Evening star., 1955-11-20

Bh1s MlIlL1cooLd, MlSSlSSlppl, Mis-
souri,, New Hampshire. New Mexico.
New York. North Carolina. Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. WASH
1ngton and West Virginia.
Chief source Of school revenue
in most States is the property tax.
usually levied by local governments.
A surprising number OF the gen.
orally recognized good school"
States-New York. Minnesota and
Oregon. for example--are among
the % which say they want and
need Federal aid. These are States
which stand near the top Of the
10 when 1t comes to income de-
voted to school construction and
amount spent per pupil for current
operations.
Minnesoto's Exomple
Minnesota serves as a typical ex-
ample. It Is second from the top
in percentage OF total income de-
voted to school construction. sew
enth from the top in operating ex-
penditures per pupil. It is clear the
people Of Minnesota have worked
hard to build up good schools. And
it is also plain they want to make
them even better.
Still. the heaviest present tax
burden In Minnesota is not the
maximum that could be borne, ap-
parently. And fewer than 90
Minnesota school districts have
reached their bonding limitations.
South Carolina affords an In
teresting comparison.
In 1960-5l. South Carolinans
we're spending .46 per cent--less
than lf200 Of their total income
for school construction. Then they
launched program of State school
building aid and levied 8 per cent
sales tax. Most Of the revenue
from this was applied to construc-
ton Of new school buildings. BY
1854, South Carolina was out in
front in school construction ex-
penditure IN terms Of percentage
Of personal income.
And today South Cardinals Gov.
George Bell Zimmerman says:
Our financial condition is 30
sound. we could not qualify for
Federal aid under the program pro-
posed by the President"
A State education conference
agreed there is no need In South
Carolina for Federal aid.
While South Carolina advanced
rapidly in school construction ex-
penditure, 1t moved only from 45th
TO 4ist in operating expenditure.
Buildings. apparently. were going
up at the expense Of teacher SAL
aries.
How Much Toxofion?
In lining up States according to
how much money they put into
school construction, 1t should be
borne In mind that some States
might well tax themselves to the
straining point and still be short
Of schoolhouse money--or might
need the money more urgently for.
something else.
After study that stretched over
one and one-half years, the Ma
tional Citizens Commission for
Public Schools concluded.
In the absence OF war or other
unforeseen disasters the United
States in the next 10 years will
have q greatly expanded volume
OF income available for consump-
ton. investment and savings.
Education will grow. hut can be
financed by allocating to public
education a small percentage Of the
increase in national income and
productivity"
Who Collects Toxes?
The money part OF the public
school construction program comes
down to sort Of fiscal version of
button. button. who's got the but
ton?"
Substitute "taxes, taxes, who coll
lects the taxes?" and you've made
a good start toward understanding
why there is agitation today for
Federal aid to States for school
construction.
Where the Federal Government
formerly collected less than as per
cent Of al taxes in the country, it
now collects more than rs per cent.
From this giant revenue, supporters
of Federal aid think the States
could draw In order to build more
and better schools for ali children.
They point out that many States
and local school districts have 80
few sources Of revenue left they're
unable to dig UP the money through
taxes for the schools they need. :
Opponents say politicians in some
States are holding back. expecting
the Federal Government to come
through and make 1t unnecessary
to levy any new taxes-always an
unpleasant chore for politicians
with an eye on the next election.
So. the sides are drawn up. And
somewhere In the middle the Amer.
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