St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1913-05-31
Communication.

consider Immediately, is, How
is the length of the session Of
the public schools to be pro.
longed?' During the last ses'
sion we were confronted by the
fact that there was only money
enough to the credit of the Gen
e~al Fund to operate the schools
for a session a little more than
six months long. Various sug-
gestions were made to provide
the money against this deficit sc
as to give all the schools in the
parish a uniform session of eight
months, and let the towns, where
the high schools are located, pro-
vide the funds supplemental to
the state appropriation for the
high schools to such an amount
as would be necessary to operate
the high schools for an addition
al month, thereby enabling them
to complete the course of study
as outlined by the State Depart
ment and comply with the law
defining the conditions by which
schools can maintain their status
as high schools. After trying
sundry futile suggestions to ac-
complish this purpose. it was
finally determined by the School
Board to make an urgent appeal
to the Police Jury to come to the
assistance of the schools and
provide the money for the con.
tinuation of the current school
session. The Police Jury ex-
pressed itself as willing to do
anything in it's power to advance
the cause of education, but be-
ing without the money with
which to help the schools, meth
DDS had to be devised by which
it could place itself in a position
to be responsive to the demands
made on it. However, the ques-
ton was given respectful and
thoughtful consideration by that
body, and, to it's everlasting
credit, it can be said that it no
bly, responded to the call and
made. by increasing the rate of
taxation one mill and anticipat-
ing the revenues from that
source for the next year, noble
provision for the children of this
parish. But it will not be pos
sible for the Police Jury to do so
for the coming session, or per-
haps for future sessions, and it
behooves the people to con-
slider this question in time, and
determine to make for the edu-
cation of their children. I do
not use the term sacrifice, be-
cause I speak advisedly when [
say investment. The money
spent for education in its various
phases is an investment that ul-
brings to society larger
returns for the disbursement
made than that which could be
to it from any ether
source. The intellectual and
moral training 5nculcated In the
public schools, as at present or
ganized with the proposed adj
of vocational education
added to- the courses, will result.
in the development of better all
round men and women. 1t will
give to the country a better eiti-
zenship better lawyers, better
doctors, better merchants and
mechanics, better farmers and
better women to provide over
the household affairs and direct
the rearing and destiny of the
of the land. Butt in or
to introduce these things
and successfully and permanent
ly operate them, it is necessary
to have more money. My ex-
perience, after years of labor in.
the interest of the schools, in
dnces me to believe that the peo-
Pile want their children to have
all the educational advantages
that it S possible for them to
give them. The question then
arises, how are we going to get
the money? Practically all of
the money used in the operation
of the public schools comes from
the people TIN ough sources of
taxation, and the special sources
from which this money comes
are divided under the following
heads, viz:
Appropriations from the state.
l Ia mills from the state tax,
based on the number of educa-
bles in each parish as u
ated by the assessor.
Three mills from the general
parish tax as provided for by the
Locke Bill.
The Poll Taxes.
The interest on the proceeds
Of sales of 10th sections, depos-
tied with the State Treasurer,
for which the state pays 4 per
cent interest.
Fines imposed by the District
Courts.
Forfeitures of bonds before