Paragould soliphone., 1922-04-21
THE HARVEST
By H. R. PARTLOW

ldeavor.
 The School Board has for the past
 six months in every way possible
 tried to reach the citizenship of the
 city with reference to the dcplorable financial condition which confronts
 ua for another year. In general
 sense the appeal has fallen on up-
 responsive ears and our cries for
 help have been answered by the echo
 from an unappreciative public of the
 actual conditions existing.
 The writer came to Paragould in 1907, and at that time the city maintained two schools namely.
 East Side Ward School, and the West Side Ward School, in which the high school department was taught. The attendance at that
 time was something over 800 chil- dren of which GO to 75 were en- rolled in the High School. The to- tai number of teachers employed was ten. These together with the SUI perintendent, taught the children. The superintendent teaching every period of the day except two and these were used in supervision. The maximum salary for grade teachers |the principals was $75.00 per month
 The superintendent was paid $150. .00
 per month for period of eight
 months, making an aggregate annual paid $35.00 per month. The month ly payroll never exceeded $700.00 .or $75000.
 In 1908 a building was erected
 al cost of about $30, 1000 and the district was bonded for the erection |of that building, the bonds drawing
 interest at the rate of 6 per cent. The building erected that time was the present building now used for high school purposes. Later, owing to an increase in the attendance, it became necessary to build other suit Iable buildings for the increased pop ulation, so the present East Side Ward School was erected, the South l Side Ward School, and much needed was made. These buildings. togeth- CT with the outstanding indebtedness | of the city up to approximately | geo. 100000. This indebtedness draw , iol, makes a total of something like | $3,600.00. As is generally known tthe West Side Ward School was destroyed by fire which caused the ,city great loss, for the insurance would not exceed twO-thirds or | lthree-fourths of the actual worth of 1 the building. Then it became neces- sary to erect temporary buildings at a time when building material
 was at the highest peak in prices known for the past one-half century
 During this period of fifteen years the attendance has gone from seven hundred to about sixteen hundred The number of teachers required for the work of teaching has in four or five. Grade teachers are paid something like $80.00 per month and principals from SIPS. .0O ito $f40,0O Der month. Iii 1907
 the district was slightly in debt and IeOon thereafter the millage was in creased from seven to twelve. In other words the millagc was not |doGbled, but the teaching force was itfebbled and the payroll owing to .certain financial conditions was quadrupled. The assessment has in- creased very httle. In fact the as- sossmcnt this year in Paragould is $9S,000.00 less than it was last year which makes q loss to the dis trict of about 100000.
 No one would pretend 10 say that there has not been faulty manage ment in the administration of the school system from financial stand point. This is always true of any great public concern as our public school system is, but I am saying that it requires no very profound study to see he financial condi- | ton is not brought about by mis- management so much as from other cauGeG-resultants of increased pop ulatiOn, social conditions and other incidents of the age. A teacher 1 during the war could not have paid | her board on a salary of $60.00 per | month. And to begin a wholesale | reduction in the salary of grade | teachers would he disastrous to the | conditions of the city. |
 The fact is that we are as nearly | at the bottom as can be. Something | must he done. At the beginning of | the incoming school year we will | we somet thing like $l0,000,00 at | our banks and will not have a penny | to mcet the first payroll. The bud get is made out and comes well within the income for next year. Expenses have been cut until a | lower reduction is intolerahe.
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