The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-10-12
Our EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
Some Fundamental Factors In The Sue.
cess Of the Public Sch00IS

cess OF me Public Schools.
Z j desire in a series Of short article
u in this column to set before the reac
b ers Of the Herald several Of the NOR
= important factors that enter into IN
educational problems Of today and tina
are surely making for the success O
the public school system in this State
lst. Adequate Financial Provision
No one will question the absolute ne
! cessity for the expenditure Of larg,
sum Of money in the successful main
flamenco Of the public schools through.
out our State.
The total expenditures for this pur.
pose have increased gradually as our
public school system has improved in
efficiency from s545,S in 1871 to 81
432, lO2 in 1905. And one Of the most
encouraging features Of the school sta
tistics is found i'm the increased reven-
ues from all sources.
How does our school system provide
for its financial support?
There are three distinct funds pro-
vided under our school laws for the
support Of our school system.
/. state fund.-, derived from three
fsources, 1l The Literary Fund-a
small invested fund the interest on
which is used in the support Of the
school system, amounting last year to
S5IOO6.
One Of the most important forward
steps was taken 10y the last General
Assembly in providing for the loan Of
such part Of this invested fund as may
be needed to the district school boards
for the purpose Of building school
houses. -Four per cent interest is
charged and ten years are given for its |
repayment. On these easy terms |
many school boards have been enabled
during the past few months to build
much needed school houses.
.. state school tax fund, including
capitation and property tax levied by
the State. This fund amounted last
year TO SS7l ,255 and was apportioned
among the hundred counties Of the
Stale according to school population.
And just at this point it will be well
10 call the attention Of the voters TO
me bad leak i'm the State school fund
hat the next General Assembly
.hould be called upon to remedy by
suitable legislation. The new consti-
ution provides for a capitation tax Of 4
l.5O, one dollar Of which shall 90 TO +
he public schools; but it expressly t
tate, that this tax is not to be collect
d by legal process. I
The natural result is that thousands o
negroes who are DISTINGUISHED for
Their reasons than the failure to pay c,
his tax, and thousands of whites who z
trough indifference or carlessness
Ill TO pay this tax in time TO entitle s.
iem to vote, do not pay this capita NJ
on tax at all, and thus large source r
revenue is lost topublic schools. co
Now most of those who do not pay az
eir capitation tax pay little or no br
.operty tax, as they do not as a rule
,sse,s taxable property. And yet ad
ey get the benefit Of the public CT
hools, and often school books are co
rnished free TO their children. They Sc
ght not TO beallowed thus topauper- tn
! themselves. The remedy that in
turally suggests itself would be to
Iuire receipt Of payment Of the mi
pitatiol tax Of every father before his fan
ildren can be enrolled i'm the public an
lools. And then strengthen this \
luirement with as strict a compul- arr
" education law as the Constitution VIC
rmits.
The third source Of State school funds
the special appropriation Of 100000
,de by the Legislature. In view Of
2 increased interest in the public -"
iools as shown by the increase in ~
iool revenues derived from local
cation, no doubt the next General ~
sembly will deem il wise to in -"
ase this special appropriation in 80
Ter TO keep step with the increased
nand for and need Of more money -,
4 better schools. 81.
low, all Of the above funds, known ~,
State school funds are, after paying ~,
salaries Of the state Superinten-
1T and Of the division Superinten- "
ITS and the other expenses Of adj :,
apportioned among the
mites, towns and cities Of the State ~, -
ording TO school population. And -, ,'e'
Is il comes to pass that Prince Ed ~,
rd county with her large colored W.
,ulation received s9,O52 from the =.
tie last year although she paid into vs.
state treasury only S3, 457 school ~,
% our next article we shall treat Of - -
Dol funds derived from local taxa ~
through county and district and
nicipal leyies.
Farmers Take kOtce ,