The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1922-03-17
Public Schools and Public Finance

Under the above title Mr.. Orem, ou'
superintendent of county schools, has
inst issued bulletin showing in detall'
nv comparison with other counties or
the State, the condition of our schooi
system. The bulletin gives this Data
clearly and cleverly and reflects great
credit upon Mr.. Orem and his office force
for its planning and assembling and
the uutiring efforts which it must have
required of them.
In its introduction, addressed to the
people of Prince Georges county, Mr..
Orem says in part that some OF the
most dlscouraging features OF the
system are:
1.-The lack of unity of effort between
the several sections of the county
mutual Misunderstanding and diner
ences of opinion, and the desire to I'M
prove the schools of ones particular
locality, rather than the broad spirit
of Countrywide growth. resulting, IN
great unevenness in educatlonai OPP
portunity.
s.The disbelief,of some in the public
school principle that the county owes
to all its children an equal opportunity
to attend an efficient school regardless
of where the children live or IN wnat
part of the county the taxable "ealtn
is located, and the feeling that some
parts of the county are paying an I'M
due share of the school costs OF otner
parts. The truth is that only hve as
tricts, Nos. 2, Z. Is, Is, and ~ pau
last year more in school taxes Ihai
was spent on their schools, and eacn OF
these sent many pupils to elementary
and high schools in other distrlcts.
"Our inability to compete with 9TH
err counties aud with Washington Clty
in the employment of trained teachers
to fill vacancies as they occur. Of the
153 white elementary teachers IN the
county, "a per cent are classeo as uh,
trained, having less than a standard
normal school course and ITO per cent
are not even high school graduates.
Many of these, we are glad to say, are
striving to increase their qualifications
by summer school attendance and by
extension courses. The solution OF
this problem will be materially aided
by the equalization fund Of $28, ote
which will come to Prince Georges
from the State without direct taxes,
il the Governors budget, now before
the legislature, passes.
The most urgent needs OF the scnoois,
from the material side are shown to be:
"a more adequate supply OF text
books, including dictionaries ana REL
erence books.
s.An increased supply of materials OF
instruction, being all those things nsea
in teaching which are consumed in their
use-composition, penmanship, draw
ing paper, pen points, ink, chalk. black
board erasers, colored crayons, kinder
garten supplies, and the like.
Replacement of worn out equipment
and additional equipment for an IN
creased number of pupils. This should
include principally, desks, MAPS cnarts
globes, etc.
.An intensive effort to repair school
buildings to compensate for the com
pulsory disregard to this matter during
the War period. Conservative esti-
mates indicate that about per cent OF
the value OF school property should be
spent annually on its repair and main
tenance. The county has about $6OO,-
600 worth of school property and DUR
, ing the past five years has spent an
average of about l per cent OF this
value in repairs to buildings,
"The present tax rate of Prince Geor-
ge's County is relatively low, both for
schools and other county purposes.
When making this comparison
we must also know what that rate
produces; for instance, the scnooi tax
rate last year of SO cents in Montgom-
cry County on a taxable wealth OF
s5,413 back of each child produced
school fund of $37 80 for each child
enrolled, with So, 167 of wealth per
pupil in Prince Georges produced at
81 cents only SIG. 80 of county funds Tor
the education of each of it's children.
The bulletin also gives statements
and charts showing the number OF
pupils enrolled, salary of teachers and
other expenses of each and every school
in the county, and gives numerous
other data heretofore unknown, but OF
great Interest," to every resident ana
taxpayer of this county.
The budget presented to the County
Commissioners asks for $252,o5o. 81
from the county for school purpose dur
ing the year 1922 1928, which requires
a levy of 1926 cents. Besides this
there must be added 6.56 cents to COW
er deficit in the current year s. ex,
penses. This will make total of "a. W
cents asked for school purposes. Last
year the County Commissioners, levied
81 cents for schools, which proved in
sufficient and the deficit caused thereby
must he raised this year.