White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-02-01
new SCHOOL BILL BAD
FOR SMALL DISTRICTS

is to place before the legislature the
Showalter Plan to reorganize the
educational system of the state of
Washington has not yet been re-
leased generally to the press. There
is a fairly comprehensive statement
in the Sunday edition Spokesman
Review in which the statement is
made, IF enacted as outlined it would
set up a new financial structure and
new method of management"
According to figures prepared by
County Superintendent Stranwold the
substitution of the new plan for the
old one would mean direct annual
loss to Benton county of approx
mately $1,000. There are 26 school
districts in the county and of these
26, according to Mr.. Stranwold's
figures, seven show gain ranging
from $50 to $4,000 year while the
other nineteen show an annual loss
of from SIS to $4,000. OF the three
districts in the northern part of Ben
ton county, Mr.. Showalter's figures
show that White Bluffs would incur
loss of $435l6; Hanford S531.l6
and Vernita-Cold Creek S72s.52.
A careful survey of the situation
would indicate that the proposed bill
would have even worse financial
effect on the county than is shown
by these figures. Under the present
system Benton county pays to the
State School Fund $13,8OO more than
it receives back in apportionment,
under the Sllowalter Plan this loss
would be increased to $4,000
The state mi1lage to meet the cost
of the additional state aid that would
be given the schools under the Sho-
walter Plan will amount to 3H mills.
In addition Benton County would
have to increase the county levy by
ia mills to meet the requirements
of the new law.
The additional state levy will be
sufficient to allow to the schools of
the state $0.25 for each days attend
ance in the schools of the state
regardless of grade. The County is
to raise sufficient funds by taxation
to pay 10 cents for daily attendance
in the grade school, SIS for daily
attendance in the junior high schools,
and $40 for daily attendance in the
high school. This would affect the
school Finances of the White Bluffs
schools as follows:
The return from apportionment I'M
der the Showalter Plan would give
to White Bluffs schools on the basis
of last years figures $oO31.o5 against
S6,s33.08 under the present law. This
is gain of $2,545.OO, which amounts
to 3s mills, but if we would have
to pay 6 mills to get it, it would be
loss to the taxpayers of the district
Of 2.2 mills or $1,458.6O
The Waite Bluffs schools could
Continue to run under 'the new law
on a district levy of Is mills, the limit
under the law, but this would cost
the taxpayers 81 mills instead of 20
mills Under the present law. But, other
districts would not be so fortunate
for there are IA out of the rs districts
in the county which would pay on
an average of $3,283 to the state fund
and receive $4,000 in return in
apportionment. This would make it
especially difficult for these schools
in sparsely populated sections to main
tain their schools.
The Showalter Plan seems to work
to the advantage of the thickly popu-
lated sections and to the disadvantage
Of the tl1inly populated farming
sections.
A prominent school director and
citizen Of the lower county pointed
out to the writer that the bill seemed
to aim at wiping out the smaller high
schools of the state and from that
fact he could sec disastrous results.
If the high schools are taken away
from the farming districts, he said,
it will mean that the best citizens
will move to place where they can
give their cildren an education and
the result will be ruin for the sparsely
settled farming sections, with the
resulting loss in taxes 1t will also
lave its effect on the smaller towns,
as they are dependent on the farming
sections.
No attempt is made here to deal
with the administrative features of
the law as these will not be known
until the final draft of the bill is made.
But there is little doubt that it tends
to centralize the administration of
Cur schools in the hands of a county
school board of FIVE members, and
to take all real power from the local
boards