Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-05-10
ADEQI ATE SUPPORT tOR SCHOOLS

ADEQt ATE SUPPORT tOI SCHOOLS
Those In charge % the Amarillo
schools have asserted that the revenues
ut present available for the susteuance
of the system are Insufficient. These
men and women have lived closely In
touch with the excellent schools u ANA
rlllo aud they are certainly authorities
on this question. A lack 81 revenue for
the proper operation Of the schools. one
Of the b.si systems Of schools In the
United States IL a blow al an insiliu.
ton that j. dear TO be- hearts % all the
people. Then a lack Of cash upon which
10 operate. no more deadly blow could
L. aimed At the heart % the work.
To overcome this weakness, two ways
have BEEN suggested: The frs; of these
II for increasing the tax levy on the
assessed values In Potter county. as
proposed In the oncoming election. and
the second Il to increase the valuations
above VIVA; they are at present. 10 raise
the revenue az the rate now prevailing
for school purposes To Illustrate II
the rate Of taxation for school purposes
cannot b- raised as proposed in the
election soon TO be- held. the school
hoard will unarcstionably exercise iis
right 10 30 raise the assessed yalua.
tlcns OF the district NO as TO provide
necessary FUNDS for properly maintain
ing the schools.
The matter then. resolves itself into
one Of cxpcdiency: VIII the people have
their assessed values raised. thus hav'
ing 10 pay on that rate to city. county
and state. or win they vote for an in,
crease OF the school tax on the presen,
assessed valuations, This L. the ques
tion that Il now squareN up 20 the peo.
pie Of Amarillo and the Amarillo inde'
pendent school district.
Speaking recently responsive 20 ques
tons growing out Of the proposed cleo.
ton. a man who IL well yersed on the
school tax situation. gave out the fol
lowing statement:
The tax rate for school purposes tina,
now obtains In the Amarillo Indepcnd
ent School Distrist II not enough 10 pro.
vide adequate school facilities for the
children without property valuations
being raised far above what they should
lie. Our school hoard mus; have the
money TO maintain the schools. II they
cant gct u By increasit the rate. thsy
must get II by raising property yalu
atioEs. Before the passage 81 the schoo
amendment last fan. tsy could not In
crease the rate. hence were com-sls-
TO raise valuations. They have done THU
year after year until now valuations
for school purrn>s-s are sb.urdiy tiisi
and the people haze sfossi for sum val
uaiions only hscspre they have under
stood that the rate could not he ral.c,
and that the board had no other mean
for raising funds for the schools. But
while the people have stood FOR the In
crease they have not been blind 4
the disastrous results 20 the city an,
county because OF these ahsurdly infla,
ed valuations: for as n result, Of IN
school board's increasing valuations N
city. state and county have followe'
their example. and n a result u thu.
Potter county now pays into the stat
treasury AZ Austin more than twice a
much as she gets out or more thai
twice n much as she gets out or NOR
than twice her pro rata. The only san
thing for this county % Do II 20 rails
her rate 81 taxation and lower valua
tons 80 that she vii pay no NOR
than her pro rata into ihe treasury a
Austin. The people viii understand tia
the state tax rate IL uniform Tor d
PARTS 81 the state last year u va
sixty two cents on the hundred dollar
- property valuation. mad thu inequa
ny % taxes In different parts e. N
state h due TO unequal valuations. 10
ter county has inflated her valuation
far ahove other parts q the stae AZ
she has No time o. blame herself Il n
continues 20 do this.
w. Do no; blame our school bar
for raising valuations heretofore 4.
.auS. thsrr vas ~ other recourse. d
no taxpayer IN this county 10 ignor4i
~ IN. fac, that increasing valuatior
for school PURPOSES has 1T the fooe q
increasing Valuations for other pa
pcs-s and this Il thu reason the vslu
lions IN the city. state and county ~
81 unreasonable huh II the people VI
increaze the s.ho.l tar rate az the e,e
ton neat SATURDAY, the sshoel bal
viii is~ef Valuations ard 81 ~ sxar
pa for othrrr r. ieser them. state "a
ualicns ALL L. ioacfei and we shall n
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