The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1920-04-30
INITIATION OF VALUES
AFFECTS OUR SCHOOLS
High Taxes and insufficient Rev
enues Make Perplexing Problem.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF FACTS

Newspaper readers are familiar
with the troubles now cffecting the
public schools everywhere. In the
adjustment of things to meet the
unusual conditions t lie schools
seemed to have been neglected until
a very wide difference exists between
the necessary requirements of the
public schools and the existing rev.
enues. In other words, the prevail
ing high-tax levies made for school
purposes are altogether insufficient
to meet the cost of maintaining our
public schools on the present basis,
and no amount of effort in the ex-
ercise of management and economy
has been able to overcome these diff
ficulties. The problem is not linn
tied to the salaries of teachers, but
to equipment and fuel and every
item of incidental expense, to say
nothing of school buildings and re-
pairs. The public schools constitute
a part of our national system. They
are supported by taxation. All mat
ters of private business and almost
all public institutions have been
made to conform to the conditions
enforced by the war. But we have
overlooked the fact that the public
schools are affected like everything
else. To maintain the present stand
ards Ahey must be provided for.
Either that or they must be neg
lected. And when we neglect the
public schools the nation takes
step backward A part of our ma
tional life has been crippled.
To make a fair illustration of the
conditions existing everywhere wei
take the Union City schools as an
example. The figures herewith have
been carefully computed and they
are furnished by the secretary of
the Board of Education, c. w. Miles,
Jr.
First, we take the expenditure of
the Union City Public Schools, in
cluding the high and grammar
schools and the Central and West
over and colored schools. For the
school year 1919-20 the expense for
salaries was $19,4675O. This does
not include incidental running ex-
penses, such as coal, supplies, re-
pairs, printing matter, salaries for
members of the Board of Education
and the secretary of the board. The
members receive SIS each per an
mum, while the secretary is paid
$500 for his work. Other items of
expense will, figured on the present
basis, make a total of $4,000. This .
makes the total expenditures for the
school year 1919-2O $22,467.50. The
revenues are as follows:
City taxes, $6,SO0; State and
taxes, $4,000; estimated tu-
ition collections, $1,000. Total rev. /
enue for the year 1919-20, $17800. !
Here you see is a deficit of $4,- J
$3.50 for the year now closing. \
The teachers are now and have here T
tofore been serving at slightly in I
creased salaries, very little increase :
since the war began. The high cost
If living has not affected them so
much as it does now and will affect ).
hem during the coming school year
If 1920-21. ).
Therefore the Board of Education +
s confronted with an additional ex- S,
,ense of over $1,000 for increase of j
alaries. ETC., which is altogether un- 3
voidable and which may mot even "
'e sufficient to secure a competent el
aculty. 1t will indeed be matter
f congratulation if the board can g
ecure suitable teachers for the COM q
ng year at the salaries offered, re- II
1embering the present scarcity of IL
eachers and the demand every n
,here for better pay. So that will y y
lake a difference of over ten thou
and dollars the cost of the Union w
Ity puUllC oSnOOlo VIII CACCCu SAC III
evenues for the year 1920-21. The CT
evenues are estimated to be the sN
ame for the year 1920-21 as they of
ere for 1919-20, because the taxes su
,r 1920 have not been fixed and Sc
annot be collected until March, 70
s21. pc
M
No material increase in tax rev. be
lues can be expected until the rates )
ave been fixed, and this is the crux w
the whether the tax 10
ayers will be willing to increase
leir city taxes or lose their educa-
onal advantages. pa
Now to present the figures for the ne
hool year 1s20-21 the taxpayers co