St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1915-03-06
COUNTRY RECEIVES
SANE AS THE TOWNS
Superintendent Says Board Does
Not Discriminate
TOWNS RAISE MONEY
TO OPERATE SCHOOLS.

TO OPERATE SCHOOLS
Mr.. Thompson Points to Lack oil
Co-Operation Between Rura
Schools.
Opelousas, La, March 3rd, 1915
Editor st. Landry Clarion:
In the last issue of your paper
under the caption Six Months
School, while gave expression to
some toughts in this connection
which were of some value and
worthy Of consideration, you spoil
ed the good effects Of those utter
ances by the statement that the
farmer and country patrons of the
school were Disseminated against
in the length Of the school session
and the distribution Of the school
funds. AT least, this is the unayoid-
able Inference that one would arrive
at on the perusal Of your article in
question. In your editorial the fol-
lowing language is used, in its clos
ing paragraph:
The farmer is the one suffer-
ing and he is the one who pays
large portion of the school
tax. Why can't we give them
as much schooling as the town
fellows? Why dog the farmer
all the time, he is the sinew of
the country and without him
we cannot live. Something must
be done to eliminate this dis
grace of six months school and
should be done immediately
Now Mr.. Editor, if what you as
sert were true, there would be
perhaps, grounds for condemnation
Of the way that the country people
are treated in the distribution of
the school funds and the shortness
of the school session resulting from
this discriminatory method of ap-
protionment,. but such is not the
case, and the statement is not borne
out by the facts in the school re-
cords of the parish,
1t is solely within the province of
the School Board to establish the
school, to limit their number, to
fix the salaries Ct the teachers an,
TO elect the teachers, though swell
'eachers as are nominated by the
superintendent are generally but
not necessarily elected as the booard
Ia \ right to reject Il, '.t"n:n.i-
lions.
The amount of meaey to IL.
spt MT in the mai,ll.naH:e or i.:,.
!, ,lools is determin q by The hGL.-
= Comittee of ths Bnat,i after Tie
recommendations OF said cclnlnlt-
tee by the School Buoara.
If you will take the trouble to
Iook over the files of your paper,
you will find that the finance or
budget committee first made
budget of estimated revenues,
which was published in the st.
Landry Clarion on last July. You
will Furthermore find that within
en- days after the publication
If this budget of estimated reve-
nues the Board was re-convened
md adopted a budget of expendi-
,ures. Among the items in this
budget of expenditures, you will
ind that the sum of s49.500.00 was
appropriated for the pay of teach
ers in the public schools Of this
parish for six months. No dis
was made in favor OF
he town schools, but all schools,
;ity or country, white and colored
we're to have a six months term.
It is true that the schools in the
own generally have longer
session, but the extension is paid
for with money appropriated by
he towns for this purpose and
ioes not come from the general
school funds Of the parish. The
same course is open to any country
ocality which might choose to a.
fail itself of it. This condition of
short school terms is likely to en-
dure until the people determine
o take some step to remedy it.
low, Mr.. Editor, | highly appreciate
he sentiment expressed by you
when you state that something
must be done and done. at once
0 relieve this condition, and ask
or a man to come forward who can
olive the question of maintaining
he public schools. | think that
he suggestions has already been
made. and If it had been adopted
asst year when it went before the
'eople for ratification, there WOULD
,ot be now any shortage in the
eedful length OF. session.
The only solution OF the qles-I
ion of a deficiency in the public
chools funds lies with. the people.
ii the money given for the niain-1
enance of the public school sys-|
EN- comes from the people through
ONE form Of taxation, and in orderl