The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-05-12
THE SCHOOL FINANCES.
Report OF the Beard Committee
That Was Directed 20 Look
Into Them.
It Recommends Certain Reduc-
lions, but Not In tho Sala-
ries OF Teachers.
Il l. Considered by the Full Hoard aud,
after Discussion. u Adopted Al
most Unanimously.


the fnRncs committee. This committee.
composed of Messrs. Parchsn. Greenfield
and Winnie, was directed az the last meet
ing Of the board to look into the finances
OF she district and So make Fecommsnds-
tlons Ia regard 90 them for ths COM
ing year. Tho committee met Yesterday
afternoon and last night submitted its
report. 10 was agreed 70 By all the
memte,s save in tho item referring 20
special teachers. Psrehen and Greenfield
recommended the retention Of she writing
teacher, and Winnie the retention Of the
music teacher. The report Was As follows.
Your finance COMMITTEES beg leave 20 re-
port that they have carefully looked into
the m tiers relating 90 this financial condi-
tioa Of this school district. Insy ind that
the total expenses for she school yenr 1885
1894 for conducting the schools were Stl,-
Jl2.
In order 90 ascertain how the expenses Of
the school year refe, red TO compared with
preceding wears We Carefully went over the
books With the following results; la 1859
the expenses we're S35.69l. the aver
age daily attendance 91s pupils and
she eos, per pupil Ter mouth. bassd
on she average daily attendance. was
St.36 In 1890 the attendance vas i0l2.
she eKpsnse Sis 526. cost per month 60 80.
In 1891 the nttsndHn was l.i67. the eK-
pense $500 and the cost pes pupil 81. -
per month. Ia 1892 the attendance was
l. Dos. the expense S54 O55. aud the cost per
pupil S45l Ia 1898 the attendance
was l33S pupils, she total eXl ense
S539 22 cost GER pupil 81. 46.
for 1924. OF the school year Just closing.
the attendance was /, 100. the largest in the
history Of tho Helena schools, the expense
was taSl2 aud the coat per pupil $500. =
saving over this preceding year OF 81 cents
per pupil a month. We have carefully gone
over the items making up this total Of SAL
3l2. and We are not able 70 suggest any
means that will reduce the expenses for the
coming year q great deal below tue present
year. We ind there are certain fixed
oharges such No water. fuel. repairs and
miscellaneous supplies, that will remain at
about ths same figures the next year As
they have been IN the past There 10 no
reason 20 suppose that the attendance dur
ing the next year will be less than II has
been daring the past. On she contrary, It
may be safely predicted that there will be
al increased attendance.
Is being seen that the ofdinary running
expenses for tbs coming year exclusive OF
salaries cannot be reduced. youT commit
tee Was confronted with the proposition
that to make a reduction 10 would be nee
essarY TO lower the salaries paid emplOTees
We hrst considered the salary paid the SUI
perintsndent % - GOO per year. When u
Is remembered tuat the superintendent ex-
eroiaes close and constant supervision over
the schools Of the city. performing not
only the duties Of superintendent of ward
schools &C a whole. bat also looking after
the individual work of each and every
teacher in the graded schools. thereby do
INK away with the necessity Of paying
principals Of buildings. as Is done in other
cities, from s. 20 $50 per month for this
work haliaUa that Nha
supeTintendsnts salary 10 not excessive.
Nevertheless, wa are Of the opinion that
during the coming year a reduction should
DO made Ia his salary Of $3.50.
The principal OF the high school
now receives 81 500 per annum.
This ID not an excessive salary compared
With like work aud responsibility IN other
cities but We would recommend that fer
the coming year his salary be reduced $500.
A to the salaries of the teachers IN she
graded schools and IA tbs high school, a
careful investigation rs TO the salaries paid
for the same service both In the east and IN
the west has proved 90 Us that In no in
stance do the teachers In the Helena city
schools Ieceive compensation In excess OF
that paid fer like services elsewhere. We
pay Our high school teachers $50 for the
school year; our eighth grade teachers
sos; our seventh 2 ade teachers 500. We
pay IN all other grades save she trst and
heNUnA E0AN psi HFhEs Nc nAaN hAn
teachers receive sos and the second Sl21.
The principals OF our schools receive s.
per month ia addition 10 their salaries as
teachers. The following. taken from q
large number Of Communications reosived
within the last sixty DAYS from school off,
GERS throughout tie [ nited States, will
show how the salaries We pay the Helena
teachers compare with those Iaid else
where. Ia spokane. from the hTst TO tbs
seventh grade. for experienced teachers the
salary is 800 per school year. In the
eighth grade % ls 1850, while the high
school teachers receive $1,000 In Cinein
natl from the hrst 10 the fourth grade the
salarT Is 500 for she school yea and from
the 9th 20 the eighth grade SoOJ, While
high school teachers receive 81, 2JO. In
Kansas City from the first 20 she eighth
grade the 50 airy 10 $500 per year, high
school teachers receiving q, 80. In CleYe-
land the sa.afiss range from 500
20 800 per year for krade teachers
teachers Ia the high school receiving from
receive 500 per annum. high school teach
ers from $50 TO 81 J0a. 10 Los Angeles
grade teachers reoslys from S675 to Sl21
and high school tenchers from 81, 200 60
%I. 500. In Seattle experience graue teach
ers eosive $50 Per Hnnum and high school
teachers : 10. In Minneapolis. teachers
iu from the first 20 the seventh grades
inclusive. receive 500 per Aunuui. and IN
she eighth grade $50. high school teachers
ceivug from 3 $50 60 1880 ser annuui.
Now 90 20 she SHARES paid principals IA
not only the cities named. but throughout
tls country. We fad they are allowed for
each assistant Iu tue building from - "a
$40 per month. bfiaglng the salaries oi
these principals up 10 from SlUJO 80 Sz.OOl
for she school year,
When We take into confederation the fact
that the bars cost Of living IN Helena d.
from lU 90 40 PER c-ut greater than in ths
uIaJ9 ItY a. the cltlos named, 10 will bs
scca tEat. contrary % what miRht be III,
general belief. We are paying our teacher
less tnisrIes taEu tins services command
seVher-.
Your committee docs not desire that th'
teachers IN tue emp oy Of this school dis
trict shall receive less compensation than Il
pald elsewhere. and We DO uot believe tha
either tue msmboss % this board or thu
people ~ the city generally desire H.
We therefore recommend that there be NJ
change for tLe coming year IA ths salurie
paid cIper.epood teachers. We would how
ever recommend that thoie be established I
graded saalo Of comuenEation. That 10 q
say. where o. teacher has had five yenrs o
more experience IN Rraded CITY schools
tnst slo receive the maximum oOmpensa
tou. VIE q sL8 has had less than nv'
vears Of such s1psfIsnos. that there be
deduction from tLe maximum OF $50 Fe
auuum Tor eacu Yeara lees cXpeiisn thal
I Nv.
Ia grading the salaries We would recon
Z o. end THAI tuo Tesrs' experience Ia diatrir
/ schools 10 cousidered equal 20 one year
experience ~ graded schools, anc that on
years attendance on normal school q
I sstablishea regulation he considered squs
I a. years eIuerIsnos IN graded schools
Win two exceptions every teacher ia %
! 10 eun schools las had i've or more eHPsri