The Green Forest tribune., 1912-08-23
State Aid to High Schools.

There has been made. and is now be- ing made, an effort to create among the country people a sentiment against the act of our last legislature giving State Aid to high schools. Where the purpose and effect of the law is known, the country people, almost to man, highly endorse it; but, through mis- apprehension of facts, caused by par ties who do, or ought to know better, some good citizens oppose it. To cor rect these misstatements and misap- prehensions, is the purpose of this paper.
 No one can read the State Aid law without being convinced of the fact that its specific and sole purpose was to benefit the country children, and the man who has watched its effect is sur prised at it's high degree of success in the accomplishment of it's purpose. No its passage, as l shall show in this paper.
 1t has been stated in nearly every district of this county that the $50, GOO appropriation takes P cents from each educable child not in the aided schools. In support of this statement, it
 
 apportionment for 1910 was $2.09, while for 1911 it was only S1.87. This difference In the per capita is correctly stated, but it is due only in small part to the State Aid law.
 The state enumeration for 1911 was 585749. Divide $50 900 by the 585749 you get 1-2 cents, instead of P cents. In return for this 1-2 cents per child, every country boy and girl in the state is offered eight months free tuition in an approved high school Last year, 1639 Arkansas country boys and girls gladly accepted this offer and attended the state schools. Thousands of others were eager to do so, but, owing largely to the ungraded condition of the coun- try schools, were not prepared for the high school. Great numbers of them, who had quit school, catching inspira- tion and hope from the State Aid law paid tuition in the 9th grade of the aided schools in order that they might enter the high schools the next year. will illustrate this with Carroll county later on.
 This law also requires the State Board to prepare a complete Course of study for the common schools. A pupil completing this Course in any country school will be given a certificate that will admit him to any State High school in Arkansas. The Board has prescribed most excellent Course, and, If County Examiners and Directors will half way do their duty, instead of the irregular, half-organized, un-syste- matic work that we now have in nearly all of our country schools, we will have In each district well organized, we'll graded, progressive school Each dis trlct, however small will be an import ant part of a splendid unit, extending from the Primary class through the University.
 It is also urged that not all the child ren of any district will go to the high schools, and that we take the money of some to pay for others, and therefore It IS wrong in principle.
 The man who makes this argument, though he may be too ignorant to know It, IS opposed, not only to free schools, but also to every possible public enter prise. This argument, if sound, would abolish every University, every Normal college, every Agricultural school, every Insane Asylum, every Institute for the blind, the deaf and dumb, not only in Arkansas but throughout the world.
 Every man in Arkansas is taxed to support these institutions, yet a very small per cent of us get any direct re- turn for our money.
 This same argument again would stop every free school in Arkansas and elsewhere. There is not district in the state where man is excused from paying school tax because he has no children in school.
 1t IS a fact easy of proof that our country schools are supported in large part by the towns and cities of the state.
 Sebastian county pays $53 900 to the tate pportionmeat and receives from it only $34, ,000. Pulaski county pays S107, 900 to this fund and gets from it only $62, 900. These two counties alone cheerfully pay S64, ,000 for the support of our schools in weaker counties. Many other counties contribute large amounts to their less fortunate sisters.
 How about Carroll? Is she con- tributor to other counties, or is she receiver from them? Carroll got from the state apportionment $838. 36 more than she put into it last year. How about the country districts in Carroll? Do they pay to the state apportion- ment as much as they get out of it?
 In total ignorance of what I would find, 1 selected the following eleven country districts to compare with the three town districts. These districts are among the best in the county, and, 1 believe, if comparison of all the districts were made it would not change the ratio materially: Shady Grove on Osage gets from the state fund SIP more than she puts into it. Shady Grove west of Berryville has gain from this fund of S49 Parker gains $66, Denver gains $73, Independence gains $80, Urbanette gains $9, Fare well gains $56, Upper Piney gains $96, Osage SIP, Carrollton gains $99 and Bunch loses $173.
 These figures show that these eleven country districts last year received from the mill tax $438 more than they paid into it.
 How was it with the three towns? Eureka Springs pays $1684 more than she gets from the state fund, Berry, vile pays S195 more than is returned to her, and Green Forest contributes ! S133 more than she receives.