Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-13
BOARD DECLARES
COUNTY UNIT LAW
WILL Do WONDERS
rvey District in State to Re-
ceive Double Money for
Schools, According to Cir
CuIar Issued,

..,,,,, eoaaesPosptHet TO MORNING JOURNAL
oanto Fe. April 12.-That each
.,tJlc school district, including the
',os will receive double the sum
~ school purposes from the state,
snrefofore derived from that source,
- sef forth today in a circular issued
~, the department Of education,
which explains how the county unit
law will prove of inestimable benefit
~ the state in reducing taxation as
we'll MS in providing better school fa-
clitles. longer terms and higher
Grade instruction. The circular says
among other things:
"rnder separate cover we are
eendlng you copies Of six school laws
enacted at the last session of the
legislature. You will be interested
IN all of these laws and ! urge a
careful reading of each one, but your
narticular attention is called to the
laws involving the matter of school
revenues, senate bill No. Is and
house bill No. 1892.
"The present school year is gov
erned by senate bill No IS, which
amends chapter 81, laws of 1912, un-
dor which school revenues have been
provided only insofar as it provides
for minimum term of seven
Mantle. The only matter in this
Bin 10 which attention need be di-
rected is that school must be main
talned for seven months where con
dilions have been met and the
amount of state aid allowed il in
creased to make up what IS lacking
to provide a total of $i2O for each
school room instead Of $500 as here
tofore.
The matter of vital concern at
this time Is to see to it that esti-
mates Of school needs for the fiscal
year beginning September /, 1915,
are properly made and that levies
shall be made by the county COM
missioners in accordance with the
needs of each school district.
sources of Revenue Changed.
THE only change in sources of
revenue provided for the maintain
ing of schools lies in the elimination
Of the county three mill tax which
was distributed pro rata according
TO school population among the dis
tricts of the county and the elimin-
alton of a special school district tax
for the purpose of maintenance. All
other revenues belonging 20 the dis
trict will be placed to its credit as
heretofore including a special levy
for the purchase of site for, puf-
chase construction and first equip
mehi Of school houses, and the in
terest on, and provide IA sinking fund
for the payment of the principal OF
any Indebtedness of such district
Any surplus remaining may be set
aside upon petition of half of the
legal voters Chapter 81, laws 1908.
For maintaining a term of nine
months in incorporated city, town,
village and rural districts where
graded school OF at least four teach
ers Is or is to be established and for
maintaining a term of seven, eight or
nine months in all other districts,
house bill No. 232 provides that the
board Of directors or board of edu-
cation shall make an estimate of It's
needs and a sufficient special county
levy will be made on all taxable prop
erty of the county from the proceeds
of which levy sufficient funds with
other moneys belonging to the dis
tret will be provided to MAINTAIN
terms of school as mentioned. Please
note that in rural districts. directors
must make the estimate of needs to
the county superintendent on or De-
fore the first of May, 1915, and said
county superintendent shall certliy
the estimate approved by him to the
county commissioners on or beiore
the first of June, 1915. Boards OF
education in, incorporated districts
must make their estimates of school
needs direct to the county commits
sl0ners on or before the first Oh
June, 1915. We suggest Therefore
that for the school year beginning
September /, 1916, estimates be mace
as provided for in house bill No. 2Sz
on the basis Of the expenditures 1or
the school year ending August o.
1915. 1t is desirable that eXpendi-
lures under the new law should De
practically the same as for the year
ending August 81, 1915, so that q
fair comparison of results may be
obtained
school Building Fund.
Under the county unit law there
will be no reserve fund available fof
the weak districts, but there is a
very good school buildings fund to
assist districts having. little taxable
property in constructing a substantial
school ,house.
The entire state current school
fund viii be distributed pro rata ana
the income for each district IRON
this source will be double that dis
uibuted heretofore, because nothing
will be reserved for weak districts.
The county school fund will con
tinue as heretofore and will be FILLED
from the same sources, except tha'
there will be no threemill county
tax. This county fund will be ais
tributed pro rata among the districts
as heretofore.
There is no limit fixed for eX-