Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-03-12

llcllaf DEMAND.
The Financial Problem.
Foremost in any discussion relative tc
the improvement of schools must come
the consideration of ways and means. 1t
requires only the most casual survey OF
figures to show that the per capita cost
of education in the country is mucn
greater than in the city. Take, for eN-
ample, the cost of instruction and we find
that the per capita cost of teaching 10
or l. children, even at the meagre salary
rate of 50 or $40 a week, is much larger
than the per capita cost of the same item
when So or 40 children are taught by the
city teacher receiving salary 80 per
cent or more higher Herein we find at
once the reason for one of the chief de-
ficiencies of the country school. that
which results from the constant loss OF
the better prepared teachers to the larg-
er villages and cities. Again the charges
for transportation add to greater OF
less extent to the cost of school support
The state has already recognized in
measure, through it's three mill tax ana
the method of distributing the funds OBJ
tanned therefrom this disadvantage o.
the country schools as compared with
those found in cities. BY means of these
funds the centers of population are al
ready contributing largely to the supper
of education in the more sparsely settle
communities The Equalization Fun
created by the Legislature of 1911 and
considerably Increased by that of 191;
aims to provide still further relief to
group of towns, which despite a heavy
rate of taxation for schools. find it i'm
possible or difficult to keep them up to
reasonable standard of efficiency.
I'm further solution of the financia
problem citizens of rural towns shoul
sean carefully their resources to s.,
whether or not larger appropriations may
not be made without distress or hard
ships. AS a matter of fact, the examine
ton of the statistics returned by the mu
nicipal officers and printed would indicat,
that there are Il large number of town
V hich are very far indeed from having
reached the limit of their possibilities in
the matter of school support. 1t shoul
be noted that while the cost of education
rests more heavily upon these communi
ties vet there are other items of munici
pal expense from which they are relative
~ free. Other reforms in the dire sction o
a reduction of certain school charges o
in the more economic expenditure
funds now available are quite possible in
many towns
.In many instances there is an eviden
lack of care in the oversight OF schoo
property, including textbooks and equip
nlent as well as buildings, and this neg
iect is the cause in the aggregate OF nc
financial waste Transportation, which
legitimate and proper in every neces
sary case, is not seldom given to ap
nease noisy and unreasonable claimants
Again while the one room country sehco
must continue to occupy large place II
he rural school system of Maine We
here are undoubtedly very many casa
there local Option ought to yield to thf
3rgumeatsr for better school privilege
and assist in thp reasonable consolidate
of the smaller schools.
School Board Management.
1T is apparent that many citizens ar
not familiar with the large powers hels
by members of.the experimenting sehoe.
committee This committee is chargec
by the law with having full control ans
management of the public schools of its
town within the specifications and re-
quirements of the statutes. These pow
ers are not given by the town and cannot
be modified to any considerable extent
by town action. The arrangement o.
courses of study, the care of buildings
the selection of textbooks the approv.i
of the choice of teachers, the discipline
of pupils, the expenditure of school funds
and the adjustment of the number.ess de
tails of school management come within
the power and influence of this commit
tee There is no other officer elected at
town meeting whose position is more
important than that of the person who is
elected to school committee membership
yet.it is not all infrequent for citizens to
give large prominence and pay consider
able attention to the choice of other Off
GERS and to pay small heed to the choice
of this officer whose voice must be so in
fuential in the largest public interest In
the town, that of education. Unfortu-
nately members thus elected frequently
| fail to understand the Importance OF the
positions they have been called upon to
| fill. 1t has been found even that in not
few towns the school committees have
neglected to hold regular meetings, often
settling important educational matters by
| telephone communication or roadside
| conference without the deliberation in
cident to regularly called and properly
conducted committee hearings. In the
matter of school management the fact
ought to stand out clearly in the minds
of citizens that in the last analysis they
are accountable for it's quality in the care
they give to the choice of members and
in holding them accountable for the full
discharge of their duties:
"On the other hand, it should be borne
in mind that these persons have respon-