The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-04-15
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF Ed
UCATION WRITES ABOUT THE
FUND FOR THIS YEAR
TO AID EIGHTY SCHOOLS
Fund Can Only Be Used For This
Year and Cannot Apply on Build
ings Already Erected. Applications
for Aid Should be Made Promptly.

fund will help nearly four score COM
munities to erect schoolhouses in 1914
according to a letter addressed to the
county ,superintendeAts of education
by J. E. Swearingen, State superin-
tendent of education. The appropria-t
ton is $4,000 as heretofore, and the
money will be spent in accordance
with the terms of the school build
ing act of 1910.
During 1913 no State aid for
school building" says Mr. Swearingen
was available. During 1912 the biuld-
ing fund was exhausted early in the
summer, leaving heavy deficit in
5 this appropriation. =.
Every county board of education
Z was urged to protect the building ap-
: plications for 1912 by contributing the
usual amount from the county biuld-
ling fund and a further amount from
its discretionary county board fund.
"The carrying out of this policy
was made. possible by the second dis
q. tribution of the State dispensary
money in September, 1913, and by
the setting aside for special county
purposes of one-half of the one-mill
State school tax last year.
"I hope, therefore, that all build
ings erected without State aid during
1912 and 1913 have been fully paid
for If any district is embarrassed
by unpaid debts arising from new
school buildings during 1912 or 1913
the status of every such district will
be fully considered upon the pre-
sentation of the facts. .
"The 1914 appropriation must be
used for the completion Of buildings
already under way, or for the erec-
ton of new schoolhouses' before De-
cember 81 of this year. Buildings
already finished or buildings to be
constructed during 1913 can not par
ticipate in the fund. The appropria-
tion is for current needs. Contingent
improvements can not be considered,
because they are frequently never
made. Future improvements to be
added after January l, 1913, must be
left to future appropriations. ..
"All school buildings erected at
public expense must be located on
land owned in fee simple by the
school district trustees. Blue prints
of all proposed houses must be sub
mHted to the county board of educa-
ton and to the State board Of educa-
ton for APPROVAL before extra aid
can be legally granted.
"If any district or any school
stands in special need of extra aid,
the local board should make applica-
ton for a part of the S45,000 re-
Gently appropriated by the general as
sembly for needy schools. This fund
is especially designed to protect the
weak, shtort-term schools in the rural
districts. With it I hope you will be
able to run every white school for a
session of at least six months or bet
ter still, seven months.
81 take it for granted that each
county superintendent and each
county board of education will have
expended their county board fund de-
rived from the State dispensary bal
ance, as we'll as their county board
:: fund derived from one-half the
1913 one-mill State school tax before
any application is made for further
State aid. Since these two county
funds may be used in the discretion
of county school officers, we can not
consistently ask for more money un-
til the amounts in hand have been
fully utilized. AT the same time the
uses of these two county board funds
during 1913-1914 should indicate and
should regulate in no small measure
the uses of the State contingent fund
recently made available