Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-10-04
Willow River School Notes
Where School Aids Originate.


Last week our Willow River school
received $1S,53O in state aids. Nearly
$4,000 will arrive later. Our state
aids will practically operate our
school this year. Some people have
raised this question: where or what
are the sources of our state aids?'
The eighth article of our state con-
stitution provided for two permanent
school funds for the support of schools.
Q) 1.-THE Perpetual Fund" made up
of proceeds from the sale of all school
lands (Sections 16 and SO in every
township. Through good business
management this fund has grown to
nearly fifty-five millions of dollars.
(2) "The Swamp Lands Fund.-" con-
,sists of the income from the sale of
swamp lands. This fund has now
reached about eleven millions of dol
lars.
"The Endowment Fund" is made up
of the interest or income from these
permanent school funds. This is used
annually to supply most of the state
aids to schools. There is also 'The
Current School Fund" which consists
of the income provided from a state
one mill tax. ''The Special School Aid
Fund consists of sums appropriated
by the state legislature. This is COM
monty called "apportionment."
The net income tax is a new source
of state aid. 1t has already helped to
lower the local property taxes, and
is therefore replacement tax, and is
paid by those most able to pay. An
tax is in the fact that it is distributed
to the rural school districts as well
as the Independent school districts,
and in the proportion of the number
of children listed on the school CEN
sus. This amounted to only about
$3.50 per pupil during the six months
that the law was in effect last year.
1t should equal little more than S.
per pupil this year. With the extern
sion of the brackets and the percent
ages in the net income tax law, this
money, together with the regular state
aids, would no doubt eliminate all
local school taxes in most school dis
tricts in the state.
So the reader can see that very
little of our state aids for schools
actually come from our taxes. On the
other, hand the state aids cut the
local property taxes in the same pro-
portion as the state aids increase.
These state aids are granted to schools
when certain requirements are full
filled. There are the high school,
graded school, transportation, build
ing, library, high school tuition, sup
Elemental, special departments, appor-
tionment, and other state aids. Our
Willow River school is securing all
the state aids possible. This directly
benefits our school district, and indi-
rectly benefits our surrounding terri
tory.
Minnesota and Texas are two of the
leading states in the union as meas
ured by available school funds. Many
other states are not so fortunate.
With the state owned and controlled
permanent school funds, and with the
beginning of a net income tax system
to Shift the burden of the school tax
on those best able to pay, we have
been able to keep practically all of
our schools open during this depres-
sion, and the future looks very prom
Using. Rural Minnesota Gncluding
Pine county, will pay very little in
the form of net income taxes but will
benefit greatly by this tax which will
lower and practically eliminate the
local school taxes.