The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-02

IA months; for the State at large. includ-
ing elites and towns and country districts.
| SOL months.
| plre constitution contains the following:
fourth OF the revenue derived from
! the State occupation taxes and a poll tax
| OF 81 on every male inhabitant OF this
State between the ages of 81 and Go years,
| shall be set aside annually for the benefit
OF the public free schools and In add.ton
thereto. there shall be levied and collect d
an annual al vnlorem State tax OF such an
amount. not TO exceed 20 cents on the $500
! valuation, az, with the available school
fund arising from all other sources, Will
| be sufficient TO maintain and support the
public free schools Of this State for Pc
! Rod OF not less than six months in each
| year, and the legislature may also pro-
vide for the formation OF school districts
| within all or any OF the counties OF this
| state, by general or special laws, with sut
the local notice required in oblLr cases OF
| special leg -sladIon, and may authorize an
additional annual ad valoiem tax 10 be
fevled and collected Within such school dis
tricts for the maintenance OF pubic free
schools and the erection of school build
sngs therein
It is clear that the constitution, es quo.
ted above, makes 1t the duty Of the legls.
lature to levy u State school tax sufficien..
wlur other state funds. to support the
schools of the State for term each year
of six months. The foregoing figures show
THAT the expenditure OF all State funds In
support OF the school give a term OF 1896
months In the country districts, and 354
months IN the cities, towns and villages,
constituting Independent Districts and OF
1863 months for the State at large includ-
ing cities, towns and villages and the
country districts: this falls short by 241
months Of the requirement OF the consti-
tuition. To bring the school term up to
the constitutional requirement of six
months It will be necessary 10 extend it
2.4l months--that is. to increase the pres
ent State term 81 per cent.
In order that the districts may provide
themselves with such school buildings as
they should have, the law should allow all
taxing districts to divide the cost OF the
schoolhous;s into several annual payments.
SO that they may be able to erect good
schoolhouses, and at the same time con-
tinue the schools while the bonds for the
HOUSES are being paid off,"
These appeals aud increased activity In
educational matters have been followed
by considerable Improvement In the condi-
ton OF the schoolhouses. The report TO
THE year. 1861 shows that during that
year 10,234 schoolhouses were occupied by
tina schools, and that 70SS--that is to say
81 ner cent Of the l0,234 schoolhouses DC
cupled by the schoos--were owned by the
counties and school districts; whereas the
report for 1883 indicated that of the SS2G
schoolhouses, only 1886 or 81 per cent OF
the whole, were owned by the counties ana
Independent districts.
AS to the condition OF the scl,oolhouses
owned by the counties and districts the
report for the year ending In 1897 shows
that 3052, or 43 per cent of the whole unm-
bsr owned. were in good condition, while
the report OF 1883 showed that $780, or only
As per cent of the 1886 owni:h by the coun-
At t,.ln In, nn1i
While the percentage Of houses owned by
the counties and Districts has increased
the percentage OF those in good condition
has decreased.
tbs report for 1861 shows that the
school buildings that did not belong to the
counties and districts. were 1850 and that
only 9S4 of these were in good condition.
The report further shows that Of the
houses owned by the counties and districts.
3147 and of those leased 1886. total OF
1852 were in fair cond !tion; while OF tho
47s2. were in fair condition; while OF those
owned, $3.50, and of those leased, b4l, total
of 1880 were In bad condition.
These figures indicate some progress IN
the acquisition of schoolhous;ts in good con
dition. yet they indicate the existence OF
poor and even bad quarters for many OF ohe
school children.
The legislature should provide for a gu.
pelintendent for every county of the State
having a scholastic population of 1000 or
more and the counties having less than
this scholastic population should be group
ed. two or three together, with supcrih-
tendent for each group, or the county with
scholastic population of less than 1000
that can not be conveniently placed in such
a group should be attached for school pur
poses to some county entitled to a super
intendent The law should specially au-
thorize the trustees of q city or town
constituting an independent district to
employ as city superintendent the county
superintendent. of the county In which such
independent district Is situated. Many of
the counties by thus joining with city
or town in the county would employ
superintendent, when, acting
alone. the county would not be able to Sc
cure the services of man of such ability
and skill as is necessary for effective work
There sblcrld be in each county county
board of education and the county superin-
tendent should be selected by this board.
and THE board of trustees of any city or
town in the county desiring the services
Of the county superintendent for the super
vision of the schools of such city or town
should be authorized to make such an ar
rangement as would be satisfactory to the
two boards and the county superintendent
In this way the work of the urban schools
and the rural schools would be mutually
helpful ito each other. The institute work
could be done together. and the ability ana
experience of the teachers employed at
better salaries In the town schools would
be a constant source OF improvement for
ha "