Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-01-21
STUDY OF PUBLIC
SCHOOL COSTS

ing placs in the topmOst division Q
states for per capita cost Of pubsi
school eduration- In many years thi
state led all others 10 the amount ess
pended per individual student enrolle,
IN the schools. Between che year
1913 and 1926 the total cost of com
xnOn school education has never beer
lower than $40 300, 900 and It has beer
as high as 100000. Now with
costs again mounting, we hear the
statement, made the meeting of coun
ty superintendants at Helena lasl
week, that new and tremendous sums
are TO be available for public eduea
tion in Montana in 1926. A million
dollars is to be realized from the com
nacn school interest and income fund
and about half a million from the in.
heritance tax payments Of the w. A
Clark estate. So we may expect that
on the basis Of tentative figures Civ
en- out BY the state superintendent,
Miss May Trumper, Montana'a public
schools win have the benefit Of at
least $4,000, 900 for 1925. There are
about 116,5O0 children in the schools
this year. That would make a per
capita expenditure Of s1O2.5O q figure
high enough to put such wealthy and
prosperous states as New York, Mas
sachusetts, Illinois and Iowa in the
background.
Montana's expenditures in the cause
of common school education long have
been the wonder and marvel of stats.
ticians. The question frequently has
been raised whether or not these ire
mendous funds have been wisely and
judiciously administered in behalf of
the children. There has been no par
simony or niggardliness when the wei
fare of Montana's children was at
stake. The people have been more
than generous with their funds. Those
IN charge Of the educational work
hold the most sacred trust Of all and
they mdminister the greatest fund
that The people are called upon to
raise.
It win be interesting to note thar
Montana, with her comparatively
small population, has more schools
than any other inter-mountain or Pa
effIc coast. state except California ana
Calfornia with more than six times
MontanA,s population has less than
twice as many schools. Montana has
more, schools than Colorado, although
her population Is little better than ,
half that Of the Centennial state 1
Asuntmmn has more schools than Ore
ROn, but has only three-fifths as many !
people as Oregon. Montana has all Z
most as many schools as the states
Of Idaho, Wyoming and Utah combin-
I'd. e.
Rkontana's investment in public .
sehool property Il greater that that Z
bf 1s other states and the District a
Of Colufhbia. Her per capita invest o
nsant In such property, per pupil en- I
rolled, 1921, Is greater that that Of ID
nny state In the union, saws Nevada "
which shows per cApita Of s226, but Il
AGonEana's total school property, $685. q
S75. .a1s, is more than eight times that /.
VI Nevada. These are the federal Z
figures for 1922, the
ast available for purposes Of general
E. WITH testimony Of Governor Erick- m
on and other men of wisdom and m
ision that IN many counties Of Mon b,
ana taxes are so high as TO approach OF
he point Of confiscation, II Is a grave m
uestion whether school authorities ia
an be justified in plunging the public hs
nto higher and more reckless public fe
chooI expenditure. Everyone in the til
tate il interested in education for Al
gontana children. No child should be m
r viii be denied such advantages. de
Iut carrying education to the child co
as in many instances been brought We
D an absurdity. The governor point Gu
d out in his inaugural address a year tn
go that there are hundreds Of cases ST
j Montana where the complete rural sly
.hool organization has been carried ca
ut with an enrolment Of two, four tn
: six children. Certainly that is logic COZ
.vr;aS 70 ah@rr5itv The arhcx,I an vvs
lorities know, and the governor has cit
rought it to general attention thar gr
HiIdren 50 located as to make the sis
rganizatiOn Of school prohibitive. pr
! expensive. may to be transported gi'
sily 70 other districts at very slight
'mparitive cost. l2I
The people Of Montana view their be
ablic schools with sentimental az
ctiou that has brought lavish ard
.stInting support for education. Bot VIII
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