Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1943-10-09
State School
Support Cuts
Local Taxes
In the Sir Walter Hotel,
Daily Dispatch Bureau.
BY LYNN NISBET

Raleigh, Oct. 9.-Athough several
eiiortS ol legislators during cunSid-
Grafton OF Tie nine months school act
IN me 1913 General Assembly failed
IN their attempts to make reduction
oil local school taxes mandatory. the
record shows that most communities
paying local supplement taxes last
year VIII derive benefit reduction
this year.
According to information obtained
from the comptrollers' office of the
state board OF education. IS admin
iStrative units last year levied spe-
clal taxes for experimenting State
support of the schools. Out of these
80 units, nineteen report definite re-
auctions Tor this year, two will lew
no taxes for the current term: nine
VIII have the same levy as last year,
and seven have not reported.
Data in the State office was not
sufficient to justify dogmatic state
lnent, but II is presumed that the two
units which will levy no local tax
this year had heretofore devoted the
entire proceeds of the levy To Il ninth
month. They are Lincolnton and New
Bern, each of which collected l3
cents school tax last year and will
collect none for the l943-44 term.
The nine units that are expected Ia
make the same levieS this year as
last, with the rate per 500 valuation
OF property are:
Charlotte, 25c: Durham (city). 2Oc:
Gastonia. lac: Greensboro, l5c; Pine
hurst. l5c ReidSville. lOc: Southern
Pines. SOC: Tryun-Saluda, 25c, and
WinSton-Salcm. l5c.
The seventeen units that have nd
vIScd the state board of n lgI3-II
levy definitely lower than last year
include: Albemarlc. from l5c TO
lOc: Concord. from Toe To 3-5c:
Hickory. from l2c Ia &c: StatcsviIlc
l3c 10 &c: Monroe. l5c To Sc: Nor
CANTON. 2ic To l2c: MunrcSviilc, 3uc
la zoe: Newton Cunuvcr. 10 To Zoe
North WIlcsboro. llC la l0c: Raleigh.
lIc to llc: Roanoke Rapids. soc To
43c: Rockingham (cityD. DC To l5c.
Rocky Mount. 25c To 2Oc: SCOTLAND
county. 2Dc To Toe: Wadesboro, pc 10
l3c: Washington (city) l8c Ia Sc.
Wilson tcity), 20c To- l7-l8c.
The seven units on which the state
school board does not have data us
10 this terms special taxes. with last
years rate shown are: ASheviIIe. 2I.-
45c: Burlington. lSc: Elm CITY. Doc.
Elizabeth City. l6c: High Point, dc:
Mount Airy. l5c.
So far as official records i'm the
state office show the status of these
seven city administrative units Is I'M
certain. II Is known that Elizabeth
City has an election scheduled for
| NnNpnNhpr
maximum l6c levy To supplement
state funds.
II the voters of that district should
approve the levy proceeds will be us
ed. as they must be in all other spc-
cIal levy districts now. for raising or
maintaining the standard ur the
schoOl by way of experimenting
teacher salaries, providing laboratory
and work shop equipment. employing
extra teachers above state alloca-
ton. more adequate janitorial scrv-
ice and kindred projects.
Necessity for the election at EliZ-
abcth City (and perhaps for the I'M
certain status Of other districtS) rests
III the fact that after passage of the
1913 nlnc-months act no local taxes
can be collected for the extended
term up To the nine months limit
The attorney general has ruled that
where taxes had been voted for that
specific purpose the levy could no
longer be made. There is no legal ban
on local taxes To provide higher
standards or better equipment.
1t is clearly evident from the fore
going analysis that the nine months
school act does give tax relief III
many localities. 1t is also evident
that the state still falls short of COM
plete uniformity and equality of cdu-
cational opportunity. since 80 admin
iStrative units still levy some taxes
Tor providing advantage above the
state level. The Aycock goal of
equality is still something to strive
FOR.