The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-16
School Code Commission Faced
Maze of Old Laws.
Every Legislature Had Added
One to Statute Books.
BEDROCK REACHED At LAST
Experts Reach Working Prin-
cipIe for State School System.
Bills to Come Before Legisla-
ture RecapituIate Legislation.

BY lending ready ear to the cries
and pleas of sovereign voters in this
section and that section of Kansas,
each succeeding legislature has man.
aged to add a school law or two TO
the statute books. Every law has
been applied in some section or other
OF the state, until today one district
school may be as unlike any other
district school as ink is unlike mo-
lasscs-
The 1921 legislature took heed of
this condition and in a Joint resolu-
tion authorized appointment OF a
state school code commission which
was instructed to dig into and under
the educational muddle and find some
bed rock foundation on which a
proper structure of education could be
built Two members of the commits
sion designated were to be senator's,
two representatives, two to be ap-
pointed by the governor, and one to be
named by the state superintendent of
education. As finally constituted the
commission is: Sheffield ingalls,,
chairman; Senator J. NJ johnson, sec
retary; Senator's Paul KimbslI and NJ.
V. Is. Van De Mark. Representatives
Ida NJ Walker and Minnie J. Grin
stead, and Professor c. E. Rarick.
In May. of 1921, this commission,
aided BY men. women and OrganiZa-
tions interested in educational mat
ters. began its dredging and delving
processes subcommittee were
named TO probe different phases of
the school law maze, and the COM
mission as a whole prepared for
two-year series Of conferences and dis
cussions.
Three Bosses For Each Teacher.
one unusual and rather curious
condition uncovered by the work or
the commission is that for $500 rural
school teachers in Kansas there are
nor less than $4,000 members OF dis
trict school boards. In other words
for each employe there are three
bosses; and each set of bosses sees
school operation in a more or less
different light
a school map of Kansas showing
the boundaries of the various school
districts displayed a syStemless and
fantastic system of border lines. Some
sections bore n striking resemblance
TO 4 checker-board, the white and
black squares being school districts.
Other boundaries zigzagged and un-
dercut. or ran in steps Still others
had the appearance of having been
laid off by following the trail of
too-earnest drinker of Hquefied corn.
It also revealed that some districts
were districts within districts, and
were subject to tax levies from both;
that IN some Instances a school patron
paying taxes into two separate school
districts was compelled to send his
children to the school of a third dis
trict where he must pay tuition. Bad
location of school houses was respon-
sible for this.
"A probe of the school tax situation
brought out the fact that districts so
fortunate as to contain or be traVersed
bv some c.rporate tax absorber, such
as a railroad or a pipeline, paid little
or even no tax for school support;
while other districts not so fortunate
paid levies Of staggering proportion.
But the commission refused to be
discouraged by the revelations, and
after nearly two years of hearings,
discussions. and conferences arrived
at a principle of action which is set
out in a report to be submitted to the
coming session of the legislature. This
report when rewritten iD&o bills COW
ering the various points and enacted
into law is expected to put the schools
of Kansas on a system with real
base. and TO place under the rural
school system in particular founda-
ton which will make them efficient.
up-to-date, and true to the needs or
,-rrraI CDru rnVuftieS