Cheyenne record., 1917-02-15
News FROM the
STATE CAPITOL
by Representative Q. NJ. Somerville

tue0c U0yS 8lOuk with JIG IS8o~
lar order of business at the State
House.
i Appropriation bills to take care
of state schools were under con-
sideration the first of the week.
The measure of Speaker Best
provides for a one half mill levy
for school buildings alone, the
building and furnishing same.
This half mill levy is to run for
a term of ten years. This will
provide sum adequate enough
to give our institutions room and
facilities to care for the students
as they apply each year for adj
mittance. The conditions at the
present time are in u very cramp
ed condition. This mill levy is to
be distributed among the schools
as follows: State University 8-2O
Agricultural College 6-20 Teach
ers College 4-20 School of mines
land other schools balance. AS
has been the way OF proceeding
in the past when the legislature
meets, IN the past these institu-
4 tions send their delegates here
or petition for their appropria-
tons for buildings. "nls was a
very uncertain method as they
would not know until the legisla-
ture passed the appropriation bill
each session how much each
school would receive. AS re-
suit of this method the institu-
tions could make no plans as to
any buildings until they found
out how much of an appropriation
they were to receive. BY max
ing mill levy as the present bill
provides for covering a term of
years, eacn institution can plan
the full ten years ahead as to
What to do in the way OF erect
ing buildings. The school coce
has not yet been introduced in
the House it has been introduced
in the Senate. This is a very eX
tenslve instrument both III vol-
ume and the scope vi changed
and added law. 1t has been In
troduced in the House in part as
the State Superintendent feeling
the code being so extensive might
fail to become a law. She there
fore had certain parts which she
considered important and urgent
introduced WHICH would become
law in case the code fails. Among
these is the te..ure of Office bill
which provides that after a 1each
er has taught three years in one
school and has given good salts
faction he or she is to be retained
in that school. The certiffcation
bill which provides that all teach
ers examination papers are to be
graded in the State Superintend-
enis office. The idea being to
standardize the teachers certifi.
Gates so they will be recognized
in the various counties other than
the one in which the examination
was taken in, and in the neigh
boring states,
The State Superintendent is
presenting a bill which provides
for High school inspector and
grade school inspector, whose du
ty it will be to look after all high
and grade schools of the state
and report to the State, Superin-
tendent. This will enable the
state office to keep in first hand
touch with the schools of the
state, and they can be standard
lied and put on an equal basis
maint ntained in that way.
Probably the most important
bill along the line of school legis-
lation to be considered is the
county unit bill. This bill pro-
vides for the division of the coun
ties inlo five districts. Eacf. dis
trict to elect a member. Regu-
lar board meeting to be held one
in March, one in May aud one in
October, special meetings can be
held properly arranged for.
Schools can consolidate when
the county board will approve and
when the qualified electors of two
or more districts by majority
vote approves the same. The