The San Francisco call., 1904-10-16
SCHOOL FUND
DISTRIBUTION
Superintendent of Public
Instruction Kirk Gives His
Views Upon the Question
MORE MONEY. is NEEDED
Says Present Method of
Apportioning the Coin to
Districts Is Unsatisfactory

SACRaM EMU, OcI- Io.-SupeTln-
tendent of Public Instruction Kirk
has written the following expression
Of his views on Governor Pardee's pa
per on school funds, read before the
Northern California Teachers Asso-
citation. which recently met in annual
session at Woodland:
Department of Education, State
Capitol. Sacramento, Cal. October
Is. 1904.
''I am asked what think Of Gov
ernor Pardee's address or paper be-
fore the teachers of Northern Califor-
MIA at Woodland this week on the sub
ject of school funds, and in reply
would say that the present manner of
raising and distributing school reve-
nues has been, during the last year,
a subject of frequent discussion both
in writing and in personal conversa-
ton between the Governor and my
self.
I'VE are both seeking light upon the
subject. We are both agreed that
better salaries are due teachers. He
has concluded that we already have
enough money If it were differently
distributed. On this point 1 am not
so sure, although do agree with him
that there are some undesirable re-
suits exhibited from present methods
Of distribution and l am trying to dis
cover remedies that will remedy and
at the same time will be fair and just
to all concerned.
1T is evident to every one that
without additional money we can help
the needy only by taking from those
whom we think can spare il, and it is
no easy matter for one who takes all
things into account to determine what
portion of the State is getting too
much.
The State does not, as some err
roneously think, give to every census
child 81. This figure is solely to guide
the State Board of Equalization. Said
board is required to fix annually such
a State school tax rate as will produce
a sum equal to 81 per census child.
This is paid into the State treasury
and is distributed to the different
counties in proportion to school CEN
sus children reported by them at the
I
DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.
Until about 1875 the distribution
TO the districts in the county was made
on census alone; now it is made part
~ on census or on teacher and part
ly on average daily attendance. A
school district is given $500 from the
school fund Estate and county, for
every teacher assigned to it, and the
number of teachers is determined by
counting one teacher for every sew
enty census children or fraction of sew
enty not less than twenty census chill
dren. To school districts having less
than twenty and ten or more but s4OO
is given. The balance remaining af-
ter distribution on teacher basis is ap-
portioned to the districts, according to
their average daily attendance.
''The principle Of raising money on
property and distributing it on chill
dren has long been deemed funda-
mental and herein lies the trouble.
Population has greatly increased in
certain centers, in the cities, and cor
respondingly dwindled in distant rural
communities. 1t is very rare thing
TO find a country school of over twen-
ty-five children. The average of coun-
try districts in remote counties is not
more than ten or twelve. Under ex-
listing law a school district is con-
tinued from year to year and draws
public money so long as it keeps its
average daily attendance during the
year above five pupils. The law has
been very liberal in permitting the es-
tablishment Of school districts in the
country wherever fifteen census chill
dren residing two miles from a school
house are found, and in permitting
continuance so long as the average
daily attendance does not fall to five or
less. 1t is a nice point of equity to
determine whether a school district
with but say six children to educate
is entitled to the same bounty from
/ the State as the district which has an
average of say forty or more children.
The Governor, if L understand him,
would give the same money to each
district in these two cases. We must
ever be mindful of the weak and the
( few, but we cannot afford to be un-
I just to the many. There are many
more small country school districts
than there should be. Many of them
should be combined, and where there
are now three and four teachers, each
with a dying or dead school for want
of numbers. there should be instead
but one wide-awake living school and
! one teacher.
DIFFICULT OF SOLUTION.
II know there are instances in re-
mote portions of the State where the
country school is everything to the