The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-09-18

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offer and the quality of teachers and
equipment that we should supply.
At the recent session of the legisla-
ture, the act governing the apportion-
ment of state and county school funds
was amended and said amendment re-
suited, l am informed, by the county
superintendent, in the reduction of APP
proximately 100000 in our estimat-
ed income from that source. This re-
duction, however, will be taken care
of in part if not wholly, by the act
passed at the same session of the
| legislature, pertaining to the matter
of tuition for nonresident pupils.
There is one source from which we
can increase our income for the COM
ing year approximately 100000. The
county commissioners have the right
to make a levy of five mills for gen
eral school purposes. Last year they
! made a levy of three mills. At a
meeting of the school directors of this
county, held in this city last spring,
this matter of general levy was dis
cussed, and there was consensus of
opinion that it was desirable for the
county commissioners to raise as
much as possible of the fund neces-
sary to run the schools of the county
by general levy rather than have the
money raised by special levy by each
of the several school districts. In
talking with a member of the board of
that he believed it would be desirable
to raise the general levy this year. In
discussing the matter with the county
superintendent, she advised that she
could not recommend the raising OF
said general levy more than hall
mill. If it was raised to a greater eX-
tent, the amount appOrtioned to some
of the districts would be more than
sufficient to meet the needs of such
districts, but that she was favorable
to the proposition of raising the gen
eral levy to 81 mills. / believe an
endeavor should be made on our part
to have the county commissioners in
crease the general levy the one-half
mill mentioned. This would increase
our leone, as stated above, approx
imately 100000, and would permit of
our taking care of some of the most
urgent needs of our schools.
Our bond interest and sinking fund
is in fairly good condition. We have
provided for a levy of three mills to
take care of same; the said levy will
raise approximately 100000. From
the figures given above, it will be
noted that we have S73S.52 on hand,
making a total resource of $9739.52 in
said fund. Our present bonded in
debtedness is $95,O00.O0; the interest
charged thereon approXimates S475O
per annum, which leaves approximate
ly $4,000 for the purpose of carrying
on our plan of retiring $4,000 worth of
bonds each year.
The financing of the Moscow
schools is becoming a difficult one,
and is going to become more difficult
as time goes on. AS pointed out, our
schools are growing rapidly, requiring
an increased expenditure each year.
This increase in the past several
years averages approximately $500
per year. We are now making, and
have for some time past, the maximum
special levy permitted under the sta
tutes. Therefore, we can look for no
material increase in income from that
source. The assessed valuation in
this community will never increase as
rapidly as the cost of our schools
while we may anticipate a gradual in
crease therein the amount that we can
expect to receive from the general
levy of the county, will not exceed
greatly the amount we are asking for
this year, owing to the limitation
pointed out that the county commits
sioners encounter in making the gen
eral levy. No great amount of in
crease in the amount Of money which
We receive from the state can be an
icipated The amounts received from
,ther sources are not of sufficient +
lie to consider. For some time to
ome the amount that this school dis
riot can expect to receive, under our
resent laws, is not to exceed $780,
0O00; at the present time 1t is APP
$45,000.00, with this pos
ible income of $5O,00000 it is neces- {
airy to maintain our schools, keep '
ace with the ever increasing de- ]
lands of educators, upon our school
ystem, and to pay off our bonded IN |
amounting to $4,000. t
The cost of our schools during the
asst year was approximately $4,000 I
o place our schools in such position c
lat they would measure up to the