The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-01-23
National Survey Of School
 Finance Shows Education Of Millions In Jeopardy
Present Breakdown Of Traditional Methods Of Financing Public Schools, Says Professor Paul R. Mort of Columbia University, Is Depriving Approximately 9,50O,000 American Children Of Essential Schooling.

10. The report of the National
 Survey of School Finance sets up guides and standards for attain
 ment of equitable indlces for dis
 tributing school funds in every
 state. These provide Q basis on
 which every state can take imme-
 diate action to stabilize the finan-
 cing of It's public schools.
 Improved Methods Needed
 Tn connection with the prelimin- ary reports made yesterday, Pro- lessor Mort declared that the pres ene economic crisis only empha- sizes the need for improved meth ods of financing education.
 Methods now in use were re- vealing their hopeless inadoquacy we'll before the depression began" he said. "The strain and stress of the four years, however, have made only too plain the ineffec- tiveness of our obsolete methods of school financing and have re- acted to the serious detriment of these millions of American ch'!. dren."
 "What is needed" declared Dr Mort, lis not so much Increased ex- penditures of public money for public education but rather a wiser distribution of present support. In many state relatively small increas- es will bring nli the districts of tho state to the level of educational accomplishment now obtaining tn districts of average wealth. The crux of our problem Is ono or method us well as money. The property tax has proven it's hope less failure as a method In every state in the union."
 Tho survey reveals that educa- ton, as q rule, depends upon tho wealth present in tho individual community, regardless of tho pow or or prestige of tho state as n whole. .,
 Professor Mort declares that tho problem Is not to bring all states Into the same pattern of practice, Ho writes:
 Ut Is rather to have each sover- eign state accept responsibility for meeting .attainnble standards ac- ccptnbie to it's. own people and Tor meeting those standards in ways which are in harmony with their thinking"
 According to .the data compiled by the survey, staff, the process or transferring the support of the basic educational program from the local property tax to stnte-ad- ministored taxes other than tho property tax" "may prove to be ot great signtficnnce not only as means of Improving tho system or school support. but also as de. vice for improving the tax system.
 The methods employed by states to distribute tax aid to tho com munities within It's border arc far from desirable, the survey reveals. It adds that mot 0 single state has adopted measurements as equitable as is possible with technique now available"
 The problem of amalgamating small, Inadequate districts for pur- poses of increased efficiency Is onel of tho outstanding problems in car ing for local initiative, tho report comments.
 No Attack On Home Rule
 Tho reorganization of rural school tax districts Is not on ~ tack upon local self-governments mey,t. according to tho report.
 "On the contrary" 1t states, "it| Is 0 desirable step in restoring toA the modern .cltizon 0 right which, earlier generations, faced withl simple educational needs, were able to exercise in the now antl-I duatod tax district.,'
 Inertia exhibited in re.orgunlzlng efficient tax districts In rural areas Is tied up with an antiquatod ilnap- cling system, tho survey starr re- ports.
 "Tho reAnanelng of tho schools tho report declares, because of their very large importance in tho entire governmental budget, lS necessarily associated with tho problem of bringing about q bot. tor utilization of different types of tax sourecB."
 Tho survey. whlle arguing for equalization of tho tax burden. warns that tho development of state minimum programs of edu- cation must not Do allowed to de- prive local communities of tho right to provide education beyond the statewide. minimum.
 yIt points to equalization laws now in operation in Oklahoma and Indiana as l"example8 and instance es whore no tax leoway remains to tho local district by which it may go beyond the.minimum program countenancod by tho statc."