The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-07-20
EDUCATION
NOT LOCAL
icoNTINUED FROM FIRST PAeEl

iCoNTINUED FROM FIRST PAGEl
very properly so. under the theory o,
our school system.
The state school revenues that are
distributed by the state are derived
from the following sources:
State school tax. divided in twc
parts, ninety per cent thereof return.
able to the counties from which de.
rived, and ten per cent. thereof held
by the state board of education, and
known as the 6 reserve fuudn;
/ The state appropriation
Main stem railroad tax:
| Appropriation from income OF the
state school fund.
These amounts, for the school year,
beginning July 1, 1909, are as follows
State school tax .........$4 1853, 253. "a
State appropriation. 100000. 90
Main stem tax ........... 1884, 728 29
State school fund. zoe, 1000. 90
Total revenue from the
state. ............... 81 1862, 1881. SO
The income from the state school
fund Is apportioned to the several
counties in proportion to the amount
of actual school days attendance there
in. The reserve fund that is, ten per
cent, of the state school tax, is appor-
toned to the counties at the discre-
ton Of the state board of education,
the principle of the apportionment
aiming to give the larger sums to
those counties that are rich in child
rem and poor in property, and the
small sums to those that are rich in
property but poor in the number of
children.
The state school moneys are for the
purpose of educating the children,
and upon that theory, the state board
of education apportions this reserve
fund where it will do the most good !;
that is, where there are the most
children to be educated in proportion
to the amount of ratables.
Under this policy the counties that
receive more than they raise of the
state school tax are Cumberland,
Sussex, Salem, Ocean, Burlington,
Gloucester, Warren, Hnnterdon, Cam
den, Morris and Middlesex.
Those who receivessless money than
they raise are Monmouth, Cape May,
Mercer, Essex, Atlantic, Hudson and
Union. llS
Those who receive the same amount
are Bergen, Somerset and Passaic.
The other items of revenue, namely,
ninety per cent. of the state school
tax, the state appropriation and the
tax on the main stem of the railroads
are apportioned to the counties in the
proportion that the ratables OF each
county bear to the total ratables Of
the state.
The state school moneys, amount
ing as above stated, for the school
year, beginning July l, 1909, to$7, 652.-
981.53, are thus contributed to the
twenty-one counties of the state.
The theory of the present law for
the distribution of state school moneys
within the counties to the various To-
cal districts is that Of payment for
work done, rather than for work
neglected. Those districts that en-
ploy the proper number of teachers
and have the best school attendance
ond tho v,oocf q n x,o r,ocd cnh0NI ,<,x, e<,e
receive more money in proportion
than those districts that employ an
insufficient number Of teachers and
have poor school attendance and in
adequate courses Of study,
OF the state moneys, $500 Is appor-
toned to the school districtsfor each
teacher employed in the common
schools; $500 for each teacher en-
ployed In a high school of a three
years course; S40O for each teacher
employed ina high school of a four
years. course, and 5000 for a superin-
tendent or supervising principal.
The remainder of the fund is then
distributed to the local school districts
on the basis of the number Of actual
school days attendance. This plan of
distribution is designed TO encourage
educational work. and those districts
that provide the best for the most pu-
pills are given the greatest amount of
state encouragement. M
Moreover, thirty-two per cent. OF
the school moneys of the state are de-
rived from corporations and sources
other than sthe Individual taxpayer.
This percentage was, of course, larger
when The state treasury carried large
balances and the /" million dollar APP
preparation" was annually made.
The Hrst year of the distribution Of
the main stem railroad tax, the tax
payers OF thelstate raised 81, 543, 264. 2S
less locally for current school expenses
than they were required to raise the
previous year. Thus it would seem
that the saving In local taxes due to
the railroad tax more than offsets the
seeming inequality OF a local school
district receiving less money than II
has raised. Our public school system
finds many problems to solve and
many situations to which it must be
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