The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-12-31
PUTNAM SCHOOL"
Law EXPLAINED
SEEMS VERY FAIR TO ALL CON-
CERNED WHEN THOROUGH
LY UNDERSTOOD.
IS BEST FORM OF SCHOOL
OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES TO
COUNTRY PUPILS EQUAL
TO THOSE OF CITY.

The Sank Centre Board of Educa-
ton has been enforcing the payment
of claims against various school dis
tricts for the tuition of pupils resident
of such districts receiving education
in the Sank Centre public schools.
This action has given rise to consider
able comment as to the justice of the
law providing charge for tuition,
which law is little understood.
The Herald has interviewed j. N.
McGibbon, president of the board of
education, Supt. Aygarn, of the Sank
Centre schools, and L. L. Kells, at
torney for the school board, and has
gathered the following information in
regard to this law and it's fairness to
all concerned:
Sank Centre maintains what is COM
monty known as a putnam School,"
the best form of school in Minnesota,
and as such is required by law to re-
ceive pupils from any part of the
state and to give them education with
out expense to them or their parents.
However, tuition not to exceed $3.50
per month is to be charged to the
home district of such pupil, provided
such home district does not maintain
Putnam School" or is not associat-
ed or consolidated with another dis
trict which does maintain this form
of school, tuition for giving instruc-
ton to any of its boys and girls who
are ambitious enough to desire the
best education given by Minnesota
public schools.
Johnny JONES'" who lives in Sank
Centre or any other city maintaining
a Putnam School," can obtain educa-
ton in agriculture, manual training,
domestic science, and a complete high
school course free of expense or
charge. Formerly his cousin, "James
Smith," who lived in a small district,
if he would obtain such an education,
must pay $40 per year or more for
this privilege, but since the enactment
of the present law, he has an equal
chance with "Johnny Jones" and his
home district, being unable to give
him an industrial or high school edu-
cation, pays his tuition to some dis
trict which does furnish such school
ing.
The smaller districts cannot be
blamed if they do not maintain high
schools and industrial courses; only
districts located in cities and thickly
populated sections have sufficient rev.
enue to support such advantages
without burden to the people. The
average cost of educating a pupil in
the Sank Centre school is little more
than $40 per year, exclusive of in
terest on capital invested in buildings,
equipment, etc. 1t can charge not to
exceed $3.50 per year as tuition for
pupils from other districts; it can not
charge this tuition to the pupil or his
parents. If the Sank Centre school
does not collect this tuition from the
various districts from which it is due,
then the Sank Centre taxpayers must
furnish this education to anyone in the
state and bear the whole expense
thereof. This would be manifestly
unfair and it would also be unfair to
make flames Smith" pay for indus
trial and high school education when
Johnny Jones" gets this education
without charge or expense.
During the school year of 1913-1914
fifty nonresident pupils received in
struction in the Sank Centre schools.
The homes of these pupils were in %
outlying school districts, some of
them coming so miles to take advan-
tage of the opportunity of receiving
an edacation in this Putnam School,"
OF this number of pupils, 40 received
instruction in the Seventh or Eighth
Grades and the High School, and for
their tuition the Sank Centre school
earned $72S, which is required by law
to be charoed to the home districts of
the various pupils. All of this tuition