Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-16
SCHOOL CHILDREN.
lSiT TRUE THAT WE ARE GIVING FREE
TUITION TO NONRESIDENT
pUPllS7
The Charge of Alderman Belvin Answered
in Interviews with the Mayor and
Colonel Cary.

Mr. Belvin is altogether mistaken when
he charges that children of nonresident
parents are admitted into our schools to
the exclusion of children Of our own citi-
zens and are educated at the city's ex-
pense, said Mayor Ellyson yesterday when
approached by Dispatch interviewer. Un-
der the rules of the School Board children
not living in the city are not permitted to
enter until all Of our own children have
had an opportunity of doing so, and not then
except upon the payment of $40 tuition in
the district schools and $40 in the High
School. For several years the board has
been unable TO afford accommodation to
number of children who applied for admls
sion. but in almost every case these chill
dren belonged to the lower primary grades,
TO which grades nonresident children are
not admitted euelI upon ne payment Of tuition
faes, so that 1t is impossible under this rule
for any Of our own children to have been
excluded by the admission of the children
Oh nonresident parents.
WHAT THEY PAY.
/ would further say, continued the
Mayor. that so far from these nonresident
children having been any tax upon our
treasury. the facts show they have actually
contributed TO the support of the schools.
Our income from this source last year was
g, 2,20f.56. and this, too, without any addl-
tioual expenditure on our part; but esti-
mating. for the sake of argument, that the
cost per capita was the same as for the
other pupils, the cost would have been
81 ,32S. which would have left net
balance TO the credit of the school fund of
SS76.56.
RIGID RULES.
The board has adopted the most rigid
rules in regard to the admission of non
resident children, and if any obtain en-
trance without the payment of tuition it
is accomplished by improper representa-
tion, and if any citizen knows Of such
pupils he should promptly report them to
the board.
THE MONEY WE PAY.
IL is true the schools arc a heavy tax
upon our treasury, but there can be no.
thing more important than the educa-
ton Of our children. The Council has
been very generous in its support of the
public schools, and nothing could better
attest their steady growth in popularity
and efficiency than the increase in attend
ance, which ten years ago was only 6,26l,
but which last year was ll,37l.
HOW THE MONEY Is SPENT.
am sure that no department OF the city
government is more economically admins
tered than the School Department. OF the
$107 .108 allowed by the Council in the an
nual budget for schools S95. .i62 was appOr-
toned for salaries; and when it is Iemem-
bered that the average monthly pay Of our
teachers is only S47.6s, it will seem TO be
impossible TO materially reduce the GpprO-
priations to schools without seriously af-
fecting the salaries of our already too
poorly paid teachers.
Mayor Ellyson being er-oficiO president
of the School Board speaks TO great ex-
tent from actual knowledge in this matter.
Statement of Colonel Cary.
Colonel John B. Cary was the Superin-
tendent Of the Richmond schools prior to
last February, when he resigned naccount
of increasing private business, and Mr..
William 4. Fox was chosen as his sue
cessOT.
The Colonel was seen by a Dispatch re-
porter yesterday and asked If under his
administration he knew of any children
whose parents were not residents of Rich
moud being allowed to attend the public
schools here without paying the fee re-
quired.
THE RULES OBSERVED.
The Colonel said the rules regarding the
schools were carried out rigidly-sOme-
times with something like severity. Cases
often come up which appealed strongly to
the school officers to stretch the law lit
tls. but the rules were always enforced.
"There is" said he, great difficulty IN
opening the schools and (when the chill
dren rush in by hundreds for admission
in keeping out some whose parehts do not
reside in Richmond. but when such cases
occur they are usually discovered, and
when the discovery is made such pupils
are immediately dismissed or have to pay
the fee required"
INSTANCES.
Colonel Cary cited several cases which
came to his attention when superintendent,
where children whose fathers were tax
PAYERS on property in the city, though re-
siding outside of Richmond, asked for adj
mission to the schools here. and were re-
fused because the rules required that the
parents should be residents of the city.
These cases often appealed strongly to the
board. but the children had TO be refused
admission.
These instances were referred TO by the
Colonel to show how strictly the rules
were enforced with reference to non-resi-
dent pupils.