Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-03-25
new SCHOOL. LAWS
GREATLY INCREASE TAX
State Superintendent Writes To
County Officials Gist of What
May Be Expected


Superintendent George Colvin is
sending out letters to the county
superintendents explaining many of
the changes. The new laws mean
that the school tax is greatly in
creased, the minimum being 25 cents
to provide the minimum teachers
salaries of $75 per month, and more
than that being necessary to provide
a maintenance fund. Madison now
lpays a 14c school tax.
Supt. Ben F. Edwards has received
aletter from Supt. Colvin setting forth
in concise form some of the things
the new laws do, and it will be of in
terest here. He writes:
My Dear Superintendent:
The school laws enacted by the
present session of the General As
sembly for the most part have an
emergency clause and go into effect
Immediately. There are some features
of these laws that it is important for
you to know at once | shall send
you a complete copy of these laws as
soon as they are available In the
meantime, [ wish you would act upon
the following points:
One of these laws provides for the
levying Of compulsory minimum of
25 cents. The sum of money raised
by this levy is to be devoted ex-
clusively to the payment of teachers
salaries in addition, of course, to the
sum received from the State until
minimum salary of $75 with the salary
schedule shall have been reached. If
there be any of this sum remaining
after meeting the minimum salary re-
quirementS, it may be used for the
general purposes of education. 1t the
compulsory minimum is not enough to
pay the minimum salary schedule,
then your board has the option Cf in
creasing the levy to meet this mini
mum requirement or it may provide
for a lower minimum salary, always
remembering however, that whatever
sum may be raised by this compulsory
minimum levy of % cents must be
devoted to the payment of teachers
salaries. For practically all counties.
the sum raised in this way will be
sufficient and ample, but in a few
counties a higher rate will be neces-
sary or lower salary schedule. In
the event your board has already fix
ed its rate of levy, it will be necessary
under this law for you to reassemble
your board and to reconsider your
rate. The court | believe has held
that it is necessary for your board not
only to specify the rate but also the
amount of money that they wish to
raise and to show by an itemized
budget the purposes for which this
money it to be used. Whatever rate
your board may decide upon up to
so cents is made mandatory upon the
Fiscal Court and they have no choice
except to collect the rate demanded.
This law also provides for the en-
ployment of an attendance officer to
enforce the new compulsory attend
ance law. You have some months,
however, in which to find and employ
suitable person for this position.
Teachers will be employed this year
as heretofore.
The first election for the new
place at the coming November election
and the board will qualify in March
1921. No one is eligible to serve on
this board or to vote for the members
of this board except those who reside
in the county outside of cities and
graded school districts maintaining
separate and Independent school sys-
TENS.
Ali papers Of applicants for certi-
ficates will be graded from this De
paltment and all certificates will be
issued from here. The papers will be
sent to you just as now is done in the
case of examinations for State Ger
tificates. You will continue to use
two assistants in conducting these
examinations and the papers, after
having been properly answered, will
be sent here for grading. l shall have
the opportunity of explaining in de-
tail each of these laws at the meeting
Of the Superintendents at the time of
the K E. A., if we do not have a
superintendent conference sooner.
If l can be of service at all in help
ing to adjust or apply these laws
please feel free to call upon me at
all times. The most important thing
right now is the tax levy.
] With best personal and professions
wishes, / am
Sincerely,