Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-03-21
z MILLS EXTRA
TAX LEVY FOR
CITY SCHOOLSIS
ASKEDBYBOARD
Council Urged to Include Proposal in
Charter Amendment for Debt
Paying Levy

The public schools of Americus must
have more money to pay the teachers
better salaries, if they are not to go
backwards, the city council was told
last night by G. r. Ellis, chairman, and
W. W. Dykes, of the law committee of
the board of education. Mr.. Ellis and
Mr.. Dykes appeared to ask of the
council permission to include in it's bill
amending the city charter to provide
an emergency tax levy of mills for
five years only, to pay off the city's
floating debt, an additional permanent
levy of 2 mills for school purposes.
This would increase the levy for
schools to maximum of mills, yield
ing an additional $4,000, based upon
the present assessed valuation of prop
erty in the city.
1t was pointed out by Mr.. Dykes,
who spoke before the arrival of Mr.
Ellis, that a serious emergency ex-
listed in the schools and that it was
imperative that more money be had at
once. He declared that the board
thought it would have much better
appearance in the legislature if the
two proposals were combined, and as
serted that there would be no opposi-
ton whatever, to either proposal, in
the belief of the board.
He showed that during the present
school year the board had been forced
to borrow $4,000 to meet the emergen-
cy in the schools, and that it was with
the greatest difficulty that a teaching
corps, even as inadequate as it is now
and has been, has been kept at all, He
declared that it had been absolutely
necessary to increase the salaries of
the teachers somewhat in order to
have any school, and that it would be
necessary to. raise their pay still fur
ther. He asserted that, even now,
some of the teachers, meagerly paid,
find it necessary to do outside work
or odd jobs to earn enough money for
their existence.
Mr.. Dykes informed the council that
the board would lose the coming year
at least $4,000 of the state school
fund apportionment, due to a large
number of negro children of school
age moving from the city and reduc-
ing the school census, soon to be taken.
This cut will continue for at least five
years, he showed, or until the next
subsequent school census is taken, on
which the apportionment of funds is
based. He declared that the board did
not believe that the entire mills
would be needed just now, but that
more than one mill would be required,
and suggested that the charter amend
ment be drawn so as to make the 2
extra mills the maximum, any part of
which might be levied, at the discre-
ton of the council.
Mr.. Ellis talked briefly, emphasizing
the problems of the board in maintain
ing the schools.
I'VE are up against the proposition
right now" said he, "of having good
schools or bad schools, and unless we
get more money, and can pay our
teachers better, we are not going to
have good schools
The proposal was referred to the
finance committee of the council and
arrangements were made for meeting
sometime today when it is believed
likely an agreement will be reached
for combining the two propositions in
the bill to be presented to the legis-
lsture.