Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-06
u. S. Bulletins Show
Majority of School
Boards Independent

That the relation of school boards
to city officials is a question that IS
being discussed generally throughout
the country is shown by a bulletin
issued last year by the Department
of the Interior, on Administration Of
Schools in the smaller cities prepared
by w. S. Deffenbaugh. The infor-
nation contained in it was collected
by means of a QUESTIONABLE, to which
$40 superintendent in cities OF from
5000 to 10000 population replied.
The aim has been to present not only
the date collected but also certain
Well established principles of school,
administration.
In regard to appropriations, tnls
bulletin states: OF $40 cities report
ing, the board of education in 1875 Of
these must refer their estimates tc
the city council or town finance COM
mittee, in 80 to a board of estimate.
in Is to the people Gas is done In
this city) and in 81 to the county Of
1icials, thus leaving 29S of 500 boards
of education free to make up their
own estimates without referring them
to any other body for approval.
Whether a school board should be
compelled to depend upon the city
council for appropriations has been
a debated question. The claim Of
those in favor of having the school
board submit estimates to the city
council for approval is tina, there
should not be two bodies in the city
having power to levy taxes. since
the two may make the combined
taxes for school and city purposes
too high: that everything should be
spent in the light of the needs of the
city: that there is too much scatter
ing of responsibility. that the affairs
of Il city should he conducted on bust
ness principles as in private cor
poration. thus making it inadvisable
to devide tho responsibility of the
taxing power: and that it would be
just IS logical to have the board Of
health or the police department indie
pendent of the city council.
Those who advocate the divorce
ment of school and city affairs claim
that the school issue is sufficiently
large and different from the issues
of general municipal government to
make it desirable for the school to
have separate attention from the
people: that education is State and
not a municipal function. the state
for the purpose of maintaining and
administering a system of public
education. having found it eXpedient
to create school districts whose boun-
diaries may or may not be cotermin-
Gus with those of the city. This view
that education is Il State and not q
municipal function is held by the
courts as is shown by decisions in
Indiana, Pennsylvania and New York.
DR.. r. +. Cubberly. professor of edu-
cation. Leland Sanford Junior Uni
versity says:
THE experience of our American
cities indicates clearly the desirable
ity of removing the tax-determining
power for the schools from the city
council and of placing it. within GER
tain legal limits to be fixed by the
legislature, with the school authori-
ties. The results have been uniform
ly good in those cities where such
power has been transferred to the
school authorities and the schools of
such cities have in general been able
to make better program than in those
cities where the school department
Still remains n branch of the city
government. The rates frequently
arc higher than under council control
as they usually should be- but they
are not higher that the needs of the
schools would indicate as desirable