The Newark journal., 1907-11-15
BOOST FOR THE SCHOOLS
Nearly Million Dollars Increase in
School Revenues For Next Year

By reason of the voting of higher
school taxes throughout the state,
approximately million dollors more
will be available for the support of the
common schools of Arkansas next
year than will be available during the
present year.
This big boost for the Arkansas
schools is made possible through the
adoption by the voters year ago of
the amendment to the state constitution
permitting school districts to increase
their school tax levy from five to
seven mills and permitting the state
legislature to raise the general tax
levy for school purposes from two to
three mills. The legislature lost no
time in availing itself of the authority
conferred upon it, and at the session
last spring enacted at law levying a
general state tax of three mills for
school purposes.
AT the school elections held last
May, the school districts, of which
there are several thousand in the state,
had the opportunity to increase their
local school tax from five to seven
mills if they so desired. No reliable
statistics have as yet been obtained to
show how many of the school districts
raised the tax to the maximum allowed
under the law. The state superintend-
of public instruction is now endeavor-
ing to secure this information, but it
is a difficult task; and it will probab-
ly be a considerable time before ac-
curate information is secured. Prof.
Crawford, deputy superintendent of
public instruction, estimates, however
that four out of seven school districts
in the state voted the ma Ximum tax of
seven mills at the May school election.
With this estimate it is possible to
determine approximately the amount
of money which will be available for
the support of the schools next year.
According to the figures in the office
of the superintendent of public instruc-
ton, the total revenue of the schools
in Arkanansas from all sources for
the year ending June 30. 1907, was
81, 42S, 125.57. This represents approx
mately also the amount expended in
support of the schools during the
year. OF the total revenue, the amount
oh frnY, fha Iicf,, AZ To-
the year was 1882, 1879. 40.
If these estimates are found to be
correct, the revenue from the district
tax next year should amount to APP
proximately $1,000, 900, as compared
with total of 81 1882 1919 for the
past year.
Outside of the district taxes, the
greatest revenue is received by the
schools from the state school tax,
which in the past has been two mills.
The amount realized from this state
tax las year was approximately $780,
600. The total amount in the state
fund which was apportioned among
the various counties, was $677,7 but
this included the interest on the per-
manent school fund, which amounts
annually to $50, 900, the money derived
rom the sale of sixteenth section
school lands, and various fines, which
under the law are turned into the
school fund. With the interest from
the bonds in the permanent school
fund, amounting to $35, 900, and the
revenue from the sale of sixteenth sec
ton lands, which it is estimated will
amount this year to about SAC, 900, the
state school fund next year will be
very nearly a. round million dollars,
as compared with $677, 707, the amount
distributed last year out of the state
fund.
The school enumeration last year
showed 533, $50 children of school age
in the state, and the apportionment of
the state school fund was made upon
a basis of S1.27 for each person. The
number of school children will of
course show an increase next year,
but with the increased school fund the
,apportionment next year will be made
on basis of about 81 for every child
of school age.