Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1926-09-23


Pasadena, Calf, as follows:
Inclosed please find check for sub
scription to the American for another
year. It's pages are the source of
most interesting news in keeping in
touch with the doings Of my friends.
Since you have always been so very
generous in giving space to COM
munications from us "ex-Askovites"
I would be glad to extend personal
greeting to every one of them.
How do you like California;" l
hear each one ask.
"Oh, fne!" / answer, naturally.
There follows long dissertation
about sunshine and mountains and
things which are very nice but not
Indispensable. There is one point,
however, which may be worth mem
tioning here, since the Askov folks
are greatly interested in the problem
'of education The way California
raises and distributes money for
school purposes is really progressive
and well worth telling about.
1t is a well recognized principle
of American citizenship that every
child should have ample opportunity
to receive an education. However,
it is left to local districts to provide
this opportunity. Some districts are
wealthy in number Of children but
poor in taxable property, while others
have relatively few children but great
wealth in property. This makes for
very serious inequality both as to
educational advantages and burden of
taxation in different districts.
To remedy this condition many
states are assuming more direct con-
troll over education, taking over many
functions formerly left to the dis
tricts. 1t is the policy in these states
to raise the money wherever it is
and spend it on the children wherever
they are, In California, for example,
the state raises thirty dollars per pupil
in average daily attendance both in
elementary and high school grades.
The county also raises thirty dollars
per pupil in elementary grades and
sixty dollars per pupil in high school.
This money is apportioned to the dis
tricts on the basis of number of teach
ers, teacher being reckoned for
each thirty-five pupils in average
daily attendance, or fraction of that
number. 1t is required that most of
the state and county money must be
spent on teachers salaries, hence it
follows that even in an outlying dis
trict teacher is assured of min
imum salary of $1,12O even though
the district raise nothing by local
taxation.
There is no conflict between the
state and local taxing units in raising
school money. The state taxes all
operative property, such as railroads,
mines, oil wells, etc., while the local
units tax personal property, real
estate, etc. This makes some rivalry
as to which sets of property may be
carrying the greater burden, but it
eliminates double taxation,
The total expenditure per pupil
in attendance is about one hundred
twenty-five dollars per year. So, you
see, the state does not stint on edu-
cation. Another rather unusal fea-
,ture is that the state not only fur
nishes all text books, but does it's
own printing and publishing.
The state of Utah recognizes this
same problem, but attacks it differ
emily. In this state levy is made
on all property and distributed ON
the basis of number of pupils in res
fdence in each district. In 1924
this levy was 4.S mills, which raised