The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-10-25
nErTER SCHOOLS AMENDMENT
(Scc 0a. Art I0,l State Question No.
109; InltiatINc Petition No. az.

/
BE II Enacted ~ the People OF the
STATE Of Oklahoma:
SECTION Ga. Article 10: For the
purpose OF maint dining the Common
SCHOOLS Of this state. the state Board
| Of Equalization shall each year levy
ION an al yalorem basis. Il tax of not
/ Jess than six mills and not more
than ten mills upon all taxable
property within the state not eX-
I empt from taxation AZ public, char
| ity, or fraternal property
Until otherwise provided by, la W,
such taxes collected shall be paid
! into the state Treasury 4 the credit
Of the Common school Fund of this
| state. aud shall he apportloned and
! distributed to the several counties
| Of this State In like time and man
! nor rs is now provided for the ap-
! portionment and distribution of
| other Common School Funds OK this
| state"
% This proposition is based on
| the guarantee already in our cons.i-
| tuition to the effect that every child
| In oklahoma shall have equal cdu-
| cational advantages with all. other
| children.
| CD There are now oil properties
! in Oklahoma valued at about $780,
| 600, 900. paying only "A small produce
| ton tax. This was fixed years ago
| when ad valorem taxation for the in
| dividual property owners was fully
| One-third (1-3) less than we now
| pay. This oil production tax has re-
| mained the same. This amendment
is intended to put the Oil properties
! under an ad valorem tax the same
! as other property. Adding the value
| of these oil properties to our pres
ent assessed valuation of $i.64i.44S,-
675. s2,144,44S,675. Six mills ap-
piled TO this would result in about
| $50 per child for each and every
| school district In Oklahoma as state
aid for its common schools.
(3) There are 5,7l6 school dis
trlcts In Oklahoma. Over half of
! the 673.1O6 school children involved
! i've I'm districts now lcvying tho
maximum local tax, whose school
| boards find 1t far insufficient to
! maintain "a nine months accredited
school term.
90 A majority OF the II coun-
| ties involving two-thlrds Of the chill
| dren of the state, will share much
than they will contribute to this
more money annually from this state
| fund. 1t is also tru ethat the re-
| out losing one cent OF their present
naming share at $40 per child with
local funds. Then. certainly this
means that the wealthy centers will
aid the weaker school districts and
thereby give equal educational op-
tunities to all children, no mater
ter in what section OF the state they
| live.
(5) Surely. the education OF the
child is the concern of the whole
| state 1t Is not local school dis
trict business. Since the child is lat
er a citizen OF the whole state, not
restricted TO any district, he should
| have ds good schooling opportunities
as the more fortunate ones In veal
| thy districts. lie is entitled to this
even though he happens to live in a
district of low property valuation.
| He will make desirable citizen or "A
dangerous one later, depending on
what school advantages he has had.
| He should be an asset to oklahoma.
| not a liability.
(6) The latest survey OF all the
educational systems of tho different
states and territories of the United
States in the spring of 1920, places
Oklahoma 36th In the list compared
with out sister states. This survey IL
based primarily on the amount of
! money spent In each state per pupil
| and per teacher per year. consider
ing enrolment and attendance. Hero
Is purely impartial and striking evil
enough financially for her common
dcnccs that Oklahoma Is not doing
| schools. Every citizen who has "A
pride in Oklahoma's good name has
! now an opportunity to make Okla
homa lead the Union. Certainly we
don't care to remain the seth state
in the Union educationally.
| 90 Why not let the whole state
! l,.,Nl 4 E.,N.. -.
now supports tho higher educational
! institutions. Who goes to these col
leges and universities? An inspection
! of their enrolment shows that the
| students are five TO one from cities,
wealthy school districts. and coun-
ties now fighting this amendment.
| Certainly state aid to common
schools will reach more people and
! do the state more good, than the
funds going to higher institutions
whose students are primarily, and
In great majority, from wealthy cen-
| ters
The state is now spending from
500 TO 5000 per year per capita to
| educate 5000 people at higher III
| stitutons, Yet there are three.qua
ter3 of a million boys and girls in
! our common schools asking the one
tenth as much, n large part OF which
| may come from the oil and corporate
wealth Of oklahoma.
(D The insane asylums, eleemo-
| synary institutions, prisons and re-
formatories are filled with inmates
| from where? BY actual count the
! cities and counties now fighting this
I amendment furnish two-thirds (2-3)
| of the inmates. Yet, the whole state
is taxing itself 10 support these nee
| Vssary institutions. 1t would be
! absurd to ask each local district,
! city, or wealthy county to support its
! own criminals and insane. Yet those
| same counties are not willing TO aid
/ the poorer school districts to sup
| port decent schools.
90 This amendment does not
| mean an increase I'm tax for those
| districts which do not need hddi-
| tional funds for schools, The local
| levy may be cut down In any pro-
portion deemed advisable by the
voters in each school district. II
simply means certain definite aid
available from the state each year
| so that school boards may not be
| embarrassed In their attempts to
give the district q respectable school
| term under proper standards.
GO) Examples OF what some OF
| our sister states are doing for elc-
mentary schools on an animal per