San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-05

goes to the less populous counties. II
Bexar county there are but five
schools eligible to receive any part of
this state aid to rural schools.
There is also appropriated for
schools in Texas for next year $1,000
900 special aid out of the general
fund. This sum, like the rural aid, is
largely drawn from the populous and
wealthy counties. 1t helps to swell
the amount of school money which
goes TO the poorer counties where as
sessed valuations are too low and
where the money drawn from the state
treasury is in excess of the total taxes
which these poorer counties pay into
the state treasury.
Now. then, if Bexar county had its
own county school tax and q brick
school house at every cross roads in
the rural districts, the members of
the Legislature from Bexar county
would join those from other counties
similarly situated and vote in a bloc
against any special school aid being
doled out to the counties which az
scss their property at II or 10 per
cent of its market value. Shaving off
all special appropriations of school
money for the state at large the people
of Bexar county could have saving
of school taxes to lavish on the Bexar
county rural schools and leave sur
plus besides. Keeping down special
appropriations for schools in the
whole state. the wealthy taxpayers
of San Antonio could submit to .
county tax for Bexar county and save
money in the process. In reality the
maximum tax of 81 on the 500 would
remain the same but the proceeds of il
would have to be divided with the
rural schools Of Bexar county TO q
certain extent. The county would have
to pay the same rate as the city, OF
course. To get all the county school
money needed. the assessment of prop
crty for school taxes-made on .
separate basis from the assessment of
property for state taxes-might have
to be raised in San Antonio TO meet
her own needs and in addition help
take care of the rural schools Oh
Bexar county adequately; but, at the
same time, the school taxes for the
general fund to be used by the state
at large could be reduced. The in
crease in the local school taxes for
the entire county would be more thar
offset by the decrease in the state
school taxes.
In this way the large cities of
Texas can build up the rural schools
of their own immediate counties and
save in their total tax money while do
ing so. This plan would leave coun.
ties whose property is undervalued in
a hole. To take care of their own
local schools these backward coun
ties would have to raise their OVID
local assessments, and use the county
unit system when it should be made
available to them on their demand for
it.
The general proposition Of q coun-
ty unit system cannot be beat. The
law we have is crude and undesirable
in many of its features. Still it might
be well to take it like it is and use
it till it shall be properly amended.
In any event the law is here and
should be discussed. Bexar county Will
lose nothing by vigorous and sane
debate on the subject.
Shall the country children in Bexar
county rural districts have school ad-
vantages equal to those of the chill
dren in San Antonio? How many vote
aye? How many vote nay!
JE WATKINS.