Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-05
UNJUST .AppoRrroNMnNr
OF the State School Fund--f<ent and
sussex's Excessive share.

| OF the State School Fund--i<ent and
Sussex's Excessive share.
Some interesting facts well worthy
the attention of the taxpayers of New
Castle county are discoverable in the re-
Gently published biennial report Of
State Treasurer Herbert.
A little careful investigation of the
school fund and the general fund re-
| ports will reveal to some extent the
burthen this county bears on the part OF
| Kent and Sussex and also shows how
certain large sums properly belonging
to this county find their way to the
Golfers of the two lower counties and
are expended there.
Under the head "General Fund, y
amounts received from licenses during
| the past year from the three county
clerks and a large share of which sub
sequently finds its way into the school
fund are given as follows:
New Castle county S43, 400. 81
| hent ana sussex. ...-.s........ts J,5lU,Os
The following amounts received from
the county clerks on account of certain
ether licenses were paid in directly to
the school fund land are SO creditedl:
| New Castle county. ......... $40, 1876
Kent and sussex. b,ebi.4l
Then the total sums paid in on ac-
count of licenses to school and general
| funds are as follows:
| New Castle county. ........... SSs, 9l7.S
| Kent and sussex ........I--.--... la,ou9'Jt
This exact total Of $10S, 1872 80 is not
redistributed among the school districts
| of the three counties but the sum OF
102,949,65 is divided, which with the
sum Of 81 ,o02.50 paid out for blind and
deaf mute charges, and cost of teachers
institute makes up a total of Sl05, s52. 10
which is the sum divided up.
1t is derived from three credit &C
counts of the school fund--surplus reye-
nue., &lS,705; from general fund and
other sources, SAG ,3S4,S5; State appro-
pliation, $4,000, school district divi-
| bends forfeited, S305.6 which, with the
outstanding balance Of $l5, 456,70, give
the total, Sl05,S52.15.
Now the interesting point is to see
how this amount is divided up among
| the three counties for school purposes
10 account for the ridiculous appor-
tionment (still for all that the legal one
Of this amount, State Treasurer Herbert
| quotes the law as follows:
| AIil9ltltllIllIll VI pay VI tili 91ilOol
fund as required by law, according to
the white population Of the State, as
ascertained by the census made in the
year 1890.
Al that time go years ago. New Castle
county's population stood 23,223; Kent
| 1868, and Sussex, 2O,721
As 10 population now New Castle has
more than Kent and Sussex combined
The apportionmcnt of the school fund
is made on the enumeration of 1890 in,
stead of upon that of the existing
| enumeration.
In the summary Of the report the
| apportionments TO the counties fol
school districts for the past year are
! given as follows.
New Castlecounty school districts S39, G62 &c
| Kent county school diStricts...,.. 27696.2s
| Sussex county school districts.... 1851 Oh
The above total of $102 ,949.65 is thus
divided among the three counties and
comprises all Of the school disburse.
ments, less a sum of $2,902.59, flor blind
and deaf-mute tuition and $500 fol
teachers institutesl making the grand
| total disbursement for 1890 of the sum
of Si05,S 10.
The point is that New Castle county
pays in $SS,91786, and the other tive
counties together total Of S19,S0i .96
from licenses; this county paying in also
| to the general fund, on account OF
licenses, S43,420.5O; and Kent and
Sussex i total of S9,94050; and from
licenses TO the school fund, New Castle
county S45,497.36, and Kent and Sussex
] total of S9,S64.4i.
As stated these totals are not directly
redistribuled but part is placed in the
school fund, to which is added surplus
revenue, state appropriation be Gas
statcdl and then tile total divided vi
according to the antique enumeration
OF 1880 as explained.
The result of this strange distribution
Is that New Castle county while paying
4 into the treasury an aggregate of ovel
SIS 900 receives only $39,OU0, thus pay.
ing into fund (Which purpurts to re,
distribute on,a population pro rata scale
nearly $4,000 Il year more than is re
turned, when that pro rata scale if eX
errised and distributed according 10 thS
just intent Of tlie law when first enacted
| would probably return to the mos
populous county at least al equivalen
on apportionment to the sum paid in.
Again Kent and Sussex combined pay
in about $4,000 and receive back ahou
S63, 600, about $4,000 above What they
are entitled to, to the detrimcnt and i'm
fair taxation of this county.
i Of courseall this is simply manifes
injustice and legal misapplication o
the district school funds.
Through this unfair and obsolete
arrangement the school children of New
Castle county receive from the fund s.
cents 10 the dollar received by the Ken
and Sussex school children.
Itwould only be just to abolish tn,
whole Of the existing free school appor
tionment system and instead to have til
license and other accounts paid ii
directly and As fairly and squarely an,
directly distributed without any inter
meaiary juggling or Encouragement, tn
apportionment Of the amount to be mad
upon the most recent census figures OIL
cially existing.