Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-02-04
SCHOOL COST
HAS INCREASED
State Commissioner Kendall
Gives Some Comparisons.
tFron the NEWS Correspondent

| tFTon the NE VS. CoTTespondent,1
Trenton, Feb. Pursuant to ac-
tion just taken by the State Board
of Education, the Investigation into
! the increase in cost of the public
schools of the state Is to be carried
deeper. The report OF State Com
missioner of Education Kendall lust
submitted to the state board, shows
that the per capita cost of the
schools In the past seven years has
increased S12.03. In 1905 the per
capita cost upon the total enroll
ment was S19.65, while In 1912 1t
was $31.6s.
When these figures are compared
with Pennsylvania. Massachusetts.
and New York, the State Board
believes that as far as the surface
showing goes, there has been 10 I'M
due extravaganza In New Jersey, as
has been alleged. Some of the mem
bers Of the board, however, want
to know Just what the state has got
for this S12 increase. The board
has adopted a resolution asking the
State Department to show at the
next meeting as far as possible Just
what items have entered into this
increased cost.
DR.. Kendall's report, which was
submitted In response to a request
from the board made a month ago,
gave the cost per pupil OF education
based on total enrolment of pupils
an average daily attendance In New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,
and New York. The showing was
as follows:
New Jersey.
Total enrolment Of pupils-1s05.
1855: 1912, s1.6S; increase 1903.
Average daily attendance OF pupils
%-1s06, 1887; 1912, 41.76; In
crease. 1919.
Pennsylvania.
Total enrolment Of pupiis-1905.
1880: 1912. 32.18: increase SIS.
Massachusetts.
Total enrolment Of pupils-1s05,
1884; 1912. 3s.SS; Increase 3.64.
Average daily attendance of pupils
--1905, 41.01; 1912. 1914; In
crease. 4.70.
New York.
Total enrolment of pupils-1905,
36.46: 1912, 40.53: Increase, 4.07.
-1912, 1923.
LIT, hSAQdii pOiutSu out thdN III
1905 the per capita cost Of schools
In New Jersey was very much below
similar cost in the other states. 1T
Is very significant" he said, that
in 1912 the per capita cost in New
Jersey upou the enrolment was
verv much less than per capita cost
On enrolment in Massachusetts, and
New York eve years ago"
Some the reasons for the increas-
ed cost in this state were given by
DR.. Kendall. Teachers salaries
have risen from an average OF S56s
in 1905 to an average of $3.50 In
1912. The state has met the de-
mand for a less number Of pupils to
each teacher, and this has added
considerably to the cost. The total
enrolment in the high schools OF
the state jumped from 1891 In
1905 to 80 ,479 In 1912. This shows
that the high school facilities were
greatly increased. necessarily adding
to the school cost.
There was no law making medica'
inspection mandatory In the school,
IN 1905, while In 1912 this n item
cost $156,155. In 1905 only $9.701
wal spent for transporting pupils
from one district to another. and In
1912 this Item increased to 1922,
OS3. In concluding his report. DR.,
Kendall said:
at is to be born In mind that the
Increased cost Of living has effected
the cost OF maintenance OF schools
as we'll as the cost Of maintenance
of any other private or public activ
ity In which cost Is incurred. The
New Jersey Bureau OF Labor and
statistics informs me that 1t estl'
mates the increase In New jersey
OF the cost Of living to have beer
about % 3-5 per cent from 1905 tc
1911"