The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-05-12
THOMPSON URGES
THREE-FOLD PLAN
FOR n. D. SCHOOLS
Large Financial Units and State
Help Are Declared to Be
Vital Needs
SCHOOL OFFICERS Meeting
Group May Place Initiated Bill
On Fall Ballot as Result
Of Conference

Espousing a three-fold program for
education in North Dakota, Arthur E.
Thompson, state superintendent Of
public instruction, Friday night asked
the support Of Bismarck war veterans
In developing system whereby every
North Dakota child will have the
equality Of opportunity guarantee
him by the constitution.
The three-point program included:
l. Organization Of school districts
into larger units.
2. Indirect state revenue to assist
hard-pressed schools.
3. Federal aid but not federal con-
troll.
Thompson spoke on the crises in
school affairs as part Of q ceremony
marking the presentation to Lloyd
Spetz Post No. l of q citation for
meritortous service to education, is
sued by the American Education As
ISOLATION. Members Of the post edu-
cation committee are w. H. Payne,
high school principal, chairman: Ly-
man Baker and Spencer s. Boise.
Have No State System
Thompson said the state constitu-
ton sets out the finest possible
principles for the development Of an
educational system but that North
Dakota has not had q state school
system since 1890. The result, he said,
IS that many small districts are left
to shift for themselves and equality
Of opportunity Is myth.
Explaining the federal program Of
aid to education in the state, Thomp-
son said it has been of great benefit
but that the only permanent solution
lies In reorganization Of our pres
ent system and help by the state to
units which have been unable to az
ford proper education for their child
rem.
H. o. Saxvik, city school superin-
tendent, supplementing Thompson
remarks, pointed out that there are
school districts in North Dakota
which could not maintain the kind
OF school required by law even if
taxes within the district were paid
in full.
School Officers Meeting
Both Thompson and Saxvik were
speakers at a meeting Saturday after
noon Of the North Dakota School Of
ficers association, called by John
Dawson. Mandan, president, to dis
cuss plans for solving the problems
which schools now are facing.
Invitations for the meeting said it
would survey the fiscal status Of the
educational field in the state.
Out of the sessions was expected
to come some sort of indirect school
tax to increase school revenue and,
at the same time, relieve the burden
on real estate. A variation of the
state sales tax Is known to be under
consideration.
The ideas Of the conference may
be embodied in an initiated bill, to be
placed on the ballot in the fall, or they
may be presented to the legislature
next winter, it was indicated.
In addressing the Legionnaires Fri
day night, Saxvik said school officials
did not support the sales tax proposed
last fall because the schools would
have received only IS per cent Of the
proposed revenue and from that
amount the cost Of administration
would have been taken.
What those costs might have been
under present conditions, he said, is
indicated by the recent audit Of the
beer commissioners department which
showed administrative costs to be ap-
proximately Is per cent Of the rev.
cnue.