The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-04-05
EXPLAINS
SCHOOL BILL
Senator Stokes on Measure Now
State Law.
Only Fair Way for just Allotment
of State School Monies Large
Majority of Districts Gain-An-
other Forward Step for Public
Schools in New Jersey.

other Forward Step for Public
Schools in New Jersey.
One of the most important measures
passed by the recent Legislature was
Senate bill No. 80, generally known
as the "Stokes School bill. In speak
upon it the Cumberland Senator said
in part:
cit provided for change in the sys-
tenn of apportionment of the school
moneys from that based on the school
census to one based on actual day
attendance The present scheme was
faulty in that the census returns were
inaccurate and it seemed to be i'm
possible to get accurate returns AS
an example he cited the fact that the
census taken last May was as yet in
complete and that it was necessary to
pass an enabling act to authorize the
Comptroller to make his annual as
sessment upon the counties for the
purpose of raising the State school
tax, at such time gas the census re-
turns might be completed. This
assessment under the law, sEo ould have
been made in February, but as that
date passed without the completion of
the census tables, the Comptroller
was unable to assess the State school
tax to the several counties and the
whole scheme would have fallen had
it not been for an act of the Legisla-
ture extending the time when such
assessment could be legally made.
''This is but one example of the dan
gers of depending upon the school
census as a means of apportioning
school funds Add to this the fact
that it is inequitable because mac
curate and at the same time expen-
sive, and the reason for providing
some better scheme for the basis of
apportionment of the school moneys
is at once apparent
''The scheme proposed in this bill
does not effect the amount of school
money which each county will receive
The twenty one counties of the State
will receive just as much under the
provisions of this measure as they do
under the present law. 1t is only
after the money has been apportioned
to the several counties that this pro-
posed act becomes operative. Each
school district in a county is entitl
L, 5o1I e.. 10,
cher employed throughout the year.
After the funds have been distributed
to the several school districts on this
basis, the balance which amounts to
one quarter of the sum involved, is
at present apportioned on the basis
of school census. Only one quarter
of the State School funds with
in the county therefore is affected
by this measure. Three-quarters of the
sum will be apportioned, supposing
this bill should become a law. just
as it is now apportioned. A sum
equal to about one quarter of the State
school funds, however, will be distri-
buted TO the school districts in pro-
portion to the actual number of days
of school attendance. The effect of
this financially upon the district, as
can be seen at a glance, is necessarily
light. The sum involved is not large
and the effect upon districts cannot.
except in few cases, be noticeable. AS
a matter of fact there are three hun
dred nd ninety school districts in the
State. OF this number two hundred
and fifty nine will gain and one hun
dred and thirty-one will lose. The
two hundred and fifty nine that will
gain have no cause for complaint and
we dismiss them from consideration.
Of the one hundred and thirty -one
that lose, seventy-one will lose less
than one hundred dollars each.
wenty- will lose between one
hundred and two hundred. Only
fourteen will lose between two hun
dred and three hundred and only
twenty will lose over three hundred
dollars piece. The losing districts
therefore are not only small in num-
Der, but as rule are not seriously
affected at least not enough to over,
balance the great benefits which this
measure will confer upon the school
interests of the State at large.
Every school man can see the ad-
vantages of this proposition. In the
first place it will be one of the
strongest inducements toward oompli
ance with the compulsory school law
that has yet been devised. The
district gets larger proportion of
the SCHOOL money, the greater the
number of children attending school
and the greater the regularity of the
attendance and every district will
therefore be financially interested in
as large an enrolment as possible and
the length of the school term. The
longer the school term, the more the
actual days attendance; the greater
the number of pupils the, greater the
actual days'attendance and the greater
the actual days attendance the more
school money will the district re-
ceive.
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