The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1920-01-28
TEACHERS SALARIES HAVE
NOT KEPT STEP COST PACE
Teachers Salaries Have Remained
Practically stationary As Living
Cost Increased

Data assembled by Deputy Super
intendent Smith, in response to a
QUESTIONABLE from the State Depart
ment of Education, disclose some in
teresting facts and figures regard
ing teachers salaries in comparison
to the cost of living.
1t has been estimated by a FEEDER
al official that the cost of food has
increased, since 1914. rs per cent,
which, in the opinion of many will
be called a most conservative esti-
mate. The cost of shoes has prob
ably advanced during the same per-
iod $50 per cent and the cost of
clothing at least 125 per cent. AL
together it Is probably safe to say
that the cost of living has increased
one hundred or more per cent in five
years. Guess how much teachers
wages in this supervision district
comprising Churchill, Humboldt
and Pershing counties) have in
creased in five years, the figures
based upon official directories?
Twenty-Five per cent, or to be more
accurate PATS per cent.
The highest salary to a teacher in
one-room school in this supervis-
ion district is at Rochester, $40,
where board and room costs the
teacher $50. The lowest is in the
Central District at Willow Point
where the salary is $85 and board
and room $2S.
The approximate average salary
in one room rural schools Ca rural
school is classified as any school
having not more than two teachers)
in 1888 was s94.95 per month,
the average length of term S.19
months, therefore the average an
nual salary in this class of schools
was $767.64. In the year 1919-20
the monthly salary had increased in
this class of schools to $102.64, the
average length of term to s.5,
therefore the annual salary to
SS72.44.
The per cent of increase in the
salaries of rural teachers this year
over last is estimated at 500 per
cent; the increase in the same peri
cd for teachers in villages and cities
6.66 per cent. The increase in
191S-19 over 1917-1S was much
smaller. In five years the increase
for teachers in general in these
three counties was about 25 per cent.
The average salary of village and
city teachers (including high school
teachers and principals of schools)
was in 1888 s121.27, this year
$12935.
II has been found that of the 33
teachers engaged in Churchill only
16 or about fifty per cent returned
to the same district in Humboldt
county of 40 teachers only IA or 34
per cent returned to the same dis
u anu III Ci oulhS touhtS VI
but IA. or SO per cent returned. 1t
is generally conceded that it is usu-
ally an advantage to district or a
school to have the same teacher
more than one year. If he or she is
competent. Some declined for their
own reasons to return. The slight
increase in salaries probably has
much to do with explaining why such
large number did not return to the
same district.
Considering the fact that the
board and room expense a teacher
pays out for is only small part of
her yearly expense, and the further
fact that not a few teachers attend
summer school every year or two to
improve in their work, 1t is not to be
wondered at that all over the United
States there has been and is yet a