The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1902-08-15

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come of this fund, together with the
net proceeds of all fines for violation
Of state loans and all other sums
which may be added thereto by law,
shall be faithfully used and applied
each year, for the benefit of the pub
lie schools of the state, and shall be
for this purpose apportioned
among and between all OF the several
schools corporations of the state in
proportion to the number of children
in each, of school age, as may be
fixed by law According to the
state superintendent's last biennial
report, in 1900 there ere 9S,0l3 chill
dren of school age in the state. The
total number enrolled was only 1888,
thus it will be seen that public
money was dealt out for 20. 675 children
of school age who were never inside
of a school house door during the
year.
The compulsory feature of the law
contemplates that each boy and girl
shall attend school at least three
months each year. Would it not be
far wiser to apportion the state
money according to the number of
pupils who actually attend school for
the above named period? The
superintendent will not enter into a
discussion Of this feature of the law
at this time, but desires to specialize
upon it's adaptation to county affairs
as set forth in Sec. %, Chap. 2 Of the
compiled school laws Of 1901 and
which reads, in part, as follows:
1.-THE county superintendent shall
X = *apportion the money in the
county treasury belonging to the
county general school fund, to the
several public school corporations
within the county in proportion to
the number Of children Of school age
residing therein"
The slightest Investigation reveals
the Inconsistency Of using such a
basis for the distribution Of this
fund. For instance a brief COMPARE
son of the last annual report pre-
pared in August, 1901, shows the in
justice Of the law. Mt. Vernon No.
13 had IA children of school age and
drew 1924. IS apportionment money.
Her sister district, Mt. Vernon No.
4, had 20 children OF school age and
drew S42. SO. Both had the same
amount of school and paid the same
wages to their teachers, yet the tax
payers of No. Ii had to raise. SIS. 43
more by taxation because they had a
less number of school children than
their sister district.
It would be along the same line
and just IS sensible to pay the
teachers according to the number of
children in their charge,-say 81. for
each pupil per month. In that case
the teacher in No. - would re-
ceive S14 per month and the teacher
in No. 4, $29 per month. Would it
not be just as logical to pay the
money out on the same basis as it is
received?
Let US compare farther: Tobin
No. II had 81 pupils and received
$ll1.27. Her sister district, Tobin
No. II, had only 10 and consequently
received only $27.s2. This inequality
in the distribution of the public
funds, added SS3. As. to the taxpayers
burden in No 17-more than three
times as much as she received, while
No. II, which was at the time paying
her teacher only $29 per month, re-
ceived very nearly enough to pay her
teachers salary for four months.
Where is the justice in it? When
two districts have the same number
Of months Of school in a year, pay
their teachers the same salary and
have equal and uniform expenses,
should they not receive a similar
amount Of money with which to de-
fray them? Is it right to tax the
citizens of One district double what
the other pays just because one dis
trict has only half as many school
children in it as the other? Can jas
ice arise from such ~foolishness?
A comparison of Beulah Nos. q
and 26 and of Union Nos. % and 29
reveals the same hypocrisy.
To make the matter sUill palmer,
attention is invited to some OF the
undivided districts where the town.
ship system is still maintained.
Let US take two of the most norther
ly townships, Badger and Blendor
each of which runs four schools
Badger had II pupils and drew
$l66.92 while Blendon with her III
pupils drew $3.50. 40. Is there an,
sane reason why the taxpayers in
Badger township should raise 1913. 5
more by Taxation than those in Blen
don when both run the same numbe
OF schools and entail similar expenses
Let us compare two townships at tn
southern extremity Of the county