Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-02-11
PINE COUNTY RURAL
SCHOOL NEWS
Proposed School Legislation.
A. E. GUSTAFSON
County Superintendent

proposed SCHOOL LeglSl6tlOus
Last week we outlined the basis on
which state aids are paid and men
toned that three dollars out of every
four spent in Pine county to operate
our schools come from various state
aids.
The following outline briefly COW
~ers most of the proposed 1887 state
legislation that would affect Mime
sofa schools: Notice that most of
these proposals center around the
general plan for equalization of edu-
cational opportunities throughout the
state.)
The payment of state aids in full.
Most state aids are "prorated' or not
paid in full because of lack of suf-
ficient funds. This year, most OF the
state aids will be prorated at about
SO per cent.
Payment of transportation, as well
as tuition, of rural high school pupils,
grades 8 to 10, to neighboring high
schools. Oimited to $50 per year per
pupil.)
Payment of tuition and transpOrta-
ton of seventh and eighth grade rural
pupils to neishboring Junior high
schools, for those rural districts that
wish to take advantage of it. The
rural teacher with five or six grades
can do a much better job than she
can with all seven or eight grades.
Increasing classification aid of rural
schools in session nine months to
S125 per teacher instead of 500 pro-
rated as it is now. This should en-
courage having nine month terms in
stead of only eight.
Provision for determining and dis
tributing all state aids in October as
it used to be instead of having them
held up until January or February. as
was necessary this year. because OF
certain provisions in the 1885 law.
Also a slight change in the word
ing of the present 1885 supplemental
aid law so that it will actually mean
what it was originally intended. Ito
help the poorer and the tax delinquent
districts" by counting, as income, the
actual proceeds or actual tax receipts
of the legal or 80 mill levy instead
of the whole levy. With considerable
effort we obtained a favorable but
temporary Interpretation from the at
torney generals office in December,
1885. that saved Pine county school
districts many thousands of dollars
in this years allotment. Pine county
is one of the II counties greatly bene-
flied by the change. A slight change
81 Is x12 Ion xxvs1I
insure this protection for the future.
Provision for isolated transporta-
ton aid for rural pupils living three
or more miles from any school. The
present law provides for four or more
miles
Legalizing of the payment, by any
consolidated school district, of trans
portation of nonresident pupils to
school.
The raising of state funds to cover
the extra state aids necessary for
numbers one to seven, inclusive, listed
above. The funds to be raised by
various taxes based on the ability to
pay, and not raised on taxes on per-
sonal property or real estate. One
much money by the net income tax.
Increasing the rates, and also extend
ing to lower incomes than are now in
cluded, will increase the net income
tax returns for school purposes so that
it will provide about S12,000,O00 an
ually instead of 100000 as it did
in 1896. This would take care of the
s3,5OO,0OO deficits which make prorat-
ing of state aids necessary and would
also cover nearly all of the additional
s5,0O0,000 necessary to take care of
the provisions in the laws number two
to seven as listed above. In good
times the net income tax schedule
would raise S25,00O,00O to 100000. 900
annually and would do away with
most of the local property taxes for
school purposes.
Then there are other taxes proposed
that touch the iron ore, corporation
earnings, etc. Like the net income
taxes, these would not affect rural
counties like Pine, to any noticeable
extent. Pine county will receive in
return about $25 or $50 for every dol
Lar paid in income taxes. This is
fair, because education is a state prob
lem and should not be an unreason-
able burden on the rural counties
while the three rich counties and cen
tiers of population and industries re-
ceive most of the benefits and profits.
An effort is being made to divert
part or all of the net income tax
returns away from schools and school
support. This movement will no doubt
be blocked by those who see the great
advantages Of our income tax Law as
1t now stands. Let us keep all of the
net income tax returns for our schools.
Then there are less important pro-
posals covering: State aid for special
county rural school supervisors; ad-
mission of pupils from other districts;
provision for choice of county unit
plan; provisions for recreation pro-