Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-03-30
Transportation
COST IN SCHOOL
WORK $4,000
Taxpayers Association Pub
fishes Figures on Overhead
Showing That Total is
$250,0000

The cost of transporting pupils
is a substantial item in the total
expenditures for the maintenance
Of schools, says the Taxpayers as
sociation. From reports received
from twenty-siX of the twenty mine
counties of the state. the total
amount expended for this purpose
last year was $128,850.5S. The
counties expanding the largest
amounts were Torrance, $21, 361.S9:
Curry, $20,S77.45: Union, $15.-
345; Bernalillo. S1S,20441; Lea,
$11,362.11; Eddy. $4,000; Quay,
$9,979.73; Lincoln. $6,04l.9S;
Roosevelt, $5,6S479, and San Juan,
$4430.4S. Nine other counties eX-
pended sums for transportation of
pupils of less than $4,000.
In all except a very few coun-
ties, pupils are transported by au-
tomobile. This involves both a
large initial outlay and a high
maintenance cost. For instance in
Curry county, it was found neces-
sary to purchase new cars to an
amount of $5,313.21. For over
hauling the cars in use the sum
of $1,527 was spent in the summer
of 1920 In this county sixteen
trucks are operated. of which the
county owns thirteen.
Buying New Cars.
Torrance county contemplates
purchasing six or eight new trucks,
In that county $4,000 is paid as
salary to man for inspecting and
repairing trucks In San Juan an
automobile repair man is paid 500
per month, To run one truck it Is
estimated that the expenditure for
salary Of driver. oil and gas and
upkeep will in some instances
reach SITS per month. OF course,
arrangements are very often made
whereby the cost will be much less
than this
Other Expenses.
Salaries of county superintend-
ents in the various counties of the
state aggregate $4,000. and range
from $1,4O0 to $4,000, according to
the number of school rooms super
vised. Additional salaries were
paid for clerks in nearly all the
counties to the amount of $17.7O5,
the range being from 500 to ST.
500. Six counties employed rural
school supervisors at total cost
of $500. In eight counties, $685.
was paid for truant officers. and In
four counties $500 was paid FOR
school nurses. Approximately $751;
900 was expended for other admin
istration salaries. According to the
reports, therefore, the salaries paid
for administration and supervision
to SOC, 600.
Other Overhead Items.
Other items chargeable, to over
head expense include the follow
ing: County superintendents' trav-
cling expenses, $9,495.12 superin-
tendent's office expenses. $9,118.34;
county boards per diem and tray-
cling expenses, $5,714.59; total,
$24,328,05. If reports We're avail
able for the three missing counties
it is reasonable, in view of the fore
going figures, to estimate that the
cost of administration of county
schools exceeds $4,000 annually.
These figures do not include the
amounts paid to cover teachers
expenses in attending the state ed
vocational association meeting. and
which totaled $6,235,S2. 1t must
be kept in mind that the cost of
in incorporated
cities, towns and villages is not in
Guided in these estimates nor Is the
cost of state supervision through
the department of education IN
cluded. Were all items chargeable
to state and local supervision taken
into consideration, it is possible
that the total would approximate
$25O,O00. This sum would repre-
sent the cost of administration in
a public school system involving an
of approximately
81, 100000.