The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-04-13
WAY To RAISE
TEACHERS PAY
IN THE STATE
Attorney General Holds
$1,000 a Year Maximum
Can Be Authorized

SA.STA FE. April 13.--.Now Mexico
has found way 10 raise tho pay of
the public school TEACHERS without
waiting for the Legislature to enact
further laws 10 authorize the increase.
The plan is the result of two months
Of hard study by State Superintendent
J. ~. Wagner and his staff. plus an
opinion from the attorney generals
office. written by Harry s. Bowman.
Il is the most important thing that
has been accomplished len state cdu-
cational matters In many years
The new plan which makes possible
the Increase is new Interpretation
OF chapter 50. laws OF 1919. and see
tiuu iN3s. code of 1915. which super
intcudcut Wagner and Assistant At
torucy General bowman both hold TO
Ice the only reasonable Interpretation.
The law refers TO scholastic year
hut for some reason that now appears
10 have been without proper founda-
tiou. This has always been construed
10 mean scholastic term
1000 a Year Maximum
Unccr the Old Interpretation a
school district employing a first grade
teacher and having term OF seven
months. might contrivc 10 pay the
teacher ST00 fog the years work. The
maximum allowance WIS $40 a month
viii, h left only sio "a month Tor jan
itor service heat. water 'rd light.
t. make both ends meet" On this
slender allowance often required cX-
pert management iut under the
new Interpretation. which holds moth
ing more or less than that when the
law Saws scholastic wear 30 means
u scholaatic year ana not q schOlas-
fiC term. % win be possible Tor such
school Co make It's budget for -
months wIiuh VIII make q fund avail.
able ut &l,34O. adequate 90 pay the
teacher the living salary Of &I20u a
year. ana to have left $40 q year 10
take care ~ other necessary cN-
uenses
The committee appointed hy the
convention uf the Ncw Mexico Educa-
tuonll association at Albuquerque last
November agreed upon u minimum
salary uf 81 200 year fpr teachers
! holding first grade certificates. u rs
believed that no trouble will bo. cn-
count,rca under this new plan. Tn"
! law referred to rcpclls all former
\
hold CO. hN tho former limitation on
taxation Tor school purposes
Thirteen other states will have tp
Z walt until the Legislature has made
li' pussi inlU fur higher samrcis To be
ptld and Iu sumc instances boo the %
1 nothing can DO" done until u constitu-
tluuil tW'admont has been passed.
Text ut Opinion.
The text uf the attorney generals
opinion follows.
referring ip ,uar conversation
with tho writer regarding chapter Ni.
I laws ut 1919. and the effect uf this
law upon school matters iu general.
/ We wuuID advise you as follows
! AN analysis OF tho act would iu-
dictate that o. WuH the purpose Of the
J Legislature 90 provide for a. muNimum
| taN levy fur public schools and 90
/ limit expenditure ~ rural public
srh.ols and the number uf school
rooms iu such schools.
! $50 ftr ss We are able tu gather
/ from the wording ui tho act there
/ was uu intent tu provide FOR u school
Nrtr. The first part ut section ] ul
] tine 500 provides that the boards ni
] county comm .s4Iouors shall levy a
! taN not iu excess of b mills which,
Ian pHr.. shall produce sufficient
revenue Co support ana maintain an
| uf tho public schools bon the state
/ Tho art then further provides that
estimates shall hc made ON IN" prob
able expenditures iu those districts
where graded schools have been cs-
| hbushd with az last four teachers,
land where the school term shnl Dee
from seven 10 nine months Zoe dura.
| ton. Tho second p1rt ut ih" Htid
section provides a Limitation uf cN'
prudi'uros 10 hc made Tor an school
Ipurpos,- excepting those herein spec
filed iu the rural schools whore nt