Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1926-02-26
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

The letter OF Mr.. B. M. Edelen
in our last issue furnished a real
eye-opener as to what is apparently
going on in our local public school
system. The system followed as
set forth by him as to the selection
of teachers and fixing their salaries
is nothing short of astounding. The
facts set forth in his letter naturally
lead one to believe that the school
board is simply a figurehead. There
are certain duties devolving upon
the board which are mandatory,
among them being the appointment
Of teachers upon the recommended
ton of the Superintendent and fix
ing of their salaries as regulated by
law. The former we presume has
been done, but certainly not the
latter according TO his letter The
law fixes the salaries of teachers
which is fully set out in Section go
of Article N of the Code. OF what
use or good is this law if the same
can be and is abrogated at will by
the school authoritiesl And this
is not all. There is another section
of the school law which is apparent
ly ignored, and not carried out to
the letter. The section we refer to
is Section 56 of Article ~, which
we quote in part as follows; "The
County Board OF Education, each
year, beginning with the year 1916,
shall prepare, subject to the rules
and regulations of the State Board
of Education and on and with the
advice of the County Superinten-
dent, an itenized and detailed school
budget, showing the unexpended
balance on hand or i'll the treasury
of the County Board OF Education
for each specific purpose allowed
and levied by the County Commits
sioners at the preceding levy the
amount of money needed for perma-
nent Improvements and repairs, and
for current repairs, furniture for
old buildings, maintenance and sup
port of schools during the succeed
ing school year, also the estimated
total amount that will be received
from the State, which shall be used
for paying teachers salaries and
purchasing textbooks, materials of
instruction and school supplies; and
finally the amount that will be
needed to be raised by local taxa
ton. This annual school budget
shall be submitted in writing, not
less than twenty days before the
usual date for levying county taxes,
to the Board OF County Commits
sion. We have never heard of the
budget being submitted to the Coun-
ty Commissioners in the time re-
quired by law nor the budgets sub
mitted showing the mexbeHded
balance on hand or in the treasury
of the County Board of Education
for each specific purpose dIlogyed
and IeVied by the County Commits
SionerS at the preceding Levy" These
provisions are inserted in the law to
serve useful purposes, first, to give
the County Commissioners sufficient
time to study the budget, and, sec
ond, that curtailment can be made
in the amount levied the previous
year if possible and the taxpayers
saved money. Both of these pro-
visions are matters of grave con-
Germ to the taxpayers, particularly
the latter, since it may be the means
of large saving to the taxpayers.
The budget presented to the Com
missioners practically at the last
hour and not containing the unex-
pended balance for each specific
purpose must necessarily make the
budget a guess and the levy for
school purposes guess work. The
taxpayers pay out actual money in
taxes for the upkeep and operation
of the schools and should be re-
quired to pay out only what is ac-
tually needed and not what some
one guesses is needed.
We as well as all of the taxpayers
Of the county are interested in the
operation of the public school sys-
tenn upon the highest basis consis-
tent with practicability, that the
boys and girls whose only education
in this life is derived from the pub
lie schools but at the same time all
want the school system operated
under the mandates of the law and
in business manner without favor
or partiality in any manner, shape
or form, which apparently is not
being done at the present time. (
One OF the necessary things for
the betterment of our schools is the
procurement of good teachers and
they can only be procured through
adequate salaries. We favor now
as we have heretofore, adequate
salaries for school teachers, but the
school authorities have no right to
exceed the limit prescribed by law
regardless of their feelings or the
spirit which may actuate them.
The eulogies heaped by the Gov
ernor recently upon the State SUI
perintendent of Education may be
fully deserved, but the curious won
der whether this was for actual and
practical advancement made in the
public school system of this state or
for the splendid political machine
constructed. If there is anything
that should be kept out of the public
school system of this state it is IA |
voritism in any manner, shape or !
form, religion and politics, though
the latter is hard to accomplish with
the Democratic nartv in mower