The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-04-17
Without Special Election
Funds Cannot Be Rais-
ed By Taxation.
MIGHT CLOSE SCHOOLS
Constitution Which With,
holds Levying Power
is Responsible.

1ouav Pegple WHO inquired INTO tne
matter began to understand the seri-
BUSINESS of tha eletion on the school
levy which wilIsbe held on the third
Tuesday of next month in this coun.
ty. Without this election, and unless it
goes the right way, itwould be impos-
stble to raise money by taxation for
the support of the publicschools in the
county.
The problem goes back as far as the
Constitution, which provides, that no
school levies can be made except "by
the authority of the people" At the
time the constitution was made num-
ber Of such restrictions were inserted.
The following from the Constitution
OF West Virginia explains one phase
OF the situation:
The legislature shall provide
for raising in each county OF dis.
trict, by the authority of the peo-
pie thereof, such proportion of
the amount required for the sup.
port of free schools therein as
shall be prescribed by general
laws"
Boards Of Education in this county
wish to impress emphatically upon the
people throughout the entire county,
that unless the school levy is voted
by a majority fayorably at the cleo.
tton made possible through a special
act of legislature at the special session
there will be no schools next year ana
nothing can be done about it Tor IL
months.
1t is to be regretted that the Consti.
tuition leaves this matter to the discre-
tlon of the people, in the opinion of
all schools boards and the majority
OF parents. There are very few states
in the union where free schools are
not provided without the vote Of the
people in each dist.ict. Unless votes
are made fer school levy in each Gis-
trict next month, the schools in each
district where levy is not made Will
be closed. That means that every dis.
trict in ti,ia county must vote or
schools or children will be without
educational facilities in that district
for a year at least. 1t also means that
every teacher and every principal and
every superintendent will be without
employment for at least a year.
Tho blame for the matter rests upon
the three ballot commissioners Of this
county-a blame, however, which was
not intentional but which was merely
oversight; in that ballots last fall when
the county superintendent was elect
cd were not supplied with place %
vote for or against school levy. The
time for voting for the levy comes
every four years at the same time the
county superintendents are voted for.
A number noticed the omission but
thought perhaps this was not the year
for such voting and promptly forgot
all about the matter. One man in a
district here Is said to have inserted
For school levy which would legally
carry his district as no one else voted
at all. making his single vote the ma.
jority
1t is particularly asked that the pub
lie understand that the election to be
held on the third Tuesday OF next
month is not a special levy election
but merely an election to legalize the
regular laying OF school levy.
1t may be interesting to note how It
happened that this oversight in leay-
ing the matter Of voting for schools off
the ballot last fall came to be brought
to the attention OF the legislature in
time to remedy the matter. 1t is re.
ported that because there ia 10 one
especially appointed to remind the
various counties when to place on the
Dafots d-V6te on the school levy, that
somewhere in the state Of West vir.
ginia there is an omission Of this sort
every four years. This is the first
time, however, that it has happened in
Marion county. To remedy the situa-
tion, Doddridge county, which discoy.
cred 1t first, laid the matter before
the Governor and he included 1t in his
call for the special session, and this
made it possible to pass House Bill
No. 16 which provides for a special
election to save the situation to be
held on the goth day OF next month,
May.
Boards OF Education should meet
soon and appoint election commission