The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1913-03-15
SHALL THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CONTINUE FOR NINE
MONTHS?

This question is being frequentl
ASKED by the patrons over the par
iSh, and it is necessary that the eX
act financial condition of the Schoo
board be known in order that TN
| patrons may be able to answer III,
question for themselves. Every Oh,
knows that the Board is as anxious
as any one to have the parish con
tinue its record of nine months
schools, and will make a change only
when absolutely compelled to do so
They were continued last year fol
nine months under a strain and al
the close of the school year, June
80, the Board owed over six hundred
dollars.
The expenditures for this year have
been curtailed wherever possible and
the Geasurers books reveal the FOL
lowing condition with all salaries and
other obligations of the Board up to
March LIST paid:
Cash on hand, $2,92927.
The payroll is now $1,771.35 pr
month. The schools have been in
session for six months, and to con
tlnue them for three months more
would require $5,314.O5. We shall
receive from the State Treasurer in
June about $4,000, which, added to
the cash now on hand, would amount
to $4,129.27, and would leave the
Roard at the close of the school year
S1,lS4.7S in debt, if it should attempt
to run the schools for nine months
without assistance from other sources.
We received last year from fines
and forfeitures $502.4O more than
We have received this year and $500
from the Town Council of St. Fran
clsVllle. If we can secure these
amounts in some way this year, the
schools all over the parish can con-
time for nine months; otherwise,
they must close at the end of eight
months, for it would be the height
OF unWisdOm for the Board to go in
debt en- its current expenses with no
11eans in sight of replacing the de-
ficit
or course, we cannot depend upon
tie money derived from fines, for
that is an unknown quantity every
year; that leaves the Town Council
as our only hope at this time, and
maintain, as | have always done,
that $4,000 is a small sum indeed
for the town to be called upon to pay
for such high school as it has, and
l know Of dozens oftownsin the state
that are paying much more for less
efficient schools. The right of the
Town Council to appropriate money
for the support of the Town School
was clearly shown last year by the
law which distinctly designates pub
lie schools as one of the very ecw
purposes for which the license mon
ey collected by the Town Council
can be legitimately used. Every col.
lar appropriated by the Council will
be used for the High School in the
town; but this will allow the Board
to use that much more of the State
and Parish funds for the continuance
Of The schools all over the parish.
Now the people can answer for
themselves. the question as to how
long will the school term be. The
high school appropriation received
from the state compels the Board
to ruin the High School Department
Tor nine months, but if all the other
departments and schools in the par
lsh have to close at the end of eight
months, there will be confusion
worse confounded" at the beginning
Of rext session, for none of the
classes below the eighth will have
[lnlSnp0 tho Vaar'S w0rL and no roodv
for promotion.
am ready at any time to convince
any enc that will come and examine
.he treasurer's books of the correc-
ness Of the above financial state.
nents. The law requires the treas.
irer to show his books at any time
20 any interested persons, and | try
o comply with the law in every par.
ocular.