The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

placed in the hands of the Guilford
County Board of School Improvement,
consisting of j. Van Lindley, Charles
d. McIver, E. P. Wharton, G.. A.
Grimsley, w. H. Osborn, G. II. Ireland,
with State superintendent j. Y. JOY
ner as an honorary member of the
committee. This Board combined with
the enterprising County Board of Edu-
cation of GuilfOrd county, and began
at once an active campaign for local
taxation and general school improve
ment
The first result of this movement
was the employment of a man as
County Superintendent who has to give
his entire time to the supervision of
the schools and to the agitation of
local taxation. Persistent agitation
and active leadership have brought
the results, which are approximately
as follows:
l. The annual school fund of the
county has increased from $30,471.S5
in 1902 to $49,000.00 in 1905. This
increase is due to the rise in property
value and to the additional local tax
collected.
2. The amount of money invested in
new school houses in local tax dis
trictS within the past eighteen months
has been $23, 430.90. This amount has
been raised by subscriptions from in
dividuals living in the local tax dis
tricts and private loan $5,240.1S; ap-
preparations by the County Board Of
Education, $3,44G.72; loans from the
State for building purposes. $4,000;
and donations by the Guilford County
Board of School Improvement, $5,-
544.
3. The number of local tax districts
in Guilford county is now thirty-fiVe
4. The total amount of local tax now
raised annually by these thirty-five
districts is $10,745. which supplements
the appOrtionment to these districts
from the general educational fund of
the county. AS soon as these buildings
are all completed these local tax dis
tricts VIII have from seven to nine
months school, whereas they formerly
had from four to five months. A bet
ter class of teachers is being demanded
for these local tax districts, and they
have already begun to increase the
teachers salaries. A number of these
local tax districts now have a good
tWo-room school house with two
teachers, whereas they formerly had
one crowded room with one teacher
The Guilford District in Friendship
Township was the first rural district
to vote a local tax in Guiford county.
Fentress Township was the first to
vote a local tax for school purposes on
all the property and polls of that
township. This township formerly had
an annual school fund of about $3.50.
It's annual school fund hereafter will
be not less than $1,700. The Guilford
Board of School Improvement offered
to give 100000 to the first township
to vote local tax, and Fentress took
advantage of it, thereby securing the
100000 offered. This township is
now erecting 4 central High School,
to which all the children of the town
ship will go after reaching u certain
grade.
Morehead Township was the second
to vote loca! tax on property and
polls of the whole township. It's annu-
al school fund before the local tax was
100000, whereas hereafter it's annual
school fund will be not less than ST.
500, This township has solved the
central high school problem. 1t has
Il central building of seven rooms: en-
ploys four we'll equipped. experienced
teachers; and is now taking care of
every boy and girl up to college pre-
paration. Its primary schools are SIT |
uated so rs to be convenient to the !
small children. When the children get
larger and are able to go a longer
distance they then attend a higher
grade in the central school
r. r. FOUST.
Co. SuDt of Schools.