The Mankato free press., 1921-12-16
Not So Much Moneyfor
Schools, Is the Claim,

The educational crisis of which
so much is heard is a financial
crisis, according to Fletcher Har-
per Swift Of the University of
Minnesota in an address before the
American Association For the
, Advancement Of Finances. States
are at present contributing
smaller proportion of school funds
than previously leaving a large
proportion of burden to be borne
by the local communities. This
has resulted in a great inequality
OF opportunity and to large ex-
tent in failure to make educa-
tion united and free
In 1918 there were nearly four
times as many children in an
average day attendance as in
1870. The expenditure per child
Is three times as great and the
total nearly twelve times as great.
"The expenditure has been in
creased and the demand for edu-
cational opportunities are grow
ing. From almost every state
come ominous shortage Of teach
ers. buildings, equipments and
accounts of frantic attempts to
reduce. The educational crisis of
which we hear on every hand is
really a financial crisis"
For the past fifty years in
creases in school burdens have
been met by increasing local taxes
and we find education marked by
economy and inequality. On the
one hand we have wealthy COM
munities leaving the school taxes
levied at one mill and able from
the profits to maintain schools of
the highest standard. On the
other hand we find exceedingly
poor communities levying taxes
OF 100 mills, but scarcely able to
maintain schools of a minimum
standard. T.
In 1918 approximately seventy
fve per cent Of the school funds
were furnished by the local COM
munities. districts, towns and
townships. Writer'S on school fin
ances have urged that the state
ought to furnish from one third
of the total school revenues.
In thirty seven states, which Is
about three fourths of the states
Of the union, they receive con-
siderable less than one third OF
school funds from state sources,
In 1890, sixty seven and eighty
nine hundredths of the school
funds were furnished by local
sources. Twenty three and sew
enty- five hundredths was furnish
ed by the state. In 1918, seventy
five and three tenths per cent was
furnished by the local sources,
and sixteen and eight -tenths per
cent was furnished ty the states.
The remainder came from var
ious sources, the greatest de-
crease occurred in southern at
lantic and south central states,
Thus through the last fifty
years the Importance OF the state
has gradually lessened its school
financial burdens.
In Colorado in the years from
1906 to 1913, the proportion of
children not enrolled In schools
favored in different districts, the
school year was from ninety eight
to one hundred sixty seven days
and the expenditure per child was
from $21. to SIT.
Since one of the three acid
tests of democracy is equality Of
opportunity it might we'll be ask
ed if equality in the state charac-
teriZed by such striking inequali-
ties can really be called a demo-
cracy. If these conditions would
= be true of Colorado and practical
ly every state In the union, it is
not that in every case conditions
are equally bad but in a large
number of the states they are far
worse.
The principal that the states
should + be given authority to
establish educational equality has
long been recognized by many
states. A few states, namely
California and Colorado have def
ritely taken such a position, but
these instances are not indicative
of the general tendency which is
taken in the matter of school re-
venues. If these inequalities are
to be corrected and the ills to be
cured the remedy must be found
through the states, providing suf-
ficient revenues. assisted by the
national government, to pay a
large portion Of the school costs.