Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-02-26
STATES EQUALIzENG SCHOOL
FUND AMOUNTS 10 s4OI,O15.7:
VIM Lengthen school Term to Mni-
mum Of 1Os Days and Increase
Teachers and Salaries.

The State goes Forward in its work
of giving educational opportunities tc
all the children This year the equal.
izing fund for the public schools
amounted to $~4O1,015.72 and was SO
apporticned as to increase the mini
mum school termswhich had hereto
fore been eighty days, to lob S-1O days,
an increase Of % $40 days.
Ninety counties of the State partlc-
mated in the superintendent OF this
fund. Ten counties were not entitled
to share in it, because their funds were
ouflcient to provide a longer term
than 10S $40 days without aid Q
the 4aualizing fund.
Ff~fty-seven counties of the State re-
eeived ala from the second 100000
last year and had q school term of
only eighty days or four months. The
school term in every district in these
counties will be heightened 23 BIO
days or / Ia months by the equaliz-
ing fund this year. The school term
IN all the other counties of the STATE
xcept ten will be considerably In
creased also.
Every school district will have q
considerably longer term this yea7
thar ever before. The annual salaries
of all good teachers will be increased
Is to 80 pei cent. The monthly salary
OF all good teacher has also been
@onside7 bly inksased, while the:
Mumber Eof teachers, according to tha
reports and applications from the va
rious counties, has increased 1000, or
about 20 per cent, this indicating a
corresponding increase in the enroll
Kaent and attendance OF school chill
.dreu on account of the compulsory at
tendance law.
In addition to the heightened school
term from the appropriation of $4O1.-
Geo lin. round numbers) the schco.
sterms OF the State will be further
heightened by the $1,000,0OO annually
raised by local taxation in about 1900
local tax districts. The average
term of the State this year,
therefore, may be reasonably expected
to considerably exceed six months, as
the local tax funds were not consider
ed in the apportionment of the equal
ling fund, being excluded from con-
alteration.
The equalizing fund having length
cned the minimum term % $40 days,
or 1 Ia months, this year, in spite OF
the large increase in the number OF
teachers, -necessitated by the increased
attendance, it may be confidently x
pected, with the natural increase in
the property of the State, to be sum4
cient in the next year-or two %toproVide
q minimum term of full six months,
exclusive of all local taxes.
In order to participate in the equal
izing fund every county of the State
In which it was necessary vas requir-
ed to levy 9 tax sufficient to provide a
full four months term in every dis
tzict. In this way these counties rails
ed many thousand dollars more for
their elementary schools than ever
before. This year at least $7OO.OO0
more will probably be expended for
lcngthening the terms, increasing the
salaries of the teachers, and improv
ing the character of the work of the
elementary schools than ever before
in the history OF the State.
In addition to the marked progress
II the elementary schools there is o
correspondingly marked development
in the 221 rural high schools of the
State, enrolling last yea about 5000
country boys and girls, and a marked
growth in interest in farm life schools,
for the special training of the coun-
try boys and girls in subjects pertain
ing to farming and country things and
country life. Six additional farm life
schools have been established during
this school year and movements are
already on foot for the establishment
Of others.
The educational progress of North
Carolina has never been so good and
the educational outlook of the State
and its people was never so bright as
in this good year of 1914.-News and
Observer.
N-L n-