Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-01
FIGHT TO SAVE
SCHOOL MONEY
TAXPAYERS OBJECT TO THE
PROPOSED LAW
Decrease in Funds Received by Los
Angeles Would Result--Kep-
pers Position Is
Upheld

| ldNDdyeIb, HleinDeTS OF tue DOaIu VI
education, the supervisors and county
officials Of Los Angeles are consider
ably wrought up over bill pending in
the state legislature that seriously af-
fects the public schools of the city and
county.
| The state school law as now in force
affecting the distribution of the school
| funds raised by taxation apportions
$3.69i.000 among the various counties of
the state The present basis of distri-
button Of the school fund is pro rata
on the number Of school children in the
various schools in the counties as
shown by the census. This apportion-
ment gives Los Angeles county S491, 900
annually.
The Objectionable bill now pending
provides for different method of ap-
portioning the fund. The proposition
is to set apart to each county in the
state 5000 to each teacher as allowed by
the census the remainder to be divided
on the average daily attendance of the
pupils. The adoption of the bill would
cut down the allowance of Los Ange-
les county to SAGA, 900, a loss of nearly
$2S,O00, and would call for an increase
in the school tax rate, whichlis now So
cents on the 500 of taxable property,
81 cents more on the 500 than is paid
by the taxpayers of San Francisco for
school purposes.
Much Opposition Shown
The present law as it affects the ap
portionment of the school fund, as wen
as the Objectionable bill, was discussed
at a meeting held yesterday, called BY
Mark Keppel, county superintendent.
Members of the board of supervisors of
the board of education and county Of
ficials were at the meeting, and all ex-
pressed themselves as emphatically op
posed to the passage of the proposed
bill. 1t was the sentiment of the con-
ference that instead of taking public
funds from the county the legislature
should provide for the apportionment
Of large sum for the schools of Los
Angeles and the county.
Superintendent Keppel offered two
IeSOIutIOIlS' uOlll VI WHICH were duOpt-
ed. The first declared it to be the
sense Of the organizations represented
that the present law is defective. The
scond resolution was to the effect that
a proper and just division Of the school
fund should be based on the total num-
Der of months taught by all the teach
ers in each county.
To Fight Bill
Superintendent Keppel was appointed
committee of one Representing the
Los Angeles city and county schools
to go to Sacramento and use his eff
forts to defeat the pending bill, and
secure the adoption of a measure that
will do justice to all the schools, par
ticularly the schools of Los Angeles
county.
Last night Mr.. Keppel said: "If the
spirit of my resolution is adopted Los
Angeles will receive $523,OO0 annually,
and San Francisco will get $535,OOO in
stead of $S65,0O0 received by that city
under the present law. Los Angeles
taxpayers now pay high rate for
maintaining the schools. The state rate
is IS cents on the $10O, and the county
and city rate 81 cents, making a total
of 55 cents. San Francisco pays the
state rate of Is cents and only 6A cents
additional for county and city taxes.
total of 241s cents on the $100. The