xt7tht2gbq1d https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7tht2gbq1d/data/mets.xml Kentucky. Department of Education. Kentucky Kentucky. Department of Education. 1933-11 volumes: illustrations 23-28 cm. call numbers 17-ED83 2 and L152 .B35. bulletins  English Frankford, Ky. : Dept. of Education  This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Educational Bulletin (Frankfort, Ky.) Education -- Kentucky Educational Bulletin (Frankfort, Ky.), "Why the Common School Fund Should be Increased", vol. I, no. 9, November 1933 text Educational Bulletin (Frankfort, Ky.), "Why the Common School Fund Should be Increased", vol. I, no. 9, November 1933 1933 1933-11 2021 true xt7tht2gbq1d section xt7tht2gbq1d EDUCATIONAL

i

 

 

 

 

 

WHY THE COMMON
SCHOOL FUND SHOULD
BE INCREASED.

Published by

M, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

JAMES H. RICHMOND
Superintendent. of Public Instruction

 

 

 

 

 

[SSUED MONTHLY
Entered as second-class matter March 21, 1933, at the post office at
Frankfprt, Kentucky, under the Act of August 24, 1912.

Vol.1 0 November, 1933 0 No.9

Li RRARY
, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

SHOULD THE STATE SUPPORT
THE SCHOQLS?

There is but one answer to this question—“Yes.” All public
schools are state schools and their maintenance is, and always has
been accepted in Kentucky as a state responsibility. When the state
passes the burden of support to the local school districts, it is not as-
suming the responsibility for school support any more than it would
be assuming the responsibility for building necessary roads if each
county should be required to build its own roads.

There is a growing feeling that the Federal Government has an
obligation to aid schools. This position is undoubtedly sound, but
the case for federal aid will be much stronger when it is shown that
proper educational standards cannot be maintained under even a
generous plan of state school support.

This bulletin shows clearly that Kentucky has not developed a
satisfactory plan of state school support. It shows that local dis-
tricts carry the burden of school support and that under such a plan
there are glaring inequalities of educational Opportunity. It shows
further that while an increased common school fund Will not com-
pletely remove educational inequalities it will materially lessen them.

These materials have been brought together for this bulletin by
Mr. Gordie Young, Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Recent biennial reports of the Superintendent of Public Instruction,
articles in the Kentucky School Journal, and The Report of the Ken-
‘tucky Educational Commission contain more elaborate treatments of
certain aspects of the problem of school support; however, the pur-
pose herein has been to bring together in a compact statement the
significant arguments for increasing the common school fund.

JAMES H. RICHMOND
Superintendent of Public Instruction.

 

 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

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WHY THE COMMON SCHOOL FUND
SHOULD BE INCREASED
1. INEQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

1. TAXABLE WEALTH

It was upon the principle of the equal right of every individual
that our government was founded. From the beginning of the Amer—
ican form of government to the present, eminent leaders have recog-
nized that the success of a democracy is dependent upon an enlight-
ened and educated citizenship.

In Section 183 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Ken-
tucky, we find the conviction of the makers of the Constitution as to
the importance of education. This section charged the lawmakers in
these words: “The General Assembly shall, by appropriate legisla-
tion, provide an cfi'tcient system of common schools throughout the
state.”

It is not necessary to argue the point that ignorance is a thing to
be avoided, nor to insist that ignorance and poverty go together. It
may be readily shown that those states of the Union and those sec-
tions of this Commonwealth which have put most of their money and
time into a sincere effort to train their youth, progress fastest.

Even though many of Kentucky’s natural resources have not pro-
duced for the state what might have been secured under different
management, vast wealth still exists. The racial characteristics of the
people are such as to form a sound basis for developing a good citi-
zenship, if properly trained. What is needed to bring to usefulness
each of these resources is the training of the children of our state.
This fact has been shown in other states, as well as in sections of our
own state. The best way we can train our youth is through a system
of efficient public schools.

The framers of our state Constitution left no room for doubt on -
the part of the public, nor of the General Assembly, as to their judg—
ment concerning the importance of educating the future citizens of
the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Despite this fact, the present in-
eQHality of educational support does not tend to provide “efficient”
schools “throughout” the state, as set forth in the Constitution.

