Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-08
RIGGS WANTS REFORMS
State Superintendent Suggests
Radical Changes in the
School Laws
WOULD ABOLISH TREASURES
Riggs Proposes Appointment of Com
mission to Revise and Harmonize the
School Laws-WouId Also Place
High Schools Under State supervis-
ion and Give Them State Aid.
Special to Times Republican.

| Sp6ciai to TlmeS-RepuOncan.
| Des Moines, Dec. S-John +. RIGGS,
state superintendent of public instruc-
ton, lin his annual report filed yester-
day with the governor makes the most
radical recommendations to the legis-
that has yet been made by any state
superintendent and all his recommen-
dations appeal because of being rea-
sonable. Besides abolishing the office
| of school treasurer, because the office
| is useless and an expense and draws
attention to the politics OF the position
| making that office more important than
| the position of director. he recon-
mends that commission be appoint
ed to revise and harmonic and cor
rect the errors in all the school laws.
He recommends also state levy of
half mill for the benefit of the schools
of the state and state aid and state
supervision Of the high schools of the
state.
On the questions of a half mill state
levy one Of the most important features
of the report, he says:
1.-THE public schools of Iowa derive
their Support from three sources:
"First from the state-interest on
the permanent school fund
Second, from the county, one or
two mill county fax.
Third, from the district.--a tax on
the property of the school corporation.
The interest on the permanent
school fund amounts to over two mum
bred thousand dollars annually, yet 1t
constitutes but 2.3 per cent of the to-
tai revenues raised annually for
school purposes, while the coun-
ty tax amounts to but OF
per cent Of the whole. 1t there
fore appears that all of our school rev.
enues 92.5 per cent is derived from the
local or district tax. That the prepon-
derance of support should come from
the local school corporations no one
will question. 1t Is however, a matter
worthy of serious consideration wheth-
err the cause of popular education In the
state would not be advanced by ma
terially increasing the state support
and by distributing it on different
basis than that which at present pre-
walls.
"The law now requires pro-rata
distribution of the county and
state funds, each district receiving
support in proportion to the number OF
persons resident therein between the
ages of five and twenty one years.
"One district through a policy OF
false economy maintains "a school for
but six months in the year and en-
ploys the cheapest teacher that can be
had A neighboring district maintains
a nine months school and pays sal
airy that will command superior
teacher. If the two districts have the
same number of persons Of school age.
the same support is received from the
combined county and state funds; but
the term in one is fifty per cent longer
than in the other, the average daily at
tendance is likely to be from twenty
five to fifty per cent greater, and the
training the pupils receive is OF far
higher value since given by more
competent teacher. No one can DOUBT
that one school renders much greater
service to the state than the other, yet
the law treats them as equals.
A State Levy for Common Schools.
"rhe first duty of the state, after
protecting the life and liberty of its cit
izens. is the education of its children
and youth. The small district should
not be left to determine for itself the
question as to the extent and character
of the education it will provide for Its
children. State supervision and state
support are necessary to equalize the
burdens of taxation and to insure to
the children and youth of the state
equal school privileges.
at is the policy of many states to
maintain a state levy for the benefit of
the common schools. Such levy In
Nebraska is one>half mill; in Michigan
1T is seven-tenths Of mill; in Ohio one
mill; while in Minnesota it is one mill,
besides liberal direct appropriation
for special aid to such schools as MAIN
tain a prescribed standard. 1t should
be noted that this one mill levy in
Minnesota is in addition to the interest
derived from the state fund, which
fund is more than three times as great
as the like fund In Iowa. Pennsyl-
yania has no permanent school fund, as
in the middle and western states. and
no fixed state levy as in many of these
states but the legislature appropriates
biennially large sums for the support
Of the common schools. This approl
priation for the biennial period, 1905
1907, was the great sum of $11,0OO,0O0.
"The policy is general in the United
States for the state, either by state
tax, by a direct appropriation, or by
interest derived from a permanent
fund. and often by the combination of
two and sometimes all of these, to pro-
vide a considerable part of the school
revenues. supplemented in all cases by
a local tax.
"a few years ago the legislature OF
Iowa wisely provided for half mill
levy for a term of Ave years, that our
state university, state normal school,
and state college Of agriculture and the
mechanic arts might be properly de-
yeloped This tax has since been ex-
tended for another five years.
"A similar levy should now be made
for the common schools, and when the
time arrives that. in the judgment OF
the legislature. a millage tax is no
longer required for the development of
our three state schools the half mill
levy now devoted 10 these schools
should be transferred to the support
of the thousands of our common
schools where the education of all of
our children must begin, and where
- lo,ro n, ,pirsf also a11c!