The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-03-21
COST or EDUCATION
IN THE UNITED STATES
More for Luxuries in a Single Year
Than for Education in Three
Hundred Years.
Up. P. Claxton, United States
Commissioner Of Education.


Despite the low salaries of teachers
and the meager and inadequate equip
ment of schools, many people believe
the support of the public schools, ele.
mentary, secondary and higher, to be
our chief burden. This opinion seems to
be very common about state legisla'
lures and other tax-levying bodies
People otherwise we'll Informed some
times fall into this error. Recently q
prominent professor in one of GU
great universities expressed the opinion
that the support of the state univer.
stiles was about to bankrupt some oil
she states. What are the facts How
do expenditures for the schools com
pare with other expenditures. public
and private? The truth is public educa
tion is not a burden. Its cost IS almost
negligible when compared with other
expenditures.
In 1918, the last for which complete
reports have been compiled, we spent
in the United States for public educa :
tion. elementary and secondary, $762,-
259. l54; for normal schools for the
training of teachers, $20,4l4 $50; for
higher education in college, universities
and professional and technical schools,
whether supported by public taxation
or privately endowed, Sl37 ,055,4l5. The
grand total was $gl9,7 100, 25S. In this
80 years from 1870 to 1920, we paid
for public elementary and high schools
Sl2.457 ,563; for normal schools, 1921 :
Ill 1892; for higher education in tax
supported and privately endowed col
leges. universities and technical schools,
81, 1904, 2OO.272, a total Of Sl4 ,552, 1906 ,037
for the 80 years.
For the years preceding 1870, two bill
lions of dollars for public elementary
and secondary schools; three billions
for normal schools, and $50 millions for
higher education would be very liberal
estimates. Adding these to the totals
!. given above will make a grand total OF
about Sl4 500, 900 200, for public elt-
mentarv and secondary schools; S2o5,-
10000 for normal schools, and 81 $50
OOO.O 900 for higher education-approxi-
matelv $l6,6 ,00O, 1000 for public
schools. elementary, secondary, normal
schools and higher education in the
schools of all kinds from the beginning
of our history until 1920.
In all cases the figures include ey-
penditures for buildings and equip
iment, repairs, heating, lighting and
other incidentals as well as expendi-
tures for teachers salaries.
The total amount paid in salaries to
teachers in public elementary and sec
ondary schools in 1918. was only S402
pos. 5I6. Salaries of teachers in private
elementary and secondary schools, col
leges. normal schools, universities ana
technical schools amounted to approx
mately 800 46, 724, making a total OF
k492, 74J, 240.
Making all due allowances for de-
fective returns, the total amount spent
for public education in 1918, including
current expenditures for private and
endowed colleges and universities, and
oil expenditures for capital investment
In buildings and equipment, was less
than one billion dollars. According TO
government returns for 1920. the people
Of the United States spent for lux
uries in that year S22, 100000, 900; more
than - times as much as they spent
for education only two years before,
end six billions, or 30 per cent. more
than we have spent for education in all
pur history.
Expenditures for Injuries in 1920 in
rluded among other items: