The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-08-02
circular Letter.
DEpARrMENr OF EBUoATIo1,


although the State apportionment
for the year was the lowest since
1928.
This signal improvement is due
to the growth of self-help in large
areas of the State. leading the peo-
pie to vote local taxes in school
districts, and to supplement, by
close collection of the funds du e
from "oyers" and finders" and by
private subscription. the State and
County funds, where the levy of
local taxes has not been possible,
as in school communities. But, by
an act of the Twenty-frst Legisla-
ture, provision was made for form
ing taxing districts" in commune
ty counties, so that now local tax
alton for the support of the schools
Is practicable in any county in the
State.
You should advise and urge the
levy of local school taxes wherev-
er it is practicable, for the follow
ing reasons:
/ Local taxation is cheaper
than private subscription. As a
rule, it cost nine-tenths of the pa
irons of the schools only one-half
as much to run the schools by
local taxation as by subscription,
with this additional advantage,
that provision is made in this way
for the children Of those who are
unable to pay tuition in subscrip-
lion schools.
Il Local taxation is surer than
private subscription. While
teachers frequently suffer embar-
RAISING delays in the payment of
school vouchers, yet, these vouch-
ezs are always paid, while the
payment of private tuition is sub
iect to much longer delays and not
unfreqnently to final loss.
i'll The State School Fund is
not now, nor will it ever be, suf-
ficient without local aid to main
tain the schools as long as they
should be maintained. The COM
mon statement, that the income
from the Permanent School Fund
will at some future time be suf-
fcient to maintain the schools
without taxation, is an illusion.
It viii never do more than keep
pace with the increase in scholas-
tic population. The State Fund
should never be regarded as the
sole, or even the principal, support
of the schools. For, while this
States distributes a larger amount
per capita than any other State ex-
cept California, the per capita de-
rived from local school taxes is
less than one-eight of the average
local taxes in the United States.
Whatever weakness may exist in
our school system is due not to the
fact that the State School Fund is
not large enough, but to the fact
that local effort is not strong
enough.
". Local taxation strengthens
local interest in the schools. The
people of a locality who pay taxes
directly for the support of the
schools of the locality feel keen
er interest in the school to whose
support they thus contribute d.
rectly than In schools which they
feel are supported altogether by
some great, remote institution
called the State. Local taxation
gets the children into the schools
better than any compulsory educa-
ton law.
Y. The trustees of districts
lerying local taxes have the legal
right to extend the scholastic age
both belo y eight and above sixteen
years of age.
VI. A local school tax is not
burdensome, even when the max
imum 20 cents on the $4,000
is levied. The State and district
school tax, when the maximum is
voted, is only 325 cents, while
many of our cities and towns vote
50cents in addition to the State
school tax. In the State of Arkan-
sas, the State school tax is 20 cents,
and four-ffth of the school dis
trict of that State have voted on
themselves, in addition to the
State school tax, the maximum al
lowed them by law-50 cents on
the $4,000 valuation. The aver
age school tax in the United States
is - cents on the $1,000. Texas
- fortunate in having a large per-
smagent school fund, the income of
which yields about $500 per cap
Ite;;bst It viii be unfortunate for
the.chIdren who need schooling
now, If the possession of this adj
vantage, prepared for them by the
fathers of Texas, shall deter those