The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-03-31
RECENT LEGISLATIVE ACTION
DID NOT INCREASE SCHOOL
CAIARIES

NOI lNSEbIftSE ONH1OOh
SALARIES
The newspapers of the county car
ried an article last week stating that
the school teachers of Cecil county
would receive an additional $37 ,44O
in salary as result of legislation
passed at the Special Session of the
Legislature This sounds as though
the teachers will receive am addition
al salary to that now being received,
but such is not the case, the new
legislature merely continuing legis-
lation passed at the regular session
of the Legislature held in January,
1913.
At the reguarl session of the Leg
islature in 1913 bill was passed
and signed by the Governor, Irovid-
Ing an additional compensation OF
$4,000 per month to each teacher,
beginning with July, 1913. and end
ing with April, 1944-a total of
5000. If appropriate legislation had
not been passed by the Special SEES
sion of the Legislature this month,
each teacher would have taken a
cut in salary of $4,000 per month.
beginning with the May saalry. UNI
less each individual county provided
vided the necessary frmds to con-
tinue additional compensation. AS
it now stands the legislation passed
by the Special Session continues the
$40 additional monthly compensation
to each teacher, beginning, with May,
1914, and ending with June, 1915
exclusive of July and August. 1914.
OF this $4,000 the State provides
$4,000 and each county provides
$50 for each teacher as required by
the recent law passed by the Special
Session of the Legislature.
The article on teachers salaries
also carried statement regarding
the expenditure of funds for public
education in Maryland this year in
relation to past years. Along this
line, the following excerpt quoted
from recent bulletin entitled
planning Postwar Education
Program for Maryland" written by
Dr.. Thomas G. Pullen, Jr., State SUI
perintendent of Schools should be
enlightening:
LAS a matter of fact, the increase
in the amount devoted to public ed
ucation in the State has not kept pace
with other governmental eXpendl-
lures, nor with the increased burden
imposed upon the schools. This, too,
despite the very generous increases
that have been made in State appro-
priations during the past few years.
In 1922, when the equalization fund
came into existence but year before
it began to function. the schools re-
ceived S2,7S3,703 from the State, or
20 per cent of total State expendi-
lures from general and special funds,
excluding loan funds. In 1942-43, the
appropriation was $7,S81,74S, or
LAG per cent of the total State bud
get general and special, a decrease
of 54 per cent (The percentage for
1943-44, when the State budget i'll
cludes temporary adjustment for
teachers salaries, is 1876; still 1.5
per cent below 1929
In 1922 the county tax rate for
current expenses Of schools ranged
in the various counties from At
cents to 80 cents on each 500 worth
of assessed property; the average
was sc cents In 1942-43 the range
was from 40 cents to 70 cents, the
average being 81 cents, or decrease
of cents. During the same period
the population of the State grew
from 1,486,034 to 1,956,971. and the
number of pupils in attendance from
128,5S2 to 192,267 in the elementary
schools and 1876 to 55,525 in the
high schools. When it is considered
that the cost of high school education
is so much greater than that in the
elementary schools, the linn
amount of increase is remarkable.
During the same period the qualifi-
cations of teachers were raised to
one Of the highest in the country,
with no increase in cost in the State
minimum salary until 1889"