The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-04
LARGE APPROPRIATION
NEEDED FOR EDUCATION
superintendent OF Public Instruction
Presents Needs of School System
to Committee.
DEVELOPING RURAL SCHOOLS.
Sixty-one Thousand Names Have Been
Added to School Enroliment-De-
cline in Appropriations Due to Spe-
cial Funds and Increased Numbers.

Declaring that the people of vir-
ginia want the public education system
improved and that they are willing to
+ pay for the Improvement in taxes,
Superintendent Stearnes appeared be-
fore the Appropriations Committee,
sitting in the Corporation Court room
at the Capitol yesterday afternoon.
and asked for larger appropriations
for the State Department of Public
Instruction.
Though the General Assembly has
given larger sums in recent years, in
GLIDING appropriations OF 100000 for
one and two-room schools, the
amounts provided were not proved
actual increases because the demands
made for education have come from
steadily growing numbers. The de-
mand has grown in larger proportion
than have the appropriations.
The appropriation for 1924 was
| s1,633,769.41. In I9t4-'15 it was ST.
56S, 394.03, exclusive of the one and
two-room school fund. For t915-'16
the appropriation amounts to s1.626.-
930.16, some $4,000 less than for 1913
PA. though 1t is an increase over last
year, In the last two years $500, 600
additional have gone to the small
schools.
the revenue HStuS lux
schools. Mr.. Stearns made the follow
ing points:
$1,000 More Arc Enrolled.
THE rural schools have been
promised better course OF study,
with instruction along practical lines.
Better supervision of country
! schools Is being worked out In many
counties.
Anticipating these better things,
the patrons have added $1,000 names
! to our school enrolment.
They have sent in as many addi~
tional children in three years as dur
ing the preceding nineteen years.
'In 1913 the United States. as q
nation, spent s2s.o2 on each child en-
rolled in the public schools.
/ In 1913 the North Atlantic States
spent $3.50 on each child enrolled.
In 1913 the North Central States
spent s32.ss on each child enrolled.
! I'm 1913 the Western States spent
s4s.16 on each child enrolled.
I I'm 1918 Virginia spent s13.03 on
each child enrolled.
"In 1914 Virginia spent only s11.3s
j schools.
I'm 1914 Virginia spent only sS.24
on each child enrolled in her twenty
one nonrailroad counties.
The general cost of government to
State funds has increased 81 per cent
/ since 1906.
The regular State appropriations
to common schools of primary and
grammar grade have been increased
only % per cent during that time.
Decline Due to Special Funds.
I IF we take into account also the
graded school fund and the one and
two-room fund, which are special
funds given for enlargement (length-
ening session. reaching remote To-
calities, broadening the curriculum.
etc.) the State appropriations for COM
mon schools have been increased Al
per cent since 1906.
Our school enrolment has in
creased so per cent since 1906.
THE regular State appropriations
for common schools In i9I3-,lA were
So s5. in 19f4-15. $2.54; In f9l5-'16,
s247
This gradual decline Is due to spe-
cial funds taken out of the regular
appropriations and to the increase of
school population.
THE regular State appropriations
for common schools are less in 1915
'16 than they were in 190s'10.
THE limit of local taxation has
been reached
THE only relief seems TO be with
the Legislature.
The theory OF gradual increase OF