The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-01-05

Completing the Public School Sys-
tenn by Supplying the Missing Link
in il. Remarkable Increase in En-
rolImdnt and Average Daily Attend
ancc. Large Funds Raised by Vol
untary Assumption of an additional
BURDEN of Taxation. Important
Court Decisions.
BY j.. Y. JOINER,
state Sufperintendent of Public IN
structiOn.
7 consider the establishment Of one
hnndred ard fifty-siX public high
SCHOOLS iii e~ighty-one counties the
most dist nctive and important for
ward educational step of the year,
and perhaps Of this decade. 1t is the
.rst stem il the direction of complet-
NO onr public school system by sup
the missing link in il. Prop
9rIv fosteled and directed. these
schools ought, in a few years. to place
high scho0 instruction for prepare
ZION for col eye or for life within rea-
sonable reach of every country child,
itch or pOo~, of sufficient capacity to
.eceiye it. The enrolment n the
average dolly attendance in these
schools during the first year of their
sstablishmeIt, without advertisement
lr general notice to all the people Of
he counties has been remarkable.
[othing could indicate more clearly
he need and demand for them and
he previous lack of adequate facili-
les for high school instruction for
ountry boys and girls. Preliminary
eports from these schools already
Indicate q large increase in enroll
tent ard abundance for the present
chool year. With the addition in
the near future of dormitorN accom-
aodatlons ane the equipment of cen
raj county hirh schools, the problem
# higher instruction for better prep
ration for the home, for college,, life
nd citizenship for country boys and
iris will be largely solved.
During the year two important de-
isiOns have ben rendered by the
SUPREME Court the beneficial effec
If which on tie future growth and
mprovemen o. the public schools
hese, Collie V. Commissioners Of
Franklin COUNT. overrules all pre-
yiouS decisions to the contrary and
holds that Article TX, section 3 of the
Constitution. requiring one or more
public schools to be maintained in
every schOo district at least four
months in every year, and making the
commissioners indictable for failing
20 comply with hat requirement, is
mandatory; and that, if the State and
county funds from all sources are
insufficient to meet this requirement,
the county commissiOners must levy
a Sufficient tax on all property and
polls Of the county sufficient to pros
vide the necessary funds, as directed
IN section 4112 of the public school
law. This decision assure hereafter
at least a four-m0nths school in every
school district, n opens the way for
providing by taxation the proper sort
of q school for at least -four months
in house, equipment, supervision,
teachers, etc; so that the county
board of education can now, with the
aid of the county board of commits
sioners, have as good a school in every
district for at least four months each
year as the people desire, deserve and
are able, without too burdensome 4
tax, to provide.
The other decision, Perry KS. Com
m~issiOners of Franklin County, sets
al rest forever the question of the
right to levy a special poll tax in spe-
cial tax school district in counties
where the combined State and county
capitation tax has already reached
the limitation of $500 fixed by Article
V, section l, of the Constitution, hold
ing that this tax is in no sense a State
~ obAiA % INoliV ldA dIld, l1ICi1
fore, must be levied and collected in
such special tax school districts.
The following tables, complied from
the official repOrts in my office, indi-
cate the educational progress of the
last school year, ending June so,
1908:
Increase in available
school fund for rural
schools ... s172.S4S.5i
Increase in available
school fund for city
schools ......... ~257,165.4C
Increase in funds raised
by local taxation in
special tax districts 1O4,6O7.S7
Percentage Of increased
in funds raised by To-
cal taxation ...gu IA +
Amount raised by prf-
Vate contributor for
SchOOl purposes -. 77,86O.0f
Increase IN eNpendi-
lures for rura! teach
ers and county super
intendents 51,9o2.54
Increase in expenditures
for city techers and
superintendents 1o1,513.2z
Increase in number of
rural teachers m
ployed ....... 2O-
Increase in number of
city teachers m
ployed ......... 2oz
Increase in expendi-
cures for rural school
buildings. supplies and
equipment ..... 79,621.31
Increase in expendi-
lures for city school
buildings, supplies and
equipment .....i... 142.902.O6
increase in average ian-
nual salary of rqral
white teachers -. Asa
increase in average Ian
nual salary of lefty
White teachers 49,. 2145
Increase in SchoJ, Attendance.
increase in numbel Of
White children en-
rolled ...... 1262a
increase in average Y7ally
attenance of White
children 19913
Increase in census laru-
meration Of Ibira
children -. -aa
Average length of sItaof
term in rural {rbito
schools ... H.. S9.2 days.
Average length of 81 --lol
term in city l,Ef,.
schools & d-
Value Of schIoo, Property. Jays
total value of r.
roper @t917,@1400