The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-24
Financing North Dakota Schools

In a recent address before the State
Tax association, Professor Weeks of
the department of agriculture of the
agricultural college offered a number
of suggestions regarding improve
ments in financing the schools of the
state. One of these had to do with
the present method of dealing with
tricts receive taxes from railroads
Under the present system school dis
tricts receive taxes from railroads.
within their borders. A district not
containing a railroad accordingly re-
ceives no railroad taxes. The result
is that some districts tax themselves
but slightly. relying upon the taxes
from the railroads, while other dis
tricts must tax themselves severely.
How the system works may be seen
in Cass county in 1911. OF the fifty
townships in Cass county, twenty
three divided the $10,SS5.91 school tax
paid by the Great Northern railroad.
Within these twenty three townships
again, only a limited number of dis
tricts received any Of this fund. Wheat
land township in Cass county re-
ceived $1,741.SS taxes from railroads
"Alh SOALApdLllCSs Lku5h Ca
township received nothing. Casselton
township received S1,S4S.2S school
taxes from railroads and express COM
panies, while Bell township received
nothing. Bear in mind also that with
in these townships some districts re-
ceive nothing. The total school tax
from railroads and express companies
divided among the townships of Cass
county in 1911, excluding cities and
villages, was ~$23,126.S5. This large
sum benefited only the districts in
which the railroads are located.
In view of the peculiar nature of
railroad property it would seem wise
for all school taxes derived from rail-
roads to be turned into the state tut
ton fu"d and apportioned according to
some acceptable system. 1t is not to
the best interests of the schools of the
state that funds secured from rail-
roads should be available only to the
districts through which railroads run,
as the rate of taxation in non-rail-
road districts must be- considerably
higher than in other districts. In Bur
leigh county in 1911 the school levy
in fourteen districts having railroads
averaged 49, mills. In thirty-one
other districts not having railroads the
average tax levy was ia mills.
State VS.. District Support.
In studying the tax levy in mills and
dollars in various counties one finds
that there is a very unequal support
of schools. Some districts tax them
selves heavily and others raise but
little money. Since the schools of the
state should be of uniform excellence
it would seem advisable for school
funds to be raised as state or county
taxes rather than to the present extent
by self taxation within districts. There
is now a 2 mill county tax for schools.
This tax might be raised to 5 or 8
mills, or a state tax of several mills
might be imposed, the resulting funds
to be apportioned among all the dis
tricts Of the state in such a way as
to bring about uniform excellence of
schools. 1t occasionally happens that
districts do not raise enough money
to support an efficient school for a
proper length of time. Under the sys-
tenn proposed every district in the
state would be helped up to a certain
minimum of taxation.
In Massachusetts, in 1911, a bill was
introduced in the legislature to pro-
vide that all schools be supported by
the commonwealth. The tendency in
several states is toward a larger meas
ure of state support with decreased
self taxation by districts. An adj
vantage in state support is that condi-
tions may be imposed with reference
to distribution which will result in
uniform excellence of schools, better
buildings, consolidation. medical i'm
| spection, standard qualifications of
teachers and other conditions may be
enforced through the apportionment of
school money by the state. 1t should
be no objection that with centralized
funds there would be centralized u
thority and correspondingly decreased
authority IN the part OF district school
boards. The state government is the
citizens government and as a citizen
he is not deprived OF self government
when his participation in local row
ernment is diminished, for his share
In the state government MAJ be corr
respondingly Increased.
Basis of Attendance.
The state tuition fund Of North Da-