The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-07-14
GOOD BUSINESS is
DISPLAYED BY CITY
SCHOOL HEADS
Report Of School Board Treasurer
Shows Saving to Taxpayers AL
though Expenses Have
Greatly Increased.

Superintendent w. ]. Caplinger Of
the City Schools, issues the following
statement on the Treasurer's report:
You will find In this issue Treasur-
or H G. Sharp's report to the Board
of Education. Mr.. Sharp has very
carefully distributed the expenses of
the Board under the several items
mentioned and has eliminated com
pletely that ambiguous item "Miscel-
leaneous." 1t will be noted that the
entire expenses of the entire school
system are $34,937.46, while the entire
expenses for last year were $35,994.SS
The saving was effected through two
forms of deduction.
First: BY eliminating one white
and one colored grade teacher.
Second: BY deferring all possible
improvements to the school property
The first saving was entirely prop
er as the number of grade children
had decreased such that the efficiency
of the schools was not lowered in the
least by eliminating the two teachers.
The second saving, however, is one
that good judgment will permit only in
times of necessity, as it is contrary
to good business principles to neglect
the upkeep Of property such as that
belonging to the citizens of Maysville.
Last year the Board of Education re-
ceived from the city $22,939.72. Year
before last, we got from the same
source, $27,210.93, a decrease of $4,-
271.21. 1t looks now as though we
will get even less the coming year. l
should state at this time, that this de-
crease is not due to a withdrawal of
funds from the schools by the city
government, it it is our belief that the
City Council and Mayor are entirely
in sympathy and harmony with the
plans and expenditures of the Board
of Education-but this condition is
due to the operation of the new Tax
Laws Of Kentucky
You will observe that we have a
balance ON hand, July list, of $3,S54.S9.
About the middle of the year we
thought that we would not have suf-
ficient funds to finish the school year
and for that reason, eliminated the
class of expense above mentioned,
The Board of Education raised the
salaries of teachers 10 per cent. at the
beginning of last year. The coming
year, however, the salaries will re-
main the same with very few excep-
tiosns-some decreases and some in
creases. The Board of Education and
myself have agreed on the plan that
we will not lower the quality Of teach
ers by reducing the salaries the com
ing year and if we, as consequence,
have a deficit it will then be time to
put the matter up to the people as to
the best means of liquidating such in
debtedness. Any sensible person
knows that it Is entirely out of the
QueSllOH W bpCdh aDoul hSuuSAhS SNA
aries and still maintain the same char
acter of teachers that we have been
employing in the past believe that
know the people of Maysville SUI
ficiently we'll to say that they would
rather increase salaries, If necessary,
with a consequent increase in the
Oh % tnoahinu rathnr
than decrease these two factors.
A study of the figures given in the
Treasures Report will demonstrate
very clearly to the people that the
Board of Education is using careful
discrimination in the expenditures of
the city's funds and / believe that 1t
can be safely said, comparing the re-
suits, that they secure with those OBJ
tanned from government and private
administration, that they are getting
about $3.50 worth of value received
for every dollar spent. A great many
people do not know that the Board of
Education has AZ regularly paid en-
ployees whose average salary the past
year is $720.l1 or $4,000 per month.
You know about how far you would
get employing plumbers, bricklayers,
etc., at $50 per month?
| trust that even though this ar
ticle is rather long it will be read
carefully by all who are interested in
the progress Of the city.
Yours respectfully,