The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1916-01-06
CRISIS REACHED IN CONWAY
SCHOOL DISTRICT FINANCES

Interest on second bond is
sue. due in 1916 ...... 1,6S0.00
Outstanding warrants to
date, salaries, fuel, etc. 11,295.00
Running expenses for re-
mainGer or year ....... 5,5OO.0O
Total at end of the year. $40, ,705.00
Estimated revenue for
same period .......... 100000
Deficit at end of present
school year ............S1 SIC, ,705. 90
So far, the banks have carried our
warrants, but with the outlook of an
increased deficit before them, they
have refused to carry any more until
a method has been devised of putting
the district upon sound financial
basis. And, since teachers cannot
work without pay, it must follow that
unless such method as the banks de-
!mand is adopted at once, the schools
will have to close. This, in plain
terms, is the situation
The causes of this situation are
many. One is, that we have to pro-
vide a larger school plant and teach
ing force than most towns of the
size of ours, because so many people
come here for no other purpose than
to get the benefit of our schools. The
good name Of our school is one means
|of our undoing And we are often
imposed upon by having to accommo-
date children who pay no taxes here
and are not enumerated here Last
year, for example, we took care of
'93 children who brought not one cent
into our treasury. They come here,
claim this as their home, use our
schools, then go away for the summer
without even being enumerated here.
We are proud of our school plant,
and justly, we think; but it has cost
us heavily. However, we do not ex-
pect to have to add to it for some
years. And we are most fortunate
in force of teachers such as ours.
But staff of 18 teachers calls for
large monthly payroll. Even Is is
not enough. Right now the schools
IRE suffering for more teachers
There is not a vacant seat in either
tchool, and in all the grades of both
schools there is a daily attendance of
30 or more children, which is at least
I20 more than a teacher is supposed
to handle.
Nor can it be claimed that our
teachers are eXtravagantly paid. In
the white school at least, there is not
a teacher on the payroll who could
not get more money elsewhere. They
stay here simply because they live
here or like to teach here.
Another cause of our trouble is
that, under recent decision of the
supreme court we have lost the state
aid that we used to get. This
amounted to some hundreds of dollars
a year.
But the great, overwhelming cause
is yet to name. While our schools
have been strained to the utmost to
meet increased demands, the revenue
of the district has been falling off.
This year we lose 81 400 of school
revenue right here in Conway as a
result of lowered assessments. SO
while expenses have been going up,
receipts have been going down.
1t needs no argument to convince
you that the only solution of the
problem is to get more money. True,
we might cut out grade or two of
the high school, but that would not
begin to solve the problem. Or, we
might shorten the school term two
or three months each year. But that
would deprive LOO children of need
ed schooling, destroy our system and
drive away our best teachers. For
teachers who are in demand will not
contract for short terms or work
without guarantee of payment. Or,
we might close the school for year
and let revenues catch up. But so
many evils would follow that course
that we need not attempt to enumer-
ate them. WE MUST KEEP OUR
SCHOOLS GOING.
An idea of what a subscription
school would mean to you as individ-
uals may be gained from little cal
culation. Our school, as now con-
Quoted, costs $17.75 per pupil, not
counting the interest on Indebtedness,
insurance, repairs, etc. This is S1.97
per month for each pupil. Now null
tiply this amount by the number of
children you wish to have in school
and you can see where you would
come out. Now how many of you are
getting out on less than that by
means of the unsupported school?
AS a matter of fact, very few par
ents pay anything like the cost of
educating their own children.
Finally it is proposed to supple
ment the school tax by voluntary do
nations. Another plan is to ask the
patrons and tax payers pay twelve
mill school tax instead of seven mills
Til