The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-08-10
STATE SUPT. OF
SCHOOLS EXPLAINS
Why Petitions For Aid Have Not
Ileen Paid.
MONEY USED FOR OTHER NEEDS
School Districts Have No Option
hut 10 Walt

school building. under the state law
providing such aid for financially
weak school districts. are now on
illed In the state department OF cdu-
cation from large numbers Of school
districts In twenty of the twenty
rirht counties IN New Mexico. The
total amount Of the AID asked for
IN these applications Is SIN. $500
I1hc department of education has
Examined these applications care
Iully aud has approved them
for payment The payments. low
ever are dclayod, aud must hr de-
llayrd fnr some time to come not
Ihy the department of education.
Whose records show that there Is, or
should be-, ample money In the STATE
aid fund Ia puy all these applira-
lions. hat hr,au.r lhr nunry IS not
'm The fund to pay them, aud hr-
cause the state auditor cannot issue
Warrants covering the applications
|uulil the munry Is there This
money ha, hrcn sprul for other
state purposes undrr ruaclmcnls of
the legislature which M matter
what their constitutional status may
be-, have been effective orders ou the
state treasury which could not be-
denied by the states disbursine
Officers.
Demand for funds under the state
aid law have recently become 81 in
sislent aud nc need for rendering
thi' aid is 81 urgent that State
Superintendent Of Education J. n.
lNugncr has issued statement cX-
Iplaining In detail the reasons why
these approved petitions for aid
nave not been paid.
"No one knows better than We iu
.his department the great need lnr
state aid IN school building iu many
districts said Mr.. Wagner, "and
because the failure Of thrsr districts
tn receive the state aid fund. fnr
which they have properly applied
Imuy bead Ia a MISUNDERSTANDING o..
Itp the cause of the d'Iy ", ".l
that a statement Of the situation is
necessary. In 1909 our Legislature
passed law under which the resi-
due from the current school funds
each year is converted into a srpa-
rate fund for the use of the depart
ment Of education In supplying state
laid for weak school districts; Ia the
rnd that every school district may
have the equipment and the school
term guaranteed In the cnohlIug act
and constitution. Under this law
school districts needing assistanc,
may make application Ia the depart
mcnt of education. with the ap-
Ipro,al of the cuuuly school super
intcndrul II the application Is ap
proved by the department uf odu
catlon and the attorney general The
state then allows 500 To such dis
lrict for building aud $50 for lurm
urc with the provision that the dis
ltrlrt 81 aided pays onr-lhlrd of thr
Total outlay and furnishes a school
site
"1uc wisdom or this law II rru
crully agreed upon The fund fnr
liis execution should be- ss sarrcdl,
Ignardcd q, any other school fund
without II Development of our rural
school syslcm ld lts present staiu,
would have been impossible. esp
Irlally m the poorer counties Large
amounts have been paid oul under
the state aid law and ia some coun
ties every school district has had
Iit,s assistance.
Had the state and fund been lefi
/ intact ample money would have
been available To meet every proper
application for assistance, including
lelery dollar OF the nearly $4,000 FOR