The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-08
TRANSFERS.


II is probable that poll Of the comfy
superintendentS and ex-officio county super
intendents would reveal consensus that
the most troublesome and perplexing Of
their duties is the "transference" If chill
dren from one school direct to another
The worst Of these troubles and per.
plexities can he obviated easily, and the
remainder would be found to be useful and
not disorganizing
Article 39s2, X. S., is the statute govern
ing transfers. 1t reads:
ANY child lawfully enrolled in any dis.
trict or independent district may be trans
TERED to the enrolment OF any other dis
trict or independent district In the same
county upon the written application OF the
parent or guardian or person having the
lawful control of such children. Med with
the county superintendent at any time
DeIore the apportionment Of the school
tund by the county superintendent or coun-
~ judge of any scholastic year, but not
atterward; and no child shall be trans
ferred more than once. Upon the transfer
of any child its portion of the school fund
shall follow and be paid over to the district
or independent district to which such child
IS transferred; provided, no transfers shall
be made after the trustees have employed
a teacher.
State superintendent and the State board
| Of education have long held In appeal cases
that this statute vested an underlined dis
erection in county superintendents mot, OF
course, an arbitrary bur legal discretion,
subject to review by higher authority, and
the writer in deciding numerous cases ap
pealcd TO him has sought TO set up the
criterion of bona ndes as +he characteristic
of the application requisite for lawful
efficiency. But an almost incredible amount
| of turmoil and litigation arises under the
| existing statutes; for many county super
| mtendents have not understood that they
| have any discretion in granting transfers
| applied for, and the pcrniCious notion
! seems to prevail widely tibet the state
| somehow attaches to each child a certain
| sum of money. leaving II to the within or
the parent TO allot the same to any district
| in his county that he may elect, regardleSS
| Of any bona fide intention to send the child
! to any public school in the district chosen
| Favor, malice, ard even fraud, have been
! manifest motives in various cases Appealed
| to the State superintendent from the Ce-
cislons Of county superintendent who nave
! rightly refus ID to grant the transfers ap-
! piled for. under such coalitions.
! |. therefore. submit the recommendation
! that the above quoted statute be amenued
| so as to require the written appheatlon
| to contain n sworn statement OF bonn
! fde intention of either removal or resi-
/ dence TO the district to which the transfer
| is desired or Of actually sending the cnlla
| named to public school In such district,
| ! am aware that local controversies mlght
| still cause troublesome transfers IN splte
| Of such a law; bat l know or no pahdceu
for the evil consequences OF 1oollsh pae,
sions. On the other hand, an gross ap .i1t
| would surely he stopped, and no legiumale
privilege OF free choice or convenience
| would he interfered with.
In this connection beg to state that
| can see no good reason for not relaxing the
| absolute prohibition OF transfers across
! county lines sufficiently to permit them
between adjacent districts IN diheTenl
counties; aud l know that the absolute
| prohibition works so much practical incoh
venlence that the difficulties are often al,
! jnsted by mutual consent TO q transfer o.,
| school funds not warranted by law; W
course without the amendment RESTRICTING
| all transfers, the removal Of any present
! restriction might well he opposed by n.
county superintendents who experience tht
! ANNOYANCE and witness the abuses Of tht
| law as It stands: but after that amend
! ment no bad effects need be feared iron
recognizing the fact that ueighborhoods ar'
not always adjusted TO county lines,
The real harmony between the law ans
the appropriate business methods or "a,
mauagement Of the internal management
and affairs Of public school district, ant
misconceptions that have led 70 mismah
agement is the subject OF an exhausuy'
discussion In the report Just puhlisheu
Following this line OF thought, courses
study agriculture. manual training, schpo
IIhraries text books are subjects empha
sized as worthy Of the closest study "
public school teachers. and all others IN
terested In the success and efficiency .
the public free school system Of the state