| Show SUPPORT OF DISTRICT SCHOOLS T tre THE following letter has been received and will perhaps be of more than local interest september 18 1683 1883 editor deseret the district school law requires that the trustees shall provide furniture apparatus fuel make necessary repairs to schoolhouses etc but does doea not directly furnish the tha funds for doing this which is 18 the preferable erab le way to obtain 0 this means by a special tax levied in the district or by soliciting donations from liberal residents if when a meeting of taxpayers tax payers of the district be called a tax be refused what course Is advisable for the trustees to follow and if a tax Is ia levied can it be collected an answer to the above will greatly oblige yours truly tax TAS TAyEB the district schools of this thib territory are regulated by law the statutes bearing upon them now in force will be found in the actie of the legislative assembly of 1880 and 1882 there is nothing in them providing for school funds by donation the revenue law of 1878 provides a fund by general taxation for the payment of school teachers tea chera chers the school law of 1880 provides tor for a local option tax of not more than two mills on the dollar per annum for general school purposes it re quires a two thirds majority vote of the taxpayers present at a meeting duly called for the purpose to assess a tax of any amount for building or schoolhouses it the taxpayers do not choose to consent to a tax it cannot be levied and of course the trustees are not under obligations to provide schoolhouses furniture apparatus fuel or anything else for the schools beyond the reach of such funds funda as may b be in their possession the school money nooney raised by genera taxation cannot be used for other than the payment pay ment meat of school teachers The tonly toniy fund left to in the theTus tees hands bands which they have any huny discretion in using la Is the amount received for tuition sees seeb which they may at their option collect of the expenditure pend iture of this money they must account at the annual school meeting an and d if that is endorsed by the registered voters present pr besent it will be considered lawful and valid there Is ia nothing in the law providing tor for the collection by the trustees of donations for school purposes ses seb but if any one ona desires to desist a district school by voluntary donations no sensible trustee would refuse to receive the money and expend it for the purpose intended the preferable way la Is undoubtedly by a special tax because that is the way provided by liy law but it if the taxpayers refuse to agree to tonn lonn an assessment what are the trustees to do we aro are asked why the beat they can under t the circumstances it they can 0 only I 1 keep keeps a poorly furnished school or maintain it buta buts but a part of the year and have but a shabby ill III appointed and inconvenient affair instead of such buch a school as the law bontem plates progress the fault will not be with the district which will show up in un enviable contrast with those die tracts wherein respectable and well furnished schools are maintained it sometimes happens that from various causes school meetings are not fully attended by the taxpayers although duly ca led according to law the tho consequence is that a few tew persons who think more of their money than they do of education are able to prevent the assessment of a necessary necee bary eary tax for inci dental expenses maps chart charf globes and other school apparatus bre sere needed fuel and lