Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-11-01

the school districts OF tho state ac-
cording to the number of teachers en-
ployed.
Illinois has two classes of permanent
public school funds: First, moneys de-
rived from the general government.
of lands from the same source, or OF
proceeds from the sale OF such lands.
and, second. funds which by law the
State sets aside for the use OF schools.
Permanent funds are such because
their Income only can be used and in
clude in the first class % township
fund (2) seminary fund. go school
dustrial university fund; and in the
second class % surplus revenue fund,
ca the county funds, At the time the
report was made the total funds for
the purposes designated amounted to
| 81. G9I 1892. 50, with n yearly income OF
sG34,204.65. the principal fund being
that of the townships. sS,o1S,926.3I,
with an income yearly of about 1896,
45C.55.
Indiana has a common school fund
of over $S,O00,OO0, held by counties,
added to by fines by county clerks, by
fines from justices and from mixed
sources, an annual income of over $780,
| 600. There is also Congressional
Township Fund" of over $2.46O,o00. or
a total school fund Of ten and n half
million of dollars. According TO the
school law of Indiana, the common
school fund consists of the congress
sional township fund, the surplus rev.
enue fund. the Saline fund and its
lands, the bank tax fund, the fund de-
rived from sale Of county seminaries,
the fines from breach OF the peace
laws, escheated estates, lands not
specially disposed of in grants to tho
state, and taxes on corporations, as
sessed by the General Assembly for
school purposes. The principal fund
may be enlarged but never diminished,
shall be invested as the General As
sembly may direct, and may be dis
trlbuted to counties, with responsible
itv to the latter for its preservation.
Iowa's permanent school fund Of
s4,756,50O was derived from the sale
of the sixteenth section Of each town
ship ana from cschcatcd estates. The
fund is distributed by counties whose
supervisors loan it out on farms at a
rate Of from per cent. to per cent,
but the state of Iowa stands pledged
to make good any loss which this fund
nav sustain. The interest receipts are
divided among the school corporations
in the ratio of persons aged five to
twenty-onc to the whole number Of
such persons in the state. In like
manner is apportioned the fund arts
ing from fines and forfeiturcs and a
tax of not less than three mills a levy
required by law for the support Of
public schools.
In Kansas the permanent school fund
now equals more that $1,000, 900, large
w obtained from the sale of school
lands scquestercd when the State was
| organized. The permanent fund for
schools is increased from estates which
! nave no legal claimant. 1t is invested in
bonds only under the direction OF the
/ superintendent of public instruction, the
secretary OF State and the attorneygen-
eral. The income is divided semi ANNUALLY
! in proportion 70 the school census Of the
several counties. The income now amounts
to over $4,000 yearly. If the lands had
been held and sold at current prices the
Kansas fund for common schools would
to-day have aggregated perhaps So
! 600 600 or sos coo, 900 instead of 100000"
The Massachusetts school fund on
January /. 1905, equalled %7so1iO. From
its income in 1904. 3lS3. 69i.39, was distribut-
ed to 22s towns out of 3j3. There were "a
towns in which the State school fund
money exceeded the amount raised by
| local taxation. The &C, relative TO the
Massachusetts school fund is chapter
49, acts OF 1903. The features are (a)
distribution 10 towns oe low valuation;
| (b) increase in amount allowed if the tax
rate be SIS or more per $1,000 (c) expend!-
| lures to be under direction of the school
committee and to he strictly accounted
! for; O) participation in fund always
predicted on obedience 10 the school laws
by the town; and (e) no part to be used
for salaries or expenses OF committees.
The Ma achusetts school fund IN 1891
was $685.. 7cl. So and rose by the close Of
1904, a period of 10 Years, to si,7S0, 10 &C.
The income from its Investment during
the same time increased from sl23, 625 6S in
1891 to s221,325.5s in 1904. For provisions
contemplating its increase see chapter
so, resolves of 1894, and chapter 19 OF
the acts OF 1904. The fund seems to be
wholly invested in municipal bonds and
is in charge OF the secretary of board of
| education and the treasurer OF State
| Minnesota has a fixed school fund of
over SIS, 10000, the product Of land sales,
section &c and section &c of each congres-
sonal township. Increase arises from the
sale of timber on such lands, from royalty