The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-02-08

but the balance would be apportioned
on the total days attendance of the
pupils enrolled in the schools, instead
of to the census.
The only change therefore, in the
entire system Of apportionment would
be in the small amount remaining in
each county after deducting the
amount apportioned for the number of
teachers employed. say small
amount, for the reason that in no case
does the amount of school moneys,
available, after deducting the amount
per teacher, exceed 40 per cent of
the moneys received by any county,
and in some cases it does not exceed
Is per cent.
The apportionment of school moneys
on the basis of attendance would be
the most effective compulsory attend
ance law that could possibly be de-
vised. Under the present law there
is no advantage, from a financial
standpoint, in having the children in
the school; in fact, it is disadvant-
age, for the reason that the EXPENSE
of the schools are increased by large
enrolment, without any correspond
/ ing increase in revenue. Compulsory
attendance laws are of but little
value, unless there is strong educa-
tional sentiment in the community
| I'll nl1fn
Let the people understand that every
day a child is at school means a
certain amount of State school money
for the district, and that every day
he is absent means distinct financial
loss to the district, and they will see
to it that the children are more regu-
lar in attendance, and every resident
of the district will become a most
effective truant officer.
The theory On which our public
school system is founded, is that it is
for the benefit of the State, and not
of the individual per Sc, that he
should be educated sufficiently to do
his work intelligently, and aod to the
material prosperity of the community
in which he lives. With this end in
view the State levies school tax to be
| used for the equal benefit of all the
people of the State. 1t cannot be said
that the practice is in accord with the
theory when we find that one district
receives from the State say 81, 900 for
the education of 500 children, when
it is actually educating 300, while
another district with the same num-
| Der of children and receiving the same
amount is educating 400 children: in
other words, the first district receives
So. 33 per child for the work actually
performed while the other receives
but So. 25 The latter district is really
penalized for performing i'll fuller
measure it's duty to the State. The
first consideration most be the educa-
ton of the children, and the benefit
in that direction to be derived from
the increased attendance which is
sure to result from the proposed me-
thod of apportioning school moneys
is sufficient argument to warrant its
adoption.
We all know that the transfer OF
children from one district to another
is constant source of annoyance, for
the reason that the payment OF
moneys for children transferred is
often a serious drain on the financial
resources of the district. In many
cases children are transferred and the
money paid, and by reason of illness
or from other cause they attend the
school to which they have been trans
ferred but short time. 1t seems to
be unfair to compel one district to pay
another for the education of its chill
dren when the work is not actually
performed Under the present system
this seems to be unavoidable. Under
the proposed system, while transfers
would still be necessary, no money
would be paid, for the district to
which they were transferred would
receive it's compensation for the time
they attended school, directly from the
State.
One argument advanced against the
proposed system is that it would be
an injustice to the rural districts for
the reason that in inclement weather,
and ON account of bad roads, the at
tendance in rural schools is not so
good as in the cities and towns where
the population is more compact
While this is true to certain extent,
the fact that the average school life
of children in rural districts is longer
than in cities offsets any loss to the
rural districts in this direction. In
the country large percentage of the
older children attend school at least
during the winter term, while in the
cities and towns children of the same
age have ended their school life and
obtained employment in the stores
and factories.
Another argument advanced against
the proposed system is that district
is liable to serious loss by reason
of being compelled to close the
schools on account of the prevalence of