Chart 1 shows thirty counties which, in the year 1931-32, levied
a tax rate of 50c. It is seen that, in addition to the state per capita’X‘,

* IMPORTANT NOTE—The state per capita shown in this and other
Charts based on the same year is $9. It must be remembered that the per
caplta for the school year 1933-34 is only $6, a reduction of one-third. This
lower Der capita, if charted, would emphasize the inequalities which appear.

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one county realized approximately $42 per census pupil from district
taxation, while another realized only about $5 per census pupil from y
i district taxation—less than one—eighth as much. Although the tax

rates were the same in all counties, the educational opportunities at l
forded the children were vastly different.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CHART 3

This chart shows what actually happened as a result of the 48 different tax rates levied by the 386 school dis-
tricts in 1931-32. Including the $9 state per capita, the revenue available per census child varied as follows: in

county districts, from $51 to $14; in city districts, from $72 to $25; in graded school districts, from more than
$300 to $14.

 

  

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INEQUALITIES WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN l93I-1932H
g ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS LEVIED MAXIMUM TAX RATES

    

EQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY? UNEQUAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT!
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CHART 4

This chart shows what would have happened if all school districts had levied the maximum tax permitted by
law during the school year 1931-32. Disparities in support, instead of tending to disappear, simply become more
pronounced. Including the $9 state per capita, the revenue per census child would have varied as follows: in
county districts, from $75 to $14; in city districts, from $135 to $25; in graded school districts, from more than
$300 to $18.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

This variance in income for the school year 1931-32, may be 11.
lustrated by the following examples. In the Packard independent
graded school district, with, a levy of 750 the revenue arising was ap-
proximately $2.62 per census pupil, while for the same school year
with a levy of only 50c the Anchorage independent graded school
district had a revenue arising from it of approximately $860 per
census pupil. In the same school year revenue arising from city dis-
trict taxation ranged from approximately $15 per census pupil in the
Corbin city district with a tax rate of $1.50, to approximately $80 per
census pupil in the Ft. Thomas city school district with a tax rate
of 85c.

The inequality of Opportunity in Kentucky appears in striking
fashion when all districts of the three types are brought together for
comparison. This is done in Charts 3 and 4. In these charts there is
one bar for each county. Where there are several independent graded
districts within the county, the revenue indicated by the symbol is a
composite for all independent graded districts within the county; the
same is true of the city school districts.

By a comparison of these two charts, it can be seen that both the
levy actually made and the maximum levy which could have been
made show the same general curve from a comparatively large amount
of revenue available per census pupil to a very small amount. This
is true with respect to all three types of districts and clearly shows
that more adequate state support for all schools is the solution to the
problem.

In Chart 5, there is a comparison of the revenue available for the
school year 1930-81 in five counties representing a cross section of the
state from \Vest to East. This shows, in a striking way, that in-
equality in educational opportunity is true not only with respect to
various parts of the state but that great disparities exist even within
the boundaries of a single county when such a county includes several
school districts. I11 Pulaski County, for example, a child in the
county district had educational opportunity available for $15 (includ-
ing the state per capita) while a child in the same county but residing
in one of the independent graded school districts, received educational
advantages which may be purchased for $50~more than three times
as much.

From the studies represented by these charts, and from other
comparisons of the various types of school districts, certain definite
conelusrons may be drawn with respect to school districts 111 Ken-
tucky:

1. There is a variance in income available for instruction. '

2. Major responsibility for financing the school program of the state 1S
borne by district taxation. .

3. The revenue varies in each case according to property valuation.

4. The cost per census pupil for instruction varies according to the total
revenue realized from district taxation for instruction purposes and the
number of census pupils.

    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
   
  
    
   

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PREPARED EN W‘C‘ BELL

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OCTOBER ~

CHART 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
   
 
 
  
 
   
  
  
   
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 

 

 

 

 

 

   
  
  
   
  

 

 

 

 

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Variance in financial support gives necessarily inequality of Opportunity.
There is a wide difference in training and experience of teachers.
There is a wide range in payment of teachers for rendering very similar
service.

Our dual plan of financing the state‘s public schools needs adjusting
in such a manner that the burden of taxation will be more nearly
equalized, so that more nearly equal educational opportunities may be
provided.

