The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-11

III bC tlOl Cpt&1t11 ASL A1
tration from Hamilton county. My ngures
were secured from the county superintend-
ent and the public records, ana are rena-
BILE. There are ten schools in NoDlesVllle
township. with an enrolment last year OF
3S3 pupils (the attendance was much lessl.
and the cost of maintaining these scnools
was as follows:
Amount paid teachers .NesoW
Salary trustee for school purposes. D0W
Total,
This makes the cost per capita of en-
rollment $11.3S for seven months scnool;
This is for grade pupils, as no high schooi
is maintained in the township, Under the
law, at $50 per month. each child sent 10
the Noblesyille city schools costs MOBILES
vile township $10.50, winch is - cents less
than the cost per pupil in the schoois IN
the township. And this is counting nothing
for interest on the Investment and the
constant depreciation OF school property
The state superintendent report shows
dren of Hamilton county last year, based
upon attendance, was S23.Z- These figures
prove hat the present law. instead OF being
vantage in a financial sense. When the
cost of high schools in small townships Is
considered it is seen that 1t is from two TO
four times as much as IL would cost 10
transfer all the pupils. On township In
this county last year had a high scnool
with seven pupils. The teacher was PAID
s. a day. amounting to ND for the year:
salary alone, to say nothing of
other expenses. With such facts before
ject to this law on the ground Of excessive
charges. 1t would be cheaper for them.
the State over, to transfer all their pupils
at the rates of $1.50 for grade pupils and
s. for high school pupils.
There are two bills before the Legisla-
ture now TO repeal and modify the transfer
of transfer shall be by agreement of school
authorities, basing the cost per capita on
actual cost of instruction, not counting IN
terest on the investment in buildings. The
Senate bill is similar to the House bill, ex-
cept it has a provision limiting the maxi
mum rates Of tuition TO 81 for grade pu-
pills and - per month for mgr scnooi pupils;
that part of the law pertaining to liking
the price by agreement on a basis or cost
of instruction. The Senate bill is unreal
| sonable and unfair, and should it pass there
will probably be some test cases in court
TO determine whether or not a school cor
poration can be compelled to furnish goods
below the cost of production for the bene-
fit Of another school corporation. W. Ia
vor the House bill. The plan of agreement
on a basis of actual cost of instruction is
than to fix any certain rate, to be applied
to all schools alike. 1t is well known that
some high schools are much better equipped
than others. and should be entitled to a
higher rate for tuition. Those IA
| voring the Senate bill, with the low
rates, present an argument that is
L IDOSI lllOSlCdls luCl CldlIl thdt 1ltiC alla
towns can educate the transferred children
without any extra expense. They might as
well say that a railroad train can haul q
few extra passengers without extra cost,
and therefore they should go free, or that
a boarding house could feed a few extra
men without additional expense and there
| fore no charge should be made for these
extra boarders. / believe it is the duty Of
the lawmakers to look at this matter in a
practical, business way. Township trustees
should be fair and not ask an advantage
in this matter. They should ask them
selves. 'Is il right to ask our neighbors to
educate our children at 81 a month. when
the statistics show that 1t costs us in the
township nearly So a month? And should
we ask city school corporations, after going
to great expense in ~equipping high schools
and securing capable teachers to educate
our children i'm the higher branches at half
the actual cost of Instruction." To say
that it costs nothing to educate these extra
transferred children is no but
is begging the question. Here at Mobiles
Vile, last year, we built a $4,000 high school
building 20 accommodate the increased
number attending our schools. This in
crease in the high school was caused large
ly by transferring pupils, for of the 200
attending high school seventy are trans
ferred from the townships. This large in
crease in recent years also doubled the
teaching force. AS a member of the city
S25 per capita for instruction in our high
school. To force us to tax outside pupils
at 81 a month for seven months, amounting
i'm all to $14 a year, is like taking private
property for public use without just COM
pensation-it is confiscation, and unconsti-
OF rate to agreement of trustees. This is
equitable and fair, and ! believe it should
become the law. WILL III. CRAIG.
Noblesyille, Ind, Feb. 9.