The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-01-13
NEEDS OF OUR SCHOOLS
As Seen by the County Superin.
tendent of Education.

Editor County Record
In an indefinite way several hints
have been recently made in your
columns about needed changes in
the school law. l believe it my duty
to set before the people the situa-
ton as | see it, and to offer such
suggestions as occur to me.
The main problem, the one to
which shall confine myself, is finan-
cial. The money for the schools is
derived from the 3 mill constitution
al tax, the poll tax, the dog tax,
and any special tax that school
district may levy. Although we
sometimes hear of II State system of
schools, it is fact that the State
does not in a general way support
the schools. The 8 mill tax is a
county tax, and goes into the school
fund of the county in which it is
levied. In some counties, rich in
corporate wealth, such as railroads
and factories, this tax alone supplies
almost enough money for the schools.
In other counties it amounts to lit
tie over one dollar per pupil. We
easily see, therefore, that the dis
parity in finances in the several
counties debars any possibility of a
uniform system of schools, and to
speak of a State system is bosh.
While | see no immediate prospect
of getting at the root of the evil, |
hope to see the day when either the
constitution will be 80 changed as
to make this general tax a State
tax. or supplementary school tax
on the whole State be made and the
funds apportioned in such a manner
as to equalize the discrepancies
we've noted.
Let's now come home to our coun-
ty and see how matters work here.
The 8 mill tax raises approximately
$4,000. Apportioned by the total
enrolment of blacks and whites, a
district gets about $l.70 per pupil
from this fund. This arrangement
would be equitable if negro schools
! and white schools were equally ex-
pensive; but, of course, they are
not. Some districts have a very
large negro enrolment. and very
few whites. Others have very few
negroes and a large white enroll
ment. To show the result under
the law of apportionment. | cite a
few concrete cases. One district
has an enrolment of over 800 negro
children and only 6 or 8 whites. The
enrolment fund for this district is
over $500. The negroes have four
schools costing about $500, so a suf-
ficient balance is left, including the
poll and dog tax, to run the white
school nine months. Another dis
trict has 35 white children and
teacher school, and a negro en-
rollment of 600. BY the law of
apportionment, this district gets
enough to run the negro schools 8
months and a balance sufficient to
give their white school a good term.
1t is needless to say these districts
have no special school tax. On the
other hand we have one district
with an enrolment of las in their
one white school. They have no
negro enrolment. The monthly
payroll of their school is $1,000,
and they receive from the 3 mill tax
little more than enough to run
them one month. Still another dis
trict has one white school of 100
pupils and payroll of $4,000 per
month. Their negro enrolment is
only 20. The 8 mill tax will run
their school six weeks. Such dis
PARTIES in the receipts from the
only county school fund should be
corrected.
Again:The only and proper recourse
of a community to better its schools