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One major factor, therefore, which contributes to the variation
in the financial support of the public schools is the great variation in
the value of taxable property in these districts. It may be noted that
the per census pupil revenue varies in each of these instances accord-
ing to the property evaluation behind each pupil. ’

It is apparent that when there are wide differences between the
distribution of wealth and school population, there is gross inequality
of educational support, which must result in inequality of educa-
tional opportunity, whether the same or different tax rates are levied.
Some adjustment must be made so that the burden of school taxatiOn
may be more nearly equalized and that more equity of educational
opportunity may be provided.

In order to do this, the common school fund must be materially
increased. This would relieve county, city and independent graded
school districts, where little wealth exists, of the necessity of taxing
themselves beyond reasonable limits. I t would also enable school dis-
tricts having more wealth to reduce materially their school district
tax rates. This would result in more nearly equal tax burdens and
would provide greater assurance of an efficient system of common
schools throughout the state.

2. SCHOOL CENSUS

A second major factor contributing to existing inequalities is the
distribution of pupils as revealed by the school census. Thus far
comparisons have been made 011 the basis of taxable wealth of the
different school districts. Discovery of the fact that the same com-
parative inequality in educational support exists in county districts
whether a levy of 50c or the maximum of 75c was made has led some
to wonder whether raising the maximum "rate for the county to as
much as is permitted for independent graded school districts would
provide the educational advantages desired. A study of the inde-
pendent districts, however, shows a variation similar to that found 111
the counties. It is therefore necessary to examine other factors and,
in this connection, studies based on population have been made.

Charts 6 and 7 reveal two interesting things: first, that Ken-
tucky’s children are located in all parts of the state, there being rela-
tively few centers of dense population; second, that the wealth of
the various communities as indicated by the amount of money avail-
able for school purposes is not distributed as evenly as are the ch11-
dren. In other words, every school district has children to educate,

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:‘stumty, - but some districts have ten times as much money per child as others
similar ' for educational purposes.
ljustin 1. It must be remembered, too, that the effectiveness of school sup-
new? .1 port cannot be measured alone in terms of tax revenue available for
may be ' each census child because it does not tell the entire story. It is more
expensive to finance a given standard of rural education if the school
riation 1 population is sparse than it is if it is dense. For example, ina'county
tion in l wherethere are five children per square mile, the responsibility of
ad that financing a given standard of education is greater than it would be
accord. 1 where there are ten to fifteen children per square mile. When the
, l census shows five children per square mile, it should be borne in mind
1 that in calculating the number of children per square mile the popu-
len the lation of the villages, towns and cities is taken into account. When
113mm : there is deducted from the total school population the number of chil-
fevllcg' i dren that reside in these areas, the density of the population outside
, 1.6 ' of them is less than it really appears to be from figures derived by
[32.1mm calculating the number of pupils per square mile on a population
ational ‘ that includes the children in these centers.
, ' Large sections of our state, having great numbers of children and
erially ' limited property valuation, cannot, through district taxation, provide
graded l adequate funds to support the minimum educational program re-
taxmg l quired by law. '
liitfigt l Because of the court decision in the case of Talbott, Auditor, v.
as and ? State Board of Education, 244 by. 826, which was filed for the pur—
>mmon pose of determining whether the Equalizatlon Fund prov1ded by the
1930 Legislature was constitutional, it is felt that the Court of Ap-
peals would declare unconstitutional any law which provided for the
l distribution of the common school fund by any method other than
. ‘ on the census basis. Since the money must be distributed on the per
15 the , capita basis, the only means left of providing educational support
us far 1 that may be as evenly distributed as is the enrollment of children, is
Of the V by enlarging the common school fund.
3 com- l Chart 8 offers another striking illustration of the unequal distri-
Stmts ‘ bution of wealth as compared with the distribution of children. It .
:1 some shows three groups of county districts, each having the same number ;'
to a; of census children. The average revenue per pupil for the first group ,
woul . is $46.63 while that for the third group is $14.25—a ratio of about ;
’ inde- ( three to one. It is interesting to note, in this connection, that when 5
Ema? ‘ revenues from local taxation alone are compared, the ratio is about 1
5 an ’ l seven to one. This is a concrete illustration of the manner in which ‘
r an increase in the state per capita brings about a rapid decrease in the
3 Ken- I ratio of disparities in financial support.
g “313% A larger school fund is essential in order to furnish educational
11th 9 la opportunity for the children of those communities less fortunately
“:3: ' situated as to wealth.
litigate Schools are maintained for the benefit of the children and their
’ I‘ welfare is the primary consideration. It is the children who suffer
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ENQQLLMENT @F @HHLQQEN
IN THE PUBLlC SCHOOLS
BY COUNTIES FOR 1930—1931

ONE DOT EQUALS c500 CHILDREN

  
   
      
    
     

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CHART 6

This map shows where Kentucky’s school children are located. Although there are a few centers where the school population is more
dense than the average, the striking fact shown by this map is the comparatively even distribution of children in all sections of the state.
Contrast this with the map shown below.

