year and will
~ ic,uoO tliio yCdl, III 10 lUC COu-
Venlent every morning to transfer desks
and seats from one building to another,
when scholars leave one school, and
another school enroils new pupils, the
Board of Education might, it is pre-
Sumed, be excused if the number of
desks exceeded somewhat the average
number of pupils enrolled. 1t would
take an exceeding amount of transfer OF
school desks if only number were
provided equal to--not the largest num-
bef-enrOlled at any one time-but the
average enrolment of the schools.
The ''old-fashioned long division of
would be improved il he paid more at
tention to his divisor, when he figures
out the number of pupils to each
teacher. According to the report of the
City Superintendent; he should have
said: = =; =.
Whole number of teachers .. 269
Number not having charge OF
rooms q
Number of teachers in charge =
Average daily attendance -. s,419
Average number OF pupils in
IL daily attendance to each
teacher having charge of
rooms. Observation-Disclosures a
Try it.
A comparison of the cost Of the
schools of this city per pupil, with that
aOf the schools of other cities with like
acOnditiOnS'fo for the years lSS4-S5- is ap-
pended. The figures are taken from re-
ports of the Commissioner OF Education
and from the reports of the Superin-
atendents of the cities named. The
school years 1SS4-S5 are chosen because
it is the report of the latest years for
which reports .from.those cities could be
obtained. 1t is not probable that a COM
Z Eparfson for later years would make a
very different showing. -
Y Cost of schools for tltitien. superYi-
sion, supplies and incidentals.
Per pupil,
Per pupil av. attend
Cities. enrolled. ance.
Rochester. n. Y. S1594 s21.40
Philadelphia, Pa. lex
elusive of High
school and Normal
SCHOOL, ............ .14.62 1919
Omaha, Neb. 1920 2S.10
Oakland, Cal. =. -. .20.53 2S.97
Lowell, Mass. ..... .14.70 25.S4
Springfield, Mass. -. 1880 25.01
Grand Rapids, Mich. 1912 27.61
st. Paul, MINI. 1912 1883
1t will be noticed that in the report
High school and High and Normal
school.
The large amount expended for school
buildings, of which 100000 was real
lied from sale of bonds and S133.26 was
asked of the City Council to be included
in the tax levy, needs little explanation
to any one who is familiar with the
crowded schools and the rapid growth
of the city during the last five years.
The Board of Education has not been
able to keep pace with the demand for
school accommodations, and the
buildings now in process of erect
ion are not in. advance of present
needs. They but make uD arrears of
school facilities long needed. The in
crease in our enrolment last year over
the enrolment of the year before was
1878 pupils. a number equal to the en-
rollment of two eighteen-room build
ings. Our demand for funds for build
ing purposes has therefore been the re-
suit of growth of our city, of which,as
citizens, we feel proud.
TO point out all the errors of state
ment in the communication which
might have been made correctly by little