The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-03-17
SUFFICIENT MONEY
FOR STATE SCHOOLS
Supt. Swearingen Writes of
Appropriations.
HOW TO SECURE STATE AID.
Head OF School System Gives Advice
as to Cooperation Among
Patrons

| aS W SO-OperaUlOn Among
Patrons.
Columbia Correspondent to Charles.
ton News and Courier.
State superintendent OF Education
J. T.. Sweartngen has writtcn a letter
TO the county superintendent of ed
ucation throughout the State calling
attention to the money appropriated
for the common aad high schools by
the Legislature, and that applications
for aid must be through the State
board Of education. His letter, which
covers the school situation In detail,
is as follows:
The General Assembly made liber-
al provision for the free public schools,
The six appropriations include: High
schools $4,000; rural graded schools
| $50, 600; weak schools for term extan
sion, 100000; libraries, SIS, 900; pub
lie school buildings under the Act Of
1910, to be disbursed In order OF an
plications field, $4,000; contingent
fund to be extended by the county
board OF education under the regula-
tions provided by the State Superin-
tendent OF Education for especially
needy rural school districts, &45,-
600.
SEVEN MONTHS TERM.
''These funds guarantee the continu
alce and extension OF the educational
activities that have brought more eff
cient schools of sorces OF communities
during recent years. State aid based
on local taxation should provid in
every district a school term OF at least
seven months, an upto-date building
and body OF competent teachers. IF
+ the people of any community will CO.
operate with public school authorities
they may easily secure state aid for n
better building a longer torn and the
establishment of n rural graded
school.
"AIl applications for high school
aid will be considered by the State
board of education at it's nnNt meet
The money shall be forw; rdcd
to your county treasurer about May
Is The usual November instalment
of high school aid for the scholastic
year 1914 could not be paid last
fall pending the collection of the one
mill State school tax, from which the
high school appropriation for 1913
was derived. High school trustees
and principals may rely upon their
usual appreciation as heretofore
RURAL GRADED SCHOOLS.
Rural graded school applications
shall be paid without fail. Under no
conditions should any district main
tanning a two or three teacher school
and asking school aid be permitted to
close for lack of funds. The increase
from $50, 900 to 100000 for these
schools guarantees the purpose OF the
lawmakers to maintain this policy in
every district meeting the require
ments of the Rural Graded School act.
No rural community enrolling fifty
children can now afford TO do with
out a two-teacher school, and no such
community enrolling seventy-tiVe chill
dren should be content with less than
three-teacher school. Under this
constructive and stimulating policy
upwards of two hundred communit-
les have voted the required four-mill
tax, and have secured recognition as
S,ate-aided schools. Your co-opera-
tion i'm extending this policy through
out your county is thoroughly appre-
Ciated, for without your cordial assis-
tance nothing could be accomplished
hy State aid to these schools.
Nearly coo term extension appli-
cations have already been paid. But
if any weak district levying a 2-r?ill
tax, desires to participate In this appro
priation its application should be for
warded without delay. The Term Ex-
tension Act applies to even the small
est school in the most sparsely settled
section. This measure has already
brought about a marked increase in
the school term of half the counties
of the state BY utilizing it's benefits,
the trustees and patrons of any dis
trict shuld be able to lengthen their
school term Where a sufficient local
taA is voted to secure the maximum
of 500 State aid every public school
may now run a least 40 days.
LIBRARY APPROPRIATIONS.
"The library appropriation has new
er been fully used. Schools without
library should purchase one immedi-
ately; schools having libaries may en-
large them each year
"The renewal OF the state building
fund means at least four score new
buildings during 1914. The one-room
school house is, and must always re-
Z main, a necessity. It would mark n
great step forward however, If the
= number OF one-room school houses
, erected this year could be reduced to
the minimum and II the construction
= o! two-room, three-room or four
: room buildings could become the rule