The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-02
EXAS' PUBLIC SCHOOLS
berinlendent Carlisle Says They Need
Better Support.
EY ARE IN A DEPlORABlt CONDITION
Inv school Houses Arc UNIT for oc-
|,,,,,cx md Many Of the Tench-
ers Are Incompetent.

Is his annual report, State superintend
~ Public instruction Carlisle says;
rt we have just reached the beginning
the great development OF our schools
nv evils and imperfections have at
dei the,m from the beginning. The soon.
We eliminate these the sooner we vii
in position to make greater advance
BIT and improvement.
he State OF Texas for the year ending
gust 81, 1896. spent In support Of III
lic schools s4.091.3 1902. which was de-
ID from the following sources:
rom interest on county school land
ds and notes. and leases Of county
Dol lands, $SS5,69s.
rom interest on State bonds, county
Ids held by the State permanent fund,
road bonds, leases OF school lands, and
transfer OF / per cent of the perman :
school fund to the available school
y. s1.l35,s o1.
from State school taxes, 81 703, $50.
rom local school taxes levied and col
led in the districts throughout the State,
,62s.
rom other sources, s114,23o.
Il this entire amount only $1,703,S50
derived from State school taxes. This
but Al per cent of the total annual ex-
,iture for the public schools.
he sum of $S01, 1928 was derived from
II school taxes, which is 20 per cent
15the total annual expenditures for tho
Dos, Sixty-one per cent of the total
Xual expenditures of the schools was
tribmea by State and local taxation;
he 80 per cent was derived from interest
&State and county permanent school
dis, leases of State and county school
rs and the transfer OF l per cent Of
8permanent fund each year to the avail
! fund.
he constitution requires the legislature
4Iprovid~ an amount OF school funds by
Q taxation sufficient, with other State
col funds, to maintain the schools for
months each year. This has never been
a.
there any valid reason why this State
lld not give better support to her
bols? They must have better support.
BY are in great need Of it. To tell the
BILE truth, their condition is deplorable;
by of the school houses in the country
not 1T for occupancy; the furniture is
little, IL any, value; there is no apparatus,
libraries, no necessary appliances. Many
n he teachers are incompetent; they are
q poorly paid The average annual In
be- for teaching in the public schools OF
! State was only $2542S for the year
Beg. We fail to supply adequate funds
J the support of our schools. We have
feavored to reach the constitutional
m of six months without due regard for
quality Of the schools. We have tried
make the term average six months by
ling teachers starvation prices and fail
to provide for school houses and other
eeslry accessories. What will the legis-
bre do? Will 1t allow the schools to con-
De to degrade on account of their i'm
erished condition, or will it make such
ision for their support as will make
POSSIBLE both to lengthen the term and
rove the quality of the schools?
he department has made persistent ef
3 to have the treasurefs of the school
DIS account for the whole of the State
prtdoument each year, as shown by the
3tficafes isstyen to the treasurers Of these
ts. On page 2e4 OF the tenth biennial
Art tina amount OF the apportionment for
9S unaccounted for by the treasurers
Nhown to be $62. 461 ~. and by reference
page IVA OF the same report the amount
Sthe apportplrmeut for the year ending
~ uneccounted for in the subsequent re-
81 is shown to be $35.5l2 10. On page
1.-THE ,ynacccunted amount OF the appor-
nenf for the year ending in 1895 is
IN to be S27.757 ga; and the part of the
ertionment fer the year ending in 1896
ccounted for is shown, on the same
to be sle,670. So. The sum of the un-
s3unted for part of the apportionment for
2Syear ending in 1897, as shown on page
ID is us, 46S, 81. An itemlZed list of the
4 3s making this sum appears on the
page. OF this sum, S14,S73.20 was
to Marion county, which
~ not neported on account of the treas
defaulting durtng his term OF office.
beginning in 1893, with more than
100 OF the apportionment unaccounted
81 the sums unaccounted for each year
been reduced till the unaccounted part
'53ast ytiar's apportionment is S1S,46S 81,
this will no doubt be still more re-
e by the reports OF this year. Under
n present law the whole Of each appor-
ment should be accounted for by the
2surers each year.
re census law enacted by the Twenty
"a legislature IS a good law; its enact
mas already proven effective in pre-
ing abuses that have heretofore been
Ftced in taking the scholastic census.
Fner fair, nor WISE. nor even Just to
ribufe the school funds to the counties.
then TO the schools in this counties on
oasis OF the scholastic population. The
FiAmental proposition upon which pub
8sonool system Is based Is that all the
perry OF the State IS pledged TO the sup
OF SCHOOLS for all the children CT the
e. II the Stai.e is to be made better
Rusn It's schools, good schools must be
iued Ter all Its children. The consti-
cn does not mean that the school taxes
ectea IN the centers of wealth shall
pseu exclusively for THIS education of the
'aren living in those centers. Neither
~ mean that poverty-stricken section
ne State. whore there are many chill
shall be charged with the entire re-
siDillty and burien of providing
POS Tor all the children residing therein
naNes the support of our schools. at
TOT term OF six months, the duty of
whole State. The rich sections should
10 support schools for the poor sec
s' lust as the rich man helps support
,'eoi fer the child OF the poor man. The
nen OF the support OF the schools does
~ upon the locality or upon the in
p1i it falls upon the property Of the
without regard TO its location or the
Tn awning II.
ne statistics for the school year ending
ust XII, 1897. show that for the wfole
me school term, resulting from tie
enc't use OF sts,e funds alone W 9 as
VS. IN country districts 1896 mo tbs:
Ioities and towns and VEG IS. c,nGsi-
{'g irfepen1ent districts, Al months:
vac whole State, including county dis
ani 1c'tee and towns. 1853 mo aths.
the same year me school term, result
from the expenditure OF the stafe an