The coastland times., 1955-12-09
SCHOOLS
Continued from Page One)

In the face of the millions that
have been brought to the county
by investors, and added to the tax
books in the past ten years, the
county's increased contribution to
school activities has been slight. In
fact, with all the prosperity that
has come to the county, its officials
now contribute more for public
welfare and its operation than it
contributes to schools. Many view
this situation as the outgrowth of
careless and poorly considered
policy of trying to get something
for nothing, no matter what the
cost. 1t has grown to be custom
that it costs nothing to spend all
you can, if you can get it from
the government, State or Federal.
| The situation that has developed
| for several communities is quite
different than had been anticipated.
1t is unlikely there are any hopes
for bigger schools at Manteo dur
ing the coming year or two, nor
for Kitty Hawk either. There will
be no accommodations adequate
for all the children of Kitty Hawk
and the mainland at Manteo either.
This suggests the possibility of
fairly large elementary schools be-
ing maintained in both commu-
mites. The community of Wanchese
six miles from Manteo is so well
for. flied politically that it may
expect to keep its school indefinite
ly.
The most Jealous of school advo-
Gates, to some of whom de-segrega-
ton has no meaning, may find
comfort in the hope that the Fed
eral Government will enter the
picture and pour out millions to
build schools. If that is done, it is
possible many ambitious commu-
mites can get what they want. But
/ in order to get Federal money it
will be necessary for the partici-
pating states to put up equal funds,
and the frame of mind of the peo-
pie of North Carolina is not favor
able to this course. North Carolina
is against segregation, it recog-
nized the evils that would come
about are greater than any that
obtain under the present system in
our state.
The allottments of money this
week from the bond issue for coun,
ties of the Albemarle area, show
Currituck with more pupils than
Dare getting $90,596.75. Tyrrell
which has put more into schools
than into welfare will get $S1 ,245.-
SO. All its pupils go to single
school. Camden gets $99,045.15
And the county of Washington
more than twice as big as Dare OF
Tyrrell, gets $119, 9,358.43.
Dare County got $2s2, 900 from
the Scott bond issue of 1949. II
spent 100000 on the new schoo
at Buxton; $45,000 on the negro
school, and $45,000 on the white
school at Manteo. On Wanchese
Manns Harbor and Kitty Hawk
schools it spent from seven to nine
thousands dollars each. 1t had to
use from both issues of bono
money.
| Now the situation narrows down
to a question simple in words, but
not in performance. Does Dare
County want all the things it has
been hoping some magical allott.
ment from afar might buy for it
and is it willing now that money
hasn't materialized, to pay for il
itself? And that gives thought tt
to another question: Is Dare Coun.
| ty, with all it's some SIS million
extra in property which it may tax
getting the value of the money it is
paying out for the various things
things it buys? Is it providing its
people with the moneys worth Of
the taxes it takes from them anC
spends?