Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1921-10-26

ands of dollars in arrears at the end
of the year.
1t is a matter of common know
ledge that the total land tax in con-
solidated districts is from $500 to
$3.50 per acre, 60 or 70 percent be-
ing for school purposes. Outside OF
consolidated districts, the tax would
be around $100 per acre. The writer
distinctly remembers having rented
large Iowa farm of average quail
ty, the share rental of which fifteen
years ago, was about the same as
the tax is to-day on the land he owns
in a consolidated district. The ques-
ton is, Where do we come out?"
Locally in our district, the people
are strong for the school but are be-
ginning to pay more attention to the
financial end than they ever did be-
| fore.
Can we REDUCE the cost? If so,
how?
% Many consolidated school dis
Itricts are smaller than they would need
| to be. So far as the running of the
school itself is concerned, the large
sized school is much more economical
than the small one. However, we
do not agree with Macy Campbell and
others who advocate the formation
of districts containing from so to 70
sections of land. Where horse-drawn
vehicles must be depended upon, a
full township or SO sections Of land
is enough.
/ 90 Any increase in taxable property
within the town where the school
is located will lower the tax levy.
So boom the town.
60 The cost of the school building
in some districts has risen to the
point of extravaganza. The spending
of over $4,000 for a building is to
be discouraged.
(4) What about teachers salaries in
the future?
In our own school we have increased
salaries by 100 per cent in three years,
1917-1920. Since grade teachers are
in better supply now than for SOM
time past, we might expect a slight
ly lower salary scale in their case
High school teachers will not be
hired for much less in the near flu
ture because of the increased eX-
pense of a college education. The
writer has little sympathy with price
fixing of any kind, either of COM
modities or of service. The law of
supply and demand, if un-hampered,
will ultimately fix teachers salaries
on an equitable and just basis as
compared to other workers. If prices
of farm products do not advance, 9TH
er things will come down.
60 Drivers salaries are fixed every
year on a strictly competitive basis
| in our district. We feel they are
as low as is consistent with good
service. However, all road improve
ment, whether drainage, grading or
graveling, will have tendency to
cut transportation expense &s'"
go Fuel costs will be less when the
freight rate comes down.
CD Sometimes saving can be made
by eliminating a teacher, placing two
grades or a grade and half in one
room where the grades are small in
numbers. Since So per cent of the
success of school system depends
IN the teachers, we bell in good
teachers decently paid. But we have
never seen a good teacher who was
not willing to work.
(S) Out of BAT consolidated schools,
only Is are designated as normal
training high schools. They should
all drop the normal training if they
need to economic.
co. The matter of tuition pupils
should receive careful attention. The
law requires the secretary to keep d
register of tuition pupils and collect
the money twire a year from other
school corporations for high school pu-
pills. The teachers, superintendent, anG
drivers can all assist the secretary in
getting a correct list. .
(10) Requisition blanks should be
filled out by teachers and janitor when
ever supplies are needed for their
departm ents. These slips should be
o. KID by the superintendent, or some
board member, and local merchants bel
notified not to charge the school with
supplies unless a requisition sheet is
presented to be filed with the mer-
chants statement.
11) The net proceeds Of all enter
tainments and all athletic games
should be used to buy equipment for
the use of the whole school, and not
to buy anything for the personal use
of any student or body of students.
(12) The position of school director
is a man-sized job. 1t is the most
important elective office in any con-
solidated district. And the most i'm
portant piece of work the board OF
directors has to do is to hire the
right kind of a superintendent-one
who is a good business manager as
well as a professional man. The
! thought ever present in the mind OF
the sup arintendent should be, how
can / run a good school at the least
expense to the taxpayers" Only by
close application and faithful atten-
ton to details can this result be OBJ
tanned