The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-05-04
WRITTEN AND CLIPPED
10 the Editor Of the Hartford

OVuIaAL
The educational bill which 10 to
come before the General Assembly
asking For an increase in the state
granted Is deserving of
|serieus considerations by Vail citi-
|zens. AS an educator, realize the
fundamental need of sufficient finan-
EciaI support for proper education.
Taxation is the legitimate source OF
this money. No disbursement of
state funds is more fruitful than
monies expended ON education. AS
an official engaged in the guidance
and supervision Of system Of pEi-
waite institutions, I do not cenfine
my vision to that field alone. Al
though I have at heart the. inter-
tests of some A. Geo grammar school
children. my sympathy ID wide
Eenaugh to consider and support the
educational interests OF thousands
sOf other children in public schools
Eof Connecticut. No enc horn and
hired in Connecticut wants to see
|Connecticut's schools fall below
their standard of efficiency and
achievement. Were I to present a
partisan argument, might say
that the welfare of the public
schools invites my interest because
there are perhaps more Catholic
schildren under public school enroll
sment than under parocial school.
Benrofiment.
School monies, however, should
be obtained on the basis of Just leg
sislation. The enumeration grant law
as it now operates is an unjust law
The bin seeking to double the emu
mefatfon grant is~a doubIy unjust
law. The enumeration grant law is
"a law that belongs to the 18th
Century. when there were no paro-s
chial schools in Connecticut. We
are living in the Twentieth Century,
when parochial schools are giving
education to $4,000 children annu-s
ally. Are not these $4,000 children
citizens of the State? Are not their
IS, Gee parents citizens OF the State ?
Do they not merit the consideration
and rights Of citizens? Or does the
State intend to, penalize them and
charge them for an education that
they do not receive? Last year the
public schools of this State actually
counted the $4,000 children in the
parochial schools and Melted into
their Golfers 100000 for services
not rendered. Is it just to take pub.
lie monies for service not rendered I?
A recent contributor to the
Forum stated that enumeration of
school children is done for the pur-
pose of establishing total school
census. The Diocesan Office OF Po-s
grochial Schools takes a census of
its pupils every October and sends
results to the State Once Of Educa-
ton free OF charge. But that is not
enough. The enumeration law per-
mits the employment of an enumer-8
sator who gets fee of ten cents for
every child's name submitted. For
scouting the 5000 children who
were not in the public schools last
year, the neat sum Of $500 might
legally be paid. Then came the
enumeration. grant of $101 ,000. And
where did This money go? was r.
Eequitably proportional a1ncRg all
the public schools of the state? Oh.
mol Ir went to the lucky. pub1ic3
schools that happened to be located
near parochial school. Fortunate
LOCATION, mdeed!
The attempt underway now is To-
double the enumeration grant and
raise the rate from $2.25 a child to
IS a child, so that the coming emu
;merations by counting the Darocflial
school children win net over $780,
600 for services not rendered. Are
fair minded citizens of the STATE
willing to pay for this sort Of
thing? Taxation has always been a.
subject on which Connecticut Yam
KEGS have sought representation
and Justice. Wise citizens and rep
fresentatires will do well to- look
into basis Of enumeration grant and
question the justice of distribution.
dishonesty in appropriation even
works an injustice upon rural
schools. A town where there is no.
.parechiaI school may have more
|chiIdren in the public schools than
the public schools OF another town:
yet. neishboring eewn counts; the
EparpchiaI school children as though
they were theirs and gets q larger
grant than the town with larger;
public school enrichment For ex-,
ample, West Hartford has more
Echildfen in the public schools than
Middletown. But West Hartford re-
Heeives q lesser grant than Middle
town because Middletown reaps the
unjust harvest OF padding the emu
Fmeration by counting more than
nine hundred children in the pare
chfal school.