The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-12-06
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considered together according to Me-
figures.) All this means that the new
districts will have available to pay in
creased teacher salaries and provide
for the maintenance of the schools
the amount of money created by multi
plying the number of pupils enrolled
by $145. Will the board of trustees O
the newly created large district alsC
furnish the money for isolated
schools in the large district?
4. High schools will be financed OF
much the same basis as the element
airy schools with higher rates pei
pupil. Whenever a district fails tC
maintain at least one fully accredited
four year high school that district will
be annexed to an adjacent district
maintaining such high school. Mini
mum number of pupils per four-yeal
high school will be 25 All school
moneys in the new district will be
accounted for in one budget
5. Each district shall provide trans
portation or equal financial aid in lieu
thereof for each child attending pub
lie school who lives two and one-half
according to transportation schedules
established by law. There will be one
schedule for individual transportation
and one schedule for bus Transports
ton" Transportation money will be
furnished by the state, the commission
hnnnC nf hxy Sc
the case now.
Discussion on this point suggested
that some communities in the state
will have more money invested in
buses than they now have in school
housesl With sweeping consolidation
of schools the inevitable development
will be more bus TRANSFORMATION and
more families moving to larger cen
tiers.
How Is The Program To Be
Financed?
1t is proposed that all present levies
for public school purposes be eliminat-
ed. They vary considerably because
of the great inequality of distribution
of taxable valuation Throughout the
state. Some present school districts are
unable to raise enough money to fin
ance their educational work even with
CO. and 70-mill levies because the
property valuation base is too narrow.
The $145 per pupil, financial yard
stick, will be raised from these
sources:
(a) An S-mill levy on all property
in the new district.
OBJ Money received from the In
come and Interest Fund, from other
constitutional sources, from the Fed
eral Government for Indian tuition or
other payments in lien of taxes.
(c) When the moneys received from
the above sources are not sufficient to
maintain the schools the county shall
impose a 17-mill levy on all property
in the county.
I'D When the S-mill and the 17-miIl
plus the Income and Interest Fund
money, etc, will not raise enough
money for the schools the district NAV
make application to the state for
money from the equalization fund. The
amount of money in tho equalization |
remains mystery
(e) A board of trustees of a school |
district may make an additional levy
OF mills for emergency purposes
without a vote of the taxpayers in the |
district
~ There is nothing to prevent each
district from making further levies
upon approval of the taxpayers in the
district.
Who Will Control The SchooIs2
The reorganization contemplated in
the report would take place under the
supervision of reorganization COM
mission appointed by the Governor
and serving for two years.
County superintendent questioning
the authority of such a commission
in local matters were told there would
be none. But the published report says,
"The commission (Governor's) shall
carry on the work of redistricting the
county if the county committee fails
to complete its work by March 1,
194S
In each county a reorganization sys-
tenn will do the actual job of changing
The school boundaries of the entire
county. Their recommendations are
20 be approved by the governors COM
mission on reorganization.
Each new enlarged district so Gre
ated will elect board of trustees
having jurisdiction over all school mat
ers in the district. The report offers
10 machinery for appeal from bad de- {
;isions except through reelection of i
lew board-a slow process on burning |
ssues V
The office of state superintendent c
Will be filled by appointment by the a
tate board of education which, of f
course, is itself appointed by the gov a
'rnor. This will require a constitutions e
u amendment. The report urges TAX "
ng the state superintendent office d
out of politics" citing as an example p
f non-political office that of chan Il
ellor of the Greater University of u
fontana. Do we ever take such offices s.
ut of politics? DR.. Ernest Melby, an G.
educator, and one of the best u
len we have had in the chancellor's Il
ffice found the political climate there v
Unsuitable for a progressive educa-
ional program. Perhaps we should be 81
rank and ask, in whose politics we Il
re interested? II
The status of the county superin- al
Jc 01n To Il,