The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1921-02-03
STATE FUND OF $75O,OOO is
URGED TO HELP THE SCHOOL:
OF This Amount $1S,5OO Will Come to
Garrett County.

Of This Amount $18,500 Will Come to
Garrett County.
A State appropriation to help the
less fortunate counties of Maryland in
lettering their elementary educational
systems was suggested on Tuesday by
George H. Reavis, assistant State Su-
perintendent of Education at the OPP
ening session of the conference of the
county superintendent and boards of
education now being held in Baltimore.
A total of $750,000 is needed, Mr..
Reavis said, and he proposed that this
amount be raised by the State and dis
tributed throughout the counties. Two
thirds of this amount,he stated, should
be distributed among all of the coun-
ties on a census and attendance basis,
while $250,O00 should be set aside as
an equalization fund.
This equalization fund, he explain
ed, would be distributed among the
poorest counties, which, despite their
high tax rates for schools, are una
BILE to spend as much on education as
the richer counties.
Mr.. Reavis cited the fact that Mary
land ranked thirty-fourth among the
States in its schools. To improve
this rank, he said, the pay of the
teachers must be increased and add
tional money for supplies must be pro-
vided.
1t was pointed out that the richer
counties were up to the standard
which had been set and that to raise
the standard of the whole State more
money must be provided for the poor
counties.
Many of these, he said, have ex-
/ tremely high tax rates and are unable
to raise additional funds without out.
side help. The equalization fund
would remedy this condition, he said.
After the counties had gotten their
portion of the 100000 fund the re-
mainder needed by the poor counties
should be- supplied out of the equali-
cation fund.
To prevent counties lowering the
tax rates, no county, he said, was to
be given aid from the equalization
fund which did not have a school tax
of at least 65 cents. The poor coun-
ties, he explained, would be given
money out of this equalization fund
on the basis of a tax rate of IS cents,
and could either reduce their taxes or
use the additional funds for further
improving their educational systems.
The counties which would receive
money from this equalization fund,
and the probable amounts they would
receive, as announced by Mr.. Reavis,
are: Worcester, $37O00; Wicomico,
$4,000; Somerset, $4,000; Garrett,
$1S,500; Caroline, $4,000; Charles,
$4,000; st. Mary's, $8,4OO; Kent,
$4,000; Queen Anne's, $7,7O0; Dor.
chester, $1,000; Calvert, $500.
In addition to the above sum Gar
rett would receive her proportionate
share of the 100000, as would each
of the other counties of the State.
The 100000 fund with the equal
ization fund would permit the sug-
gested increases in the salaries of ele-
mentary teachers. The proposal would
increase the minimum salary for
teachers with third grade certificates
from 5000 to $500; those with second
grade certificates be increased from
$7O0 to $500, and for those with first
grade certificates be raised from $500
to $1,000.
| Governor Richie, who attended both
the morning and afternoon sessions
of the conference, appeared greatly in
terested in the fund and frequently
asked how certain phases of it would
be worked. In short address in the
morning the Governor said it was not
too much to ask that every child in
Maryland be taught by adequately
trained teachers and that provision
should be made in all counties for ad-
equate and competent supervision of
the teachers. He said he was ready to
support any program that would as
sure the provision Of more compe-
tent teachers and supervisory stats.
Dr.. Albert S. Cook, State Superin-
tendent of Education, led an interest
ing discussion in the morning on how
the teaching staff could be improved.
He said two-thirds of the teachers
throughout the State were not trained
as well as they should be and sug-
gested ways for improving their train
ing.