 

 dense than the average-Ht}; stri i n: a ammu- ouuuien are located A tho gh ther
_ _ k ng fact h w“ I: - . _ e are a few centers where the ' -
Contrast this Wlth the ’map shown be10w.s o y ”“5 map '5 the °°mparat|Ve|y even distribution of children in sacll:osoe'clg’ioopnlsuaoigophE's In?”

BUT—KENTUCKY’S EDUCATIONAL DOLLARS ARE NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED

  
  
 
      
    
     
         

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lN TOTAL DOLLARS EXPENDED YEARLY
FOR EACH FEUBLIC SCHOOL CHILD

NROLLED
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AVERAGE DOLLARS PER YEAR FOR THE TEN YEARS mm
19 21‘1931

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CHART 7

This map shows that Kentucky’s educational dollars are not distributed according to the needs of Kentucky’s children. In some sec-
tions, education! receives only one-tenth as much support as in others. Under these conditions, equality of educational opportunity Is Im-
possnble. It should be noted that the shading shows total dollars per child, and not total dollars per county.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

from the poor buildings, inadequate equipment, and inferior teaching
personnel which result from insufficient support. Since the teacher,
however, is the most important single factor in the child ’s education,
reference should be made to the injustice which the present method
of support works upon the teachers.

Two teachers, twin sisters, graduated from college at the same
time. They were both ready for positions at the same time. On a
certain day there appeared at the college where these sisters were
finishing their college course, a superintendent from County X, and
he agreed to employ one of the twins, whom we shall designate as A.
The training, experience, etc., of this teacher would provide a salary
of approximately $100, according to the salary schedule of that
county.

In another building, on the same campus, there came the super-
intendent from the county of Y and employed the other twin, who
had exactly the same training, amount and kind as the other sister.
We shall designate this sister as B. The training and experience of
teacher 13 was such that in accordance with the Y county salary
schedule she would receive approximately $30 per month. These two
sisters were employed to teach, the eighth grade in the schools of the
respective counties.

It may be said that. it is very unfair to have two teachers of ex-
actly the same training and ability, and who are to do the same char-
acter of work, to be employed at such a variance in salary. But the
inequality and unfairness is much greater than that. The sister em-
ployed in X county will teach for a term of nine months, while the
one employed in Y county will teach for a term of only six months.
Since the salary in Y county is approximately one—third of that paid
in X county, it will be interesting to find now what per cent the total
yearly salary of the sister who teaches in Y county is of the total
yearly salary of the sister who teaches in X county.

Even though imaginary counties have been used, and the figures
may not be exactly accurate, they are so nearly so that the example
well represents the disparities of educational support in our state.
This is not only unfair to the teachers who teach in those communi-
ties, but the children who go to school in those communities are 110’5
provided the equity of educational opportunity which they justly de-
serve, and for which the state is surely responsible according to its
Constitution.

 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

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THREE GROUPS OF COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS
EACH HAVING A CENSUS OF APPROXIMATELY 36,000
g 1930 1931
8 AVEQAGE DER PUplL REVENUE ‘ CITY SCHOOLS
53 ‘ “.3
' - -. ‘3’ AVERAGE FOR GROUP
4; ‘ ‘ .Vi' 1; ‘ ‘
4g ‘_ V 7.: Z X l “:3 AVEQAGE PER PUDlL REVENUE - GK’AULD SCHOOLS
35— .3 ' . .‘ 8
:3. 321 ‘_ ,- ’ r; . >1 2' . ‘> U AVERAGE Fon GDOUP
Q ”T :L»? j 'I V’ " '- ’- AVEQAGC DER PUPIL REVENUE coum’vscnoon
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— ' ‘ * AVERAGE FOR GROUP
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GRDUP I GROUP 11 GRDUP In
In COUNTIES M— COUNTIES ID COUNTIES
If PREPARED av w.c, BELL ~ STATE DEPARTMENT 0;: EDUCATION ~ ” '
FRANKFORT KEfiTUCKY ~ OCTOBER ‘9324
CHART 8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lI. EDUCATION A STATE RESPONSIBILITY

