The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-10-07
SCHOOL FINANCES
IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

j. * X x X * X = "
TO the Editor of The Herald and
News: In my last letter I discussed
the distribution of the constitutional
three mill tax, and suggested deh-
milton of enrolment which Woulo
make the distribution contribute to
school efficiency. I now wish to dis
cuss the practical difficulties Which
confront the school authorities oil
South Carolina in the present method
Of apportionment, and its moral ter
dencies.
The constitution provides that the
3-mill tax shall be apportioned
among the districts of the county in
which it is raised on the basis of en-
rollment, and leaves to the legislature
the definition of enrolment. The leg
islature has defined enrolment as
''Ten days attendance during the
previous scholastic session" Under
this definition pupil who attends
school for less than ten days should
not be enrolled and should not secure
recognition in the distribution Of the
three mill tax. The actual number of
pupils who at one time or another at
tend school during any scholastic ses-
sion is usually greater than the legal
enrolment" was 1858. This is typical
nual report Of the Columbia schools
for 1908-09 the toal number of pupils
enrolled, in the ordinary sense of the
term, was 1888. The legal ten day
enrollmen" was 1868. This is typical
of actual conditions all over the State
Since the amount of money avail
able from the three mill tax for the
maintenance of schools in any district
is dependent on the enrolment, it is
to the pecuniary interest of the trus-
tees to secure as large an enrolment
as possible for at least the minimum
period Of ten days. The teacher at
the end of each month makes on the
back of her pay warrant duplicate a
report to the county superintendent
of education, who approves the war
rant for the teachers salary. At the
end of the-year each teacher is sup
posed to make an annual report of the
total number of pupils enrolled, and
of certain other data indicated by the
standard forms provided by the State
department of education. This report
is transmitted through the district
board of trustees, who alone have the
opportunity to check it's accuracy. The
teacher very soon finds out that the
district board of trustees is more con
cerned that there should be large
enrolment than that there should be
an accurate statement Of facts. IN
consequence, the enrolment reported
frequently includes every child who
has been present even for one day
during the school session. In fact
there are teachers in South Carolina
who through ignorance of the legal
provision, without desire to defraud
report the entire list of pupils as the
legal enrolment
The law is especially subject to
abuse by negro teachers. AS is we'll
known in South Carolina, the district
funds are not divided among the
schools of the district improportion to
enrolment, but every negro child
counts in securing funds for the dis
trict. The negro schools afford the
best opportunity for padding the
rolls. In fact, contract with negro
teachers is not infrequently made in
South Carolina in which the salary
to be received by the teacher is de-
pendent on the number of children
enrolled The report of the teacher
is usually received and transmitted
without correction, with a result
which can be easily imagined. Re-
Gently I visited a negro school in
South Carolina in which I found nine
children present. I asked the teach
er for his record book. Although it
was the closing day of school, he
handed it to me with the statement
that he had just made it out that
morning. He had enrolled IS chill
dren. There were no marks in the
book to indicate the number of days
each child had been present I asked
him for the daily record which he had
kept, and he produced from his pock-
ct another book which contained
merely the names Of the pupils. I
called his attention to the legal def