The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-04
APPORT|ON|AG It
Supt. Howell Criticizss Me:hod
Pursued In Wake.

What is the way of apportioning school
funds that the Raleigh board of Educa'
ton objects to?" Superintendent Logan
d. Howell was asked.
"WeH. l am loaded for the county COM
missioiers." he said, land | can give you
all the facts you want" and he opeEed Il
bundle of papers. There are 1906 chii-
dren In the county. The school fund ap-
portion cd was SGT, 1876. This gives
$1.53 6-10 for each person Of school age.
The law says the school funds
of each county shall he appor-
toned in proportion TO school
population In Raleigh township
there are 5.571. and we ought to have re-
ceived IS, 557 Instead the board of coun-
| ty commissioners allowed us $1,799, or
only $1.40 for each child"
| but when something about this ap-
peared in the Press Visitor a few weeks
ago. Mr. Rogers, the clerk to the board,
| told me that the commissioners were re-
| CURED by law to apportion only two
thirds Of the funds per capita, and to use
the remaining third to help weak dis
| tricts.
THE law does not say anything about
weak districts. He showed me the pas
/ sage he referred to, which l was already
| familiar with. 1t says:
Apportion two-thirds of the funds to
| the several districts in proportion to the
| whole number of children between the
| ages of six and twenty-one years, and at
the same time, the remaining one-third
| shall be apportioned in such manner as
4 IN lfvA hA rrfh e
| term for the two races, as far as may be
practicable. with out discriminating in
| favor of, or to the prejudice Of either
race
Now, / don't know what will be the
result this year, but last year, although
the county commissioners gave about
ST. 900 of our funds to the country dis
tricts, that law was not complied with
by good deal The white schools in the
country had an average term of sixteen
weeks; the colored schools fourteen
weeks.
do you know whether this two-thirds
law is interpreted generally as it has been
by our commissioners
Il don't know of any other place where
the funds are apportioned as they are in
Wake county. AT Chapel Hill last week
saw eAC sltptIlutenueIlS Oh SeNGFdI
other city schools. I told them of the
custom of apportioning school funds in
Wake county, and asked il the same thing
was done in their counties. Every one
said no, but that the city schools received
their per capita Of the whole amount
These towns are Wilmington, Goldsboro,
Washington, Durham, Greensboro, Win
ston, Charlotte and Statesville
Instead of making provision for weak
districts, the law does not recognize them,
but provides that there shall be none.
Some years ago the school funds were be
ing divided up too~much and wasted, and
the Legislature Yin 1885, enacted this
amendment to the school law:
Unless for extraordinary geograph-
ical reasons, no change of district lines
shall be made that will constitute any
district with less than sixty-five children
of school age, and the county board shah
provide, as far as practicable, that no dis
trict shall contain less than that number
of children.
How does all this affect your schools
in Raleigh
why, the boards or apportionment
take every year about 1000 Of our
money to help these small districts, which
have no right to exist. There are 152
school districts in Wake county, out
side of Raleigh township, and Go Of these
have less than So children each. There
are districts with 80, 80, 81 and one with
Il persons of school age. For these
figures mean not enrolment, but school
population"
well, what remedy do you suggestY'
%, it's not my business to look after |
= e,aho 81 80, A..
here in the interest OF the Raleigh schools |
If the commissioners will only give us |
what belongs to us, | will not worry them |
about what they do with the rest, though |
| do hate to see so much of the school |
funds wasted"
why do you say wasted p
Because, with just a little attention |
paid to the division of it, the average |
length of school terms in the county |
could be increased so per cent, and the |
effectiveness of the schools doubled. No, |
am not guessing at this. | will show /
you: Wake county, exclusive of this |
township, contains 924 square miles. |
There are 81 white school districts, an /
average of 10 % square miles each, or /
if laid off in squares, a little over 3 /
miles square. Raleigh township is 4 |
miles square, contains IS square miles, |
and constitutes one school district. 1t |
is not too large.
IF the country districts were no small |
er, So districts would cover the county. |
The country districts, without robbing |
Raleigh, are entitled to $19,23S this year. |
They received $1,000. Fifty-four per
cent Of this fund gives $10.388 for the |
white schools. This sum divided among |
So districts would give each nearly $3.50 |
enough to employ teacher at $50 a |
month for six months. This is more than |
the average salary of Wake county teach
ers last year. Districts averaging four |
miles square, with school house near |
the center, would have no child much |
over two miles from school. ANY parent |
had rather send his child 3 or 4 miles |
to school for months than to have a |
school house at his door for only 3 or 4 |
mntbs. And many schools in Wake |
county taught less than months last
year"