The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-05-19
THE NOVEMBER ELECTION AND
KENTUCKY CHILDHOOD

ing the State School Funds is faulty
because IL does not equalize the bur
dens and opportunities; because Il
does not place premium upon reg
ular attendance, lengthening Of the
school term, and adequate equipment
Of schools by the county or local COM
munity; and because il in no wise
rewards or stimulates local taxation,
or other form of local support-what
will the proposed constitutional
amendment do TO better conditions?
We will now attempt to answer that
question, but before considering spe-
ciic improvements to result, let us
lay down a few fundamentals upon
which TO build
First, a state school fund would
be useless IL all sections Of the state
were equally able to provide an ade-
quate system Of schools for the chill
dren within them. But conditions
are far from that in Kentucky. An
investigation OF conditions shows
that certain counties of the state
have only $500 Of property subject
to assessment for each child within
the school age, while others have as
high as $500 per child in the school
census. This means that without
state fund, the people of the poorer
county would have TO levy fifteen
times as high tax rate as those in
the richer county IL they would give
their children as good public schools.
Such inequality as this is exactly
what the state fund is created TO re-
lieve.
Second, IL is not so much "The duty
Of the state to educate every child
within its borders" as it is the great
opportunity Of the state to give each
child such an education. A child
properly educated is like field well
titled, a mine fully developed child
without an education is that field ~
ing bare or growing up to weeds
that mine with its treasure hidden
far from sight.
Third, no section Of a state can
neglect the education of the children
anywhere within its borders with
safety. Populations are not fixed in
America, and the child of one Sec
tion is apt to be the man of another.
For this reason the education of
every child within its border is nee
essary as a means Of self-protection
for any state.
With these principles in mind, let
us see how the small amount Of
money to be set free by the constitu-
tional amendment will help matters
The first use TO which it should be
put is that Of equalizing teachers
salaries in the various counties OF
the state. The last legislature pass
ed an act providing for a minimum
salary of s75 per month for six
months, but il also limited the power
/ of taxation by the County Board ia
so cents on the 500 Of property
The low tax limit made the minimum
salary statute impossible in many
counties, so that the salary law had
TO be modified by the provision that
"a lower minimum salary may be pro-
vided where a levy of 25 cents will
not provide funds sufficient to make
the SIS minimum" As a result of
this conflicting legislation, many of
the poorer counties of the state have
gone far below the SIS limit.
With funds available, the State Su-
perintendent will probably issue an
order, something as follows, if the
method of distributing this part of
the fund is left to him, or the legis-
lature will make the same provision.
ANY county which, after levying
and collecting a tax of 30 cents on
the 800 and $3.50 poll tax to sup
plement the state per capita, shall be
unable to provide minimum salary
Of SIS per month, and an average
salary of 500 per month may draw up
on the state equalizing fund for such
sum as will provide the minimum
and average salaries specified above"
Such provision as this will insure
an actual SIS minimum salary and at
the same time not demand in excess
of the present limit for teachers and
maintenance.
The amount required for this equal
izing fund cannot be known definitely
in advance, but would probably be in
the neighborhood Of $250,000.
The method used in the distribu-
ton Of the remainder of the fund,
amounting to about $4,000, is at
present uncertain. II could be used
20 st;n,,,Iata b;0bar couptxy taxa flor, 70