The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-07
SCHOOL MONEY.
Board Of Education Discusses
the Finances.
Over $4,000 in Treasury on
April /.
NOT QUITE ENOUGH.
Second Payment of Taxes Will
Clear Things Up.
School viii Be Dismissed on
Friday.
I QUITE ENOUGH.

The matter of getting a bill past the
board of education of Topeka is a grave
and serious business. Whether it be Of
10 cents or So it gets an equal amount
Of attention. First it is approved by
the person who gets the value which the
bill represents. Then it is turned over
to the superintendent of schools or to
the clerk of the board of education. If
the bill gets that far along it is likely
to get past the chairman of the commits
tee on claims without molestation. Then
it IS read before the whole board.
Just why the board of education sits
and listens to the monthly bills month
after month. when each one has already
gone through the hands OF two or three.
auditors, has never been determined. 1t
Is true that a bill is never altered when
read before the board of education ar
it sits in its official capacity. Occa-
sionally some one asks a Rerfunctory
question about some item of expense.
but the explanation is always satisfac-
tory Perhaps the school board feels
it in duty bound to spend half an hour
or so at every meeting in this way il.
order to earn its salary.
U2 IN the city council the matter of
allowing bills has been simplified. The
chairman of the committee on claims
audlts all the bills. When he comes to
Questionable one he laws it aside ano
presents it to the council. That body
passes all the rest on his recommended
ton end there is yet to be heard thu
IlIst objection to the workings of the
method Still. the school board has more,
time than the council has
THE SCHOOL FINANCES.
az. A. the IIrst OF April there YVES $10,
$50 in the general fund Of the board
OF educd ton. IL IS out os the srenef.aI
fund that the running expenses Of III.
city schools is paid To this amounr
VIII be added about $4,000 Of the $50
UV0 now due from the county treasurer
ana $ 900 as the Topeka apportiOnn1ent
from the state school funds. RiiIs we're
aiiowed last night amounting to about
$4,000. and the current expenses .fol. the
Wo months of school remaining will o..
about $4,000 per month Some of ths
school warrants for the last rnonfh ~
Hcnool VIII have to be slammed nm
paid, but the last half of the taxes d1s+-
ABOUT July l viii square up the indebt
edness Of the city schools and the CO.
TENDER term will be conmenced t1i1t
money in the treasury 1t appears. how
ever, that the expense of keeping nm the
10y schools Is running very close to the
A NEW TUITION RULE
LAST night the school board adopted \
RUE winch it viii follow in the future
Wneh the question Of the payment Of
eul eion Tor pupils who reside outside The
CITY hnlits arises. The rule is this: Fv-
cry person resident outside the co,no~-
ate limits but owning properfv vit5i,
the city and having children attending
the city schools shall be credited uDon
tuition with the amount of school Tax
paid upon city property by him
w ). Smith, who lives III Seabrook
west Of Washburn college brought nm
the matter He appeared before the
school board and asked that some CON
cession be made in his case as he mid
taxes upon considerable valuable down
town property and also tuition for four
cnlldren- He himself suggested the rule
which was adopted
CLOSE THE HIGH school, ENTRY
". n. Wilson of the Second ward will
now be the object OF the eontumeIy of
the young persons Who during the
balmy weather of the summer time find
| the high school steps a pleasant place.
At the top of the outside steps at the
Harrison street entrance of the high
Vchool building is broad landing some
ten feet in depth, almost as good as a
sront porch at home where the young
people of the neighborhood have been
in the custom OF going al night 10
'sroop-" Being a married man Mr.
wilson is not in sympathy with this
form of diversion and proposes to erect
a big iron gate over the front OF the
entry He secured the consent OF the
remainder of the board last night and
the thing will be G@ne. 1t will cost
about $40.
Edward Wilder, who is the main
spring Of the Edison Illuminating com
pany, proposed that an incandescent
light globe be placed in the doorway.
being cheaper than gate" The other
members of the board saw an Interior
motive in Mr. Wilder's suggestio2 ana
sat down on him They agreed that a
brilliant light over the doorway would
pro oably tend to discourage nocturnal
gatherings on the high school steps but
they preferred a gate
DISMISS ON FRIDAY
The reprieve from the daily grind to
which the pupils in the city schools
have been looking forward for several
weeks will come next Friday. The
asse citation viii occur in LeavenwOrth
percent of the Topeka school teachers
them out for at least one day of the
meeting and the board last night voted
to follow the precedent. Some Of the
teachers expect to go to other towns
instead of I-eavenworth and to watch
the educational methods followed by
them. Superintendent Davidson expecSs
to appear before the association on
Thursday or Friday
IF the school bonds carry at todavs
election there viii be a meeting of the
board next Monday night to consider
offers of building sites and to make in