The Democratic advocate., 1909-10-01
The SCHOOL BOARD
WHAT IT HAS ACCOMPLISHED FOR
PUPILS AND TEACHERS
New Buildings, Improved Equipment,
and Higher Salaries

At regular meeting OF the board
of school commissioners, September
30, 1903, the following resolution was
passed:
Whereas, the work OF the school
commissioners has uniformly been har-
monious and the conclusions reached af-
ter free discussion have been unanimous,
and whereas in promoting the high
est welfare of the county the commiss-
toner's wish the people to know just what
the board is doing in the way of public
education, be it resolved
That the school board issue for gem
eral publication the following brief
statement setting forth the work OF
the commissioners, and their plan for
dealing with the problem of teachers
salaries.
About two years ago the board is
sued a general statement through the
press OF the county calling attention
to the fact that the increased work
OF the teachers and the necessarily
increased preparation can be kept
up only and Justly by an increase in
compensation. The statement speei-
ally pointed out the fact that the
Westminster High School was crowd
ed beyond its capacity lmore than 20
pupils In some rooms), and that the
board had no money for new build
ing. The county commissioners we're
called upon, and they promised an
extra appropriation for this purpose.
When the new building was complet-
ed, the Board presented to the county
commissioners the bill. $6,230.97. The
county commissioners gave the school
board a check for 5000. as an extra
appropriation, all OF which money
was paid for the new building, and we
have the bills and vouchers covering
the same.
On entering upon their duties the
present school board found a school
debt of $2S,000 on which the board
was to pay the interest up to 1905, and
then and thereafter pay $1,000 on the
principal In addition to the interest.
On this debt the board has paid out
In principal and interest s13,470.
During this time the board has built
twelve school houses and made ad-
ditions to four more, at a cost OF
$25,340.
The board has placed steam heat
ers In the schools at Manchester.
Hampstead Taneytown and Union
Bridge. Also globes. charts and maps.
with other equipment, have been
placed In the schools so far as the
money at our command woald admit,
or the l40 school houses In the coun-
ty several have to be rooted. painted
and floored every year, making the re-
pair bill quite considerable.
The board has used every endeayor
to increase the teachers salaries, and
has added to the amount paid for this
purpose every year Just as much as
possible without going In debt, and
the pay roll will show II. In 1908 the
board received from liquor licenses
$500 more than was formerly re-
ceiyed from this source. and this
money was added TO teachers salaries
In the year 1900 the pay roll in the
county for teachers was $39, 1902 %.
while for the school year just closed
the pay roll is $5s,7602S, which Is an
increase OF s1S,85737 Prior to the
present administration. three dollars
was added per year, In one room
schools, as janitors fee; at present
the teachers are paid twelve dollars
per year for this purpose. While
these statements given simply in the
interest of truth are facts. yet the
commissioners are of. the opinion that
the teachers should receive more
money and are In sympathy with the
teachers efforts to get an increase.
The board will be glad to go be-
fore the county commissioners and
ask for an increase in levy to pay
the teachers more money, and the
county superintendent will join com
mittee of the teachers to go before
the county commissioners, and ask
for this appropriation, unless II be
obtained without taking this step.
In an article on former occasion.
the county superintendent caused to
be published all over the county a
comparative statement Of the cost
per pupil and the tax rate for schools
on the 800 In several counties, and
closed the paragraph with the follow
ing extract :
"This is a perfectly fair statement,
and 1t shows that comparatively other
counties are paying per pupil, from
SO to 81 per school year more than
Carroll; and that in other counties
the school tax rate on the 800 Is from
cents to II cents more than It is In
Carroll. These facts are given to
DISStul 6Olut iucd VI Whhh 10 lSuuiI-
ed In order that the public schools OF
a county may be run with credit and
some success"
In the above quotation the several
counties were given in comparative
statement for the express purpose of
showing that the teachers In our
county should receive more money,
and that Carroll should increase her
levy for schools as the other counties
have done
The school board and the county
superintendent are not infallible, and
the only thing claimed is that they are
doing their work conscientiously,
and in the best way they know how
to do 1t.
S. SIMPSON, Secretary.