Washington telegraph., 1926-09-03
STATE SCHOOL
FUNDSDEFICIENT'
Many Districts Running Is Months
Ahead of Revenues-Great Gains
Made in Enrolment

Amendment NO. 10, Wnlcn Will De
submitted to Arkansas voters at the
general election on October was
designed to save the public schools
from a financial situation which is
hourly becoming more dangerous The
exact condition of public education
in Arkansas can be grasped from a
comparison Of educational conditions
obtaining in 1916-17. when the 12-
mill amendment was adopted, and the
present.
When the l2-mill amendment was
adopted, it was generally thought
that such a measure would provide
adequate revenue for the school dis
tricts. But conditions have changed
greatly during the past eight years.
The cost Of operating schools has ad-
vanced, due to phenomenal growth
mounting prices and an unpresedent-
ed development of public schools. A
causal glance at the following statls-
tics will reveh how rapidly public
schools have grown during the eight
years:
Accredited high schools increased
from l54 in l916-17 to 3l7 in 1926
26.
High school enrolment during the
eight-year peroid increased from 49,
572 to 29,423.
High school graduates gained in
number from 1870 to 4,678.
The number of full time teachers
increased from 5l5 to 1909.
The number of part-time teachers
increased from 1S9 to sci.
Total salaries paid high school
teachers in Arkansas gained from
s. 4-9,S3s to S1,393,36S.
While these increases We're being
made, the rate of taxation remained
the same, and the fact accounts for
the gain in outstanding Indebtedness
which districts incurred when reve-
nues were not sufficient to meet in
escapable expenses. The new ex-
penses were inescapable, obviously,
because the districts could not refuse
admittance to boys and girls who
were justly entitled to public school
education.
During the time that Arkansas
legal rate of school taxation has re-
mained at the same level, observe
what has been happening!
The number of accredited high
schools has double enrolment has
doubled, the number of full time
teachers has doubled, the number of
part-time teachers has trebled, the
number of high school graduates has
trebled, the total amount needed for
teachers salaries has trebled, and the
cost of conconstructing school bldg,
and purchasing standard equipment
has risen proportionately.
Arkansas failure to adequately
fnace public education through a re-
asonable rate of taxation has forced
practically every district of the state
to run from three to ID months ahead
of its revune, not to mention the ne
cessity of meeting bonded indebted
ness. The extent to which this con-
dition has developed is indicated by
the fact that citizens have contribut-
ed 100000 in voluntary gifts 20
help relieve the financial distress Of
the schools The voluntary gifts
were made during the 1925-26 school
year, and are elUfden evidence of
the inbcrn and inherent desire Of
citizens to provide Arkansas children
with suitable educational facilities.
Financial difficulties constitute
the chief burden of the public schools,
as illustrated by the state department
of education report that 83 high
schools acting reasonable financial
support, have failed to meet require
ments for rank as accredited institu-
tons weighed down by the milestone
of debt and deficient revenue, the
schools must somehow continue to
operate, for the most Intellectually,
to meet their obligations to Arkansas
boys and girls.
Today's boys and girls will be to-
morrow's men anf women, and the
question of how well or how poorly
they are to be educated, depends up
on how the state votes on Amend