The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-01-11
SATURDAY, JANUARY II, 1919
LITTER FROM STATE sUpT. HARRIS.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Baton Rouge, Louisiana ,o
December "a, 1918.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Baton Rouge, Louisiana .o
December "a, 1918.
Parish School Board Members and
Parish superintendent:
gentlemen-It will soon be neces-
sary for you to consider the question
of your school finances for the session
of 1919 1920, and in that connection
T wish TO make certain suggestions
which trust you will consider very
carefully.
Your schools are entitled to certain
Constitution funds which they are to
receive without action OF the Legisla-
ture, the police jury, or any other
public body. These are:
4. Your share of the state tax OF
one and q half mills. This will be APP
proximately doable the state funds
heretofore received by your schools.
Q. Three mills on the parish assess
ment OF full value, unless your board,
by formal resolution, certifies to the
police Jury that q smaller appropria-
ton is desired.
8. Poll taxes, fines and forfeitures.
4. Your share of the Inheritance
taxes and sixteenth section interest.
Mote ell outstanding bond issues
are taken care of as heretofore that
IL, the parish board names each year
q millage that is sufficient to pay in
tsrest and retire maturing bonds.)
You can arrive at approximately
the sum that will be needed for the
successful operation OF your schools.
With these two facts In mind, you are
In position to determine:
I. Whether or not any special
maintenance taxes, already voted, will
be required. Should none be needed,
the assessor and tax collector should
DO 90 notified by an appropriate reso-
luton OF the board.
.. II special maintenance taxes will
be needed, and have already been
voted, they will fall into two classes;
(s) Parish wide taxes. The rate
whatever IL may be, must be reduced
BY half, and In no case can 1t exceed
Ave mills. II you have parish wide
maintenance tax, and one half OF The
old millage will yield more specia
funds than You will need, the boarc
should, by an appropriate resolution
tx the smaller rate desired, and 81
notify the assessor and tax collector
(The rate fixed must not exceed fiv,
mills.)
(b) District taxes. II you decide h
continue this system, the funds col
s lected in the different districts vii
have to be kept separate, as hereto
fore, and used for the benefit OF tn
schools for which they we're vote
and collected, and In no case can tn
special district maintenance tax ex
coed Ave mills. II the old millage wa
= 20, or 20, or 40, the new millage woul
! have to be reduced to s, or less u 20
needed less than 8.
4 My principal object in writing thl
letter is to suggest that now Ia tn
time to abandon the district plan G
raising maintenance funds. The sys
tenn has served Its day, and we shout
now place 1t permanently behind III
should think that every parish |
the State would be glad to do thi'
The proper method Of procedure Is 10
you to determine the number Of mill
not to exceed Ave mills, that will
required, in addition to your perma
: uent funds, enumerated in l., 2, 8 an
{ above, to maintain your schools
Having settled this question, the par
ish should be created by resolution G
the board school district and an cleo
ton ordered for Q maintenance tax q
the milisge required. In another res
olutlon the Board should assure tn
taxpayers that the parish wide tax,
carried, would take the place OF q
district taxes, and no district raxe
would, In future, be collected. Q
course such moral obligation woul
be observed - faithfully ~ any legs
obligation. I wish 20 urge that sue
action b taken next spring In all pal
ishes having district taxes, provide
special funds win DO required.
s. II should be remembered tha
the Consultation budgets three mills Q
parish taxes tor school purphses, an
this is true irrespective OF any sctio
by police juries. The police jurie
will, no doubt, budget the schoe
funds required by the Consultation
but whether they do or not. L VT
be the duty Of the t.x-coIIectors !.
collect and torn over to the schoc
boards three mills on the parieh AZ
sessments, unless the police jurie
have been notified By the schoo
boards that . smaller millage IL de
sired.
In this connection I desire 70 stats
that the principal argument advanced
-. 4 = =