Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-03-12
Unfair And Unjust.

Inc amendments OF the House 10
Senator Wings school bill, we under
stand, were concurred in by the Senate.
1t has been intinlated that some Of the
members voted for the amendments
because it would be blow at Boise
City. Whether or not this is the case
matters little. The main question is
how will it effect the schools through
out the state? We take Ada county as
an example, because we have the in
formation given us by gentlemen
whose veracity is unquestioned, Super
intendent Ryals, and because, from
his long experience in school affairs,
he is reliable authority. The board
of county commissioners annually fix
the levy, which must be not less than
4 nor more than ten mills. The tax,
when collected, is apportioned by the
superintendent among the districts OF
the county. Hitherto it has been upon
the following basis, viz: One half the
whole amount must be divided equally
among the several organized districts,
counting one district for each fifty
children, or fraction over twenty-five,
while the other half must be appOr-
toned per capita in proportion to the
number of children in the several
districts.
The amendment will make the APP
portionment as follows: One half of
the money is to be divided equally
among the organized districts, and the
other half is to be divided per capita,
or among the children equally.
If that amendment stands, the
smallest district in Ada county would
get about $26.70 to each child; each
child in Caldwell would get only about
81. 20, while each child in Boise City
would get only about $500. Putting
it differently, each child in district
having ten children would receive
. nearly nine times MS much money as
. each child in Boise City, and more
than six times as much as each child
in Caldwell. Upon what principle Of
fairness or justice can such u law be
supported? If this is blow aimed at
Boise City it is also blow at the
schools of Occur d'Alene City, Black
foot, Pocatello, Payette, Weiser, HALEY,
; Bellevue, Shoshone, Moscow, Lewis
ton and in fact every town where
graded schools are kept. The law APP
plies in other counties as we'll as in
Ada. This is the greatest good to the
: greatest NUMBER" with revenge.
, There may be necessity for this
: change, but the Statesman fails to dis
Germ it. AS the old law stands each
child in district Of ten children in
Ada county gets three times as much
!, money as each child in Boise City re-
ceives. The advocates of the new
measure say that small districts under
the old law cannot carry on a school
. for more than three months in year.
Neither can Boise City, not even that
: length of time if the city relied only
upon the county school money. To
overcome this the city district annually
levies tax which produces about two
and one-half times as much money as
is received from the county i'll order to
keep the public schools open for nine
. months in the year. There is nothing
> to prevent the smaller districts from
following the example Of. Boise City
and, by special tax, keeping the school
open for the same or longer period.
The smallest district in Ada county re-
ceived about $3.50 from the general
school fund last year. A competent
teacher could and can be had for that
!, school for $50 per month, and the dis.
= trict could have had three and two.
thirds months schooling, and, had it
chosen to levy the special tax which
Boise City did, it could have had a
twelve months term.
. The old law has worked successfully
= The new law can bring nothing bu,
disaster to the best schools through out
the State.-Boise Statesman.