The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-05
PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCES AND LEGISLATION
Cost of Their Maintenance in
St. Paul With Compare
tive Figures From
Other Cities.
Proper Remedial Legislation May Be Obtained
Legislature 1t Finally Claimed Through Diligence and
Intelligent Action of the Ramsey County Delegation

ton Of this provision of the charter Is
visited by penalty of six months i'm
prtsonment of the offending party Of
this two and ene-half mills tax, one
half mill may be appropriated for new
school buildings. 1t is needless to add
that the entire two and one-half mills
tax has been appropriated for main
tenance merely during the last few
years. second source of school rev.
enue is general property tax of one
mill upon each dollar of valuation to
be levied by the county authorities
Thlrdly, the whole or part Of certain
fines imposed for minor offenses afford
small income for school purposes.
And lastly, fourth source of school
revenue Is the city's distributive share
In the state school funds. These state
school funds, so-called, are derived
from interest accruing on the invest
ment Of the proceeds realized from the
sale or state school lands. In addition
thereto the state levies a one mill tax
TO be distributed ratably among all the
districts in the state. This distribution
OF the state school funds is made in
proportion to the number of pupils en-
rolled in each school district
The law thus practically fixes a limi--
tatlon upon the amount which may be
appropriated for school purposes Only
Inc sovereign law-making power of the
state can relieve the present strained
school finances, or remedy the evils
that have resulted therefrom. All local
off1c1als are absolutely powerless Even
the commission charged with the draft
Ing of new charter for this city found
1tsei1 without authority to solve the
problem of public school finances.
REVENUE FROM ALL SOURCES.
Theoretically. and as a matter of
mere computation, an appropriation of
the maximum rate Of two and one-half
mills on every dollar Of taxable valua-
ton in this city, for school purposes.
would produce an income of 1922, 500.
This estimate is based on the present
valuation of s9S,0O0,0O0 of all taxable
property within the city. AS a matter
of fact. however, oniy about 80 per
centum of the school. as we'll as other
taxes, has been collected during the
financial stringency of the last few
years. This percentage of collectable
taxes has increased somewhat recent
ly. Nevertheless, in view of the fact
that our city, for the past twenty years.
mas been one year in arrears in the lew
and collection of it's taxes, it is neces-
sary to anticipate the current revenue
for school and other purposes by an
issue of certificates of Indebtedness.
rms issue Is restricted by the charter
TO SO per centum of the amount of the
tax levy, so that instead of currently
realizing the full 1922, 800 proceeds of a
tax levy rate of two and one-half mills.
the public schools derive only about
S1oo, QUO from the sale of certificates of
Indebtedness. This is the maximum
limit now allowed by law.
The school revenues realized from the
tax receipts collected by the county are
ar indefinite sum, varying largely from
year to year, according to the amount
of current and delinquent taxes col
lectable. Thus, during the last three
years, these tax receipts have varied
between $62, $50 So in 1896, S137, 103. Al in
1897, and SAB, 1857 in 1898 The pro-
ceeds of the state apportionment and
one mill tax is an equally fluctuating
amount, during the last three wears
ranging between s209, 166. 80 in 1896, $685.
1922 in 1897, and only $139, 1928 in 1898.
The public school revenues derived
from these regular sources of income,
aggregat1ng the proceeds of four and
one-half mills tax levy rate, in 1898.
consisted of the following items
Tax levy certificates of indebted
ness -. .;............-... s1s5, 500 90
state apportlOnment and one mill
LAX .............. ................. 1S9, 152 10
Total -.......... 1858, 12s 40
DEFICIT PREVENTED.
AS the school expenditures, during
the same period, amounted to s42S. 1916
43, deficit of s6061S.03 would have
resulted, but for a surplus of sS8, 769. A
remaining over from the previous year.
1897. This surplus, at the end of 1898.
had been reduced to s2S.594.69. and can
not be definitely computed in estimates
for the future. For the sake of accura-
cy it should be noted that the forego-
ing items of revenue do not include
several small items, such as fines and
tuition. which annually aggregate an
insignificant sum of money
1t is hardly necessary to add that
the present annual appropriation of
$4,000 to defray the current expenses
of the public schools is a material re-
duction from. the sums appropriated in
former years for the same purpose.
For the year beginning with Septem-
Der, 1896, the common council had ap-
propriated $455. 600, difference of $685.
000
EVIL TO BE REMEDIED.
We find. however, that this $420, 900,
which the city is at presnt restricted