The Jersey City news., 1906-05-05
It Will Be Levied Under the
New Perkins Law Just As
It Has Been
PROFESSOR BAXTER EXPLAINS
CHANGE WILL BE In THE LOCAL
ASSESSMENTS FOR EDUCATION
WHICH WILL BE LESS OTHER
SCHOOL LAWS

Professor Charles ]. Baxter, State
Superintendent of Public instruction,
has issued an official compilation of the
laws passed by the recent Legislature af-
fecting the public schools of the State.
In connection with the summary Profess
sor Baxter gave out statement showing
that general apprehension preyais
in regard to the effect of the new Perkins
law taxing main stem railroad property
at the average state rate of taxation, and
the supplemental law providing for the
distribution of the taxes collected under
that law.
1t has been generally claimed that
these two laws would lead to the prac-
tical abolition of the present s:ate
school tax owing to the greatly in
creased revenue they will produce for
the schools. Professor Baxter shows
that this idea is entirely erroneous. The
law providing that state school tax of
"a mills shall. be annually assessed has
not been repealed; therefore it must be
levied in the future as in the past. As
sembly No. 274, the tax distribution act
provides that all moneys received by the
state from the tax on railroad property
IN excess of sum efual to one-half of
one per centum of the total valuation
of the property on which said tax shall
be assessed, shall be devoted 70 the sup
pert Of public schools; that said tax shall
be apportioned among the several eoun-
ties in proportion to the amount Of tax
able property In said county respectively,
and the amount received by each county
shall be apportioned among the several
school districts in the same manner as
other State school moneys are apportion-
ed.
and Assembly No. 2T4 will be to reduce
the local tax levied for school purposes
in each municipality in addition to the
State school tax referred to- This last
mentioned tax has aggregated approx
mately $6, 100000 in the entire State.
Governor Stokes figured in his message
that the Perkins bill would produce
revenue of about 81, ,000, ,0@9, 600, though
under the new law reclining the main
stem, it will probably be considera bly,
less. OF the $4,000, 600, $1,000, 600, or
the one-half of one per centum, will be
retained by the State, and the balance,
or $3,O00,000,, distributed to the counties
for the schools. AS already shown, this
100000 will go toward reducing the
local tax, which has aggregated $6,o0o,-
600.
In some country districts the increased
revenue from the railroads may result in
abolishing the local tax, the only tax to
be levied being the State tax Of 2A mills.
In the larger districts the reduction Of
the local tax will not be SO large, ranging
up to about a so per cent reduction.
Heretofore, the State has annually ap-
propriated for the aid of the schools
sum equal to 35 per cent. of the State
school tax, amounting last year to about
$1,000,O00. The result was that the
municipalities were caused upon to raise
but 65 per cent. eff the 2aa mills State
tax. This year the appropriation from
the State will be but % per cent of the
school tax, owing to the increased reve-
nue. from the railroad tax.
The other school laws passed follow:
Assembly No. 81, amends the act for
special industrial schools by increasing
the maximum amount Of State aid from
$1,000 to ST 600 per annum. q
Assembly No. 2o4. amends the teach
ers' pension act decreasing the time a
teacher must have taught in the State
from 40 to 35 years, and by decreasing
the time he must have taught in the dis
trict by which he is retired from 40 to
20 years. BY the provis;ons of the new
act the 20 years in the district need not
be consecutive. The act is also made to
apply to principal or superintendent, as
well as to a teacher. Under the present
act a teacher could be retired only upon
his own application By the new act he
may be retired either upon his own APP
plication or BY resolution Of the board Of
education.
Assembly No. 24o. This amends sec
ton 121 Of the school law The orig nal
act gave the board Of education the pow
er 10 exclude from school a teacher o.:
pupil who had not been successfully vac
cinated, unless such teacher Or pupil