The Constitution of the United States originally made no men-
tion of education of the people. It does not appear that education
was mentioned in any debates on the Constitution in the Federal
Constitutional Convention. The Tenth Amendment to the Constitu-
tion, and which was ratified in 1791, states:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,
nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively
or to the people.”

By the terms of this Amendment, education became one of the
many unmentioned powers “reserved to the states.”

Gradually, but slowly, after the establishment of our Republic,
the different states made laws governing education. The history of
this gradual expansion of our educational system and the gradual
transfer of powers from district to county and to state in the interest
of better organization and more efficient administration, form an in-
teresting part of our nation’s growth. Lack of space prohibits a full
discussion of this development. During this growth, new needs and
new problems have arisen in our democratic life. For many of these
new problems, education has been seen to be almost our only remedy.
Thus public education has been established as an essential state in-
terest, and the principle that the wealth of the state must educate
the children of the state needs to be firmly fixed in the minds of all.

Free public education today is conceived as a birthright of every
child 011 the one hand, and as an exercise of the state ’s inherent right
to self-preservation and improvement on the other. It is, therefore,
one of the most important duties of the state, because the children of
today are the voters of tomorrow. To prepare them well for their
duties is the Opportunity and responsibility of the state.

The relation of the public school to the state is clearly defined in
the case of City of Louisville v. Commonwealth, 132 Ky. 488, de-
cided by our Court of Appeals. The court said:

“Whilst public education in this country is now deemed a public
duty in every state, and since before the first federation was regarded
as a proper public enterprise, it has never been looked upon as being
at all a matter of local concern only. On the contrary, it is regarded as
an essential to the preservation of liberty—as forming one of the first
duties of a democratic government. The place assigned it in the delib-
erate judgment of the American people is scarcely second to any. If it
is essentially a prerogative of sovereignty to raise troops in the time
of war, it is equally so to prepare each generation of youth to discharge
the duties of citizenship in time of peace and war. Upon preparation
of the younger generation for civic duties depends the perpetuity of this
government.”

Assuming that the state has the responsibility for educating its
children, and that it has authority to do so, we are at once faced with
the question of how much of the total educational program it must

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assume. If it sets educational standards which must be met, as a
minimum, it seems but logical that it should assume financial respon-
sibility for such a minimum program as it prescribes.

To guarantee financial support of the public schools of the Com-
monwealth, will guarantee, by the state, an amount which will pro-
vide an essential minimum program of education for every child in
the state. This is in accordance with Section 183 of the Constitution
of the state, which states that the General Assembly “shall provide
for an efficient system of common schools throughout the state.”

RESULTS or AN INCREASED STATE SCHOOL FUND

In order to illustrate the effect which an increase in the common
school fund has on the state’s educational program, four interesting
charts have been prepared. Charts 9, 10, 11 and 12 show, respec-
tively, what distribution by the state of per capitas amounting to $9,
$12, $16, and $20 will accomplish. All of the charts are based on
1931—32 tax collections in the county districts, and, in every instance,
as the state per capita has been increased, the local tax rates have
been correspondingly reduced so that the total amount expended for
the state as a whole will be approximately the same. The informa-
tion contained on these charts for county school districts presents a
picture which is also typical of the independent graded and city
school districts.

Chart 10 shows the county district revenue per census pupil
based 011 tax collections for the year 1931—32 with a state per capita
distribution of $9 (the amount actually distributed in that year) and
assuming that all counties throughout the state impose a local tax
rate of 50c. Note the large number of counties which fall into the
three lower classes.

Chart 10 shows the results of distributing a $12 per capita de-
rived from state—wide taxation and the income from a 410 tax levy
in all the county school districts. In comparing this with Chart 9,
it will be noted that such a distribution would completely eliminate
the lowest class and would substantially reduce the number of coun-
ties falling in the second lowest class.

Now c