Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-11
NEW EDUCATIONAL
CONSTITUTION is
BORN IN GEORGIA

The ratification last Tuesday of
the constitutional amendment requir-
ing a local school tax to be levied by
every county in the state, and the
ratification of the amendment au-
thorizing county high schools. prac-
tically creates a new educational con-
stitution, in Georgia, according to DR..
M. L. Britain, state school superin-
tendent.
The local school tax amendment
appears to have carried by the larg-
est majority of all the amendments
on the ticket, while the high school
amendment was likewise ratified by
very large majority. DR.. Britain
from educators in distant parts of
the country who appreciate the i'm
portance of these constitutional
changes in the educational progress
of the state.
Georgia's constitution of 1877 made
scant provision for education. 1t
authorized only four counties in the
state-Chatha Richmond, Bibb and
Glynn-to levy a local tax for school
purposes. 1t applied to public schools
the name common schools" which
seems to have been most precise
exact idea in the minds of the con-
stitution makers. 1t authorized no
county, except the four named, to
have high schools. The only thing
it allowed in the way of education
was an appropriation of funds from
the state treasury, by the Legislature,
''for the elementary branches of an
English education" In other words,
reading, writing and arithmetic" 1t
authorized nothing for higher educa-
ton except Occasional donations, as
the condition of the treasury may
permit" to the University of Geor-
gia, at Athens.
Plainly, the writer's of the consti-
tuition of 1877 were not violently en-
thusias site over pubic education. The
leading intellects of that convention
were men whose education, prior to
the war, in the old regime of aristo-
cratic feudalism, had been obtained
from private tutors and private acad-
emies.
For twenty-nine years after the
adoption of the constitution of 1877,
no county in Georgia, except the four
school purposes. There was no meth
cd provided in the constitution, even
if a county wanted to tax itself for
schools. In 1906 the Legislature passed
and the people subsequently ratlfled,
the McMichael amendment allowing
counties TO levy 1OCol SCAAOO1 Ie'o
where recommended by two success
sive grand juries and approved by
two-thirds of all the registered vot-
ers in an election held for that pur-
pose While this was distinctly a
forward step, it sill imposed upon
local school taxes very great handl-
cap.
Fulton county, whose schools then
were headed by DR.. M. L. Britain,
held three elections before the local
school tax obtained the necessary
two-t thirds majority. Immediately
from five months to nine months.
The appropriation jumped from $lo,-
600 a year, which was the county's
pro-rata share of the state appropr1a-
ton, to $4,000 a year from the local
school tax. One by one. other coun7
school tax. It usually required two
or three campaigns to put over
the local school tax majority of two
thirds 1t was even more dlfflcult
than issuing bonds. Finally sixty
nine counties got the tax by this diff
ficult process.
Then came relief in the Elders
Carswell amendment passed by the
legislature in 1919 and ratified by the
people last Tuesday. 1t does ont
merely allow every county to levy
local tax for school purposes-lt
requires them to do SO: This means,
county in Georgia will have nine
months schools. The high school
amendment means that every county
eventually will have an up-to-date
high school preparing its students
for college admission.
The local school tax, of course, de-
prives no county Of it's pro-rata share
of the state appropriation. 1t sup
Elements that appropriation with To-
cal funds in each county. To give
nine-months' schools in every a}o9 county MY
aided bv local funds, would take not
less than $25,ooO,ooo year. or four
times the total revenue of the state
from all sources. Thus the great
legislative shibboleth Of increased
appropriations ; for the common m non
schools" which has resounded IN the
canitol during every session of the
legislature, had more sound than SUB lfs
stance. 1t never was and never wouIa
be possible for the state treasury
without local funds, to finance an
adequate public school system. ...