The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-02-10

districts revenue should be about sl5.-
552-19. With figures practically the
same as the above this district receiv-
ed from the county, including It's spe-
ciaI tax the sum Of S11.845.66, and
1902 So interest on sUb-scho0l district
! indebt edness. The average attendance
/ III this district exceeds the average
/ attendance in the county as a whole.
Therefore, # average attendance con-
+ troI1ed the county board in the disrri-
button Of the county school fund the
/ figures would be larger. 7 am not
+ here TO say that this sub-School dis
trict is entitled TO more OF the county
school funds than II has been receiv-
/ ing. II is probab BILE that the funds are
being used as wisely and distributed
as justly as they can be. and I believe
! that the present county school board
| is composed of men who are trying 10
/ do what they think best for the in
terests Of the schools of the county. I
am merely quoting the statistics. and
am willing to let them argue this
phase Of the question.
| There are three school buildings in
/ the district the entire valuation Of
which is placed at $4,000. The dis
! trict has in its schools Is white teach
/ ers and Il colored teachers. The num-
! Der of pupils enrolled during the
scholastic year 1910-1911 was $50 white
and 483 colored, a total Of 1912. The
average attendance for the year was
457 white and 240 colored, total Of
697 average attendance. The amount
expended in the support and mante-
nance Of the schools Of the district for
the scholastic year 1910-1911 was Sill
845.66, of which the sub-schoOl district
contributed from the collection of its
special tax the sum of s3226.14 and
there was received from the county
school fund the sum of S8,619.52. and
$685. interest on sub-school district
indebtedness.
On Jan. l, 1912. the outstanding in
debtedness Of the sub-school district
was about $500
Two of the buildings in the district
are used for the white pupils and the
other for the colored pupils OF the
building used by the colored pupils
| shall say no more a this time than
that it is inadequate for the demands
made upon it for housing the pupils of
that race. The primary school build
ing, while it may answer for the pres
ent, yet the time IS not far distant
when 1t will be necessary for this dis
trict to enlarge it. if it is to meet the
requirements. I am afraid the citizens
of Ocala and the patrons of the gram
mar and high school do not fully
realize what an Anticipated and abso-
1utely inadequate building we are US
ing. 1t was constructed in 1887, and.
while at that time it may have met
the needs of that day. yet this city
has grown in every respect and it
should not be allowed to stand as
Ocala's chief educational institution
any longer than the time required to
replace it with a modern structure.
One has only to visit the building dur
ing the school hours and witness the
crowded condition of some of the
rooms, to become convinced, IL a view
of the exterior has not convinced such
a person, that l am not eXaggerating
the situation.
I am not very fond of comparisons,
but know of no better way to bring
home to the fact that Ocala is he
hind the other cities of equal size
than by presenting to you this table
which shows the conditions in those
!, cities. You will readily come to the
conclusion that this comparison is not
flattering to US.
NUMBER Oh pupils IN nlSn ScnOOl ~
Number of teachers including
principal .........
Value Of building ...........$12,50 500
Number of pupils in school SOC
; Gainesville
Number of pupils in high school sc
: Number Of teachers including
principal 1890. -. ........
Value Of building $40, O0O
Number Of pupils in school ... 60(
Similar more disparaging COM
| PARSONS can be made with Orlando
Lake City, Palatka, St. Petersburg and
other towns.
The population figures in the above
7 table are taken from the 1910 Z. S
census, and the other data from the
latent available reports. I regret thai
I am unable to add tnforma ton about
5 Lakeland Barlow, Tallahassee and
Fernandina, but I have received no re-
D plies to my inquiries of the school au-
thorities in those respective cities
The table, however, is amply sufficient
for the purpose I have in view. Now
D let me call your attention particularly
to the cities whose school enrolment
equals or exceeds Ocala's. Sanford
3 the largest, has a $4,000 building ant
. $4,000 building and five teachers: St
2 Augustine, next, with a 100000 build
? ing and five teachers; Orlando with
I the same high school enrolment. witt
a $4,000 building and four tea cheers
a while Palm Beach, the smallest town
given, having less than one-half tn,
I population of Ocala, has a S55.00t
building and four teachers. I submit
that in this comparison Ocala occupie:
q an unenviable place-excelling only
Live Oak in the value of buildings, blu
+ not in the number of teachers employ
, ed. We cannot afford to occupy thi
position. and I do not believe we will
[ come now to the most difficult par
of my remarks, and that is the ans
Wer to the question with which we be
gan-what are We going to do abou
it 1t is an answer to this question
the solving of this problem. which
has been puzzling the present sub
Z school district trustees for their tern
gested: l. increase in the millage: ,
issuance of bonds; issuance Of coun
ty school warrants by the count!
0 board: 4. secure money by privat,
subscription.
The first method cannot be adopted
as we are now levying the maximum
s millage allowed under the constitu
ton. The state with its one mill tax
the county with its seven-mill tax
and the subschool district with it:
0 three mill tax make a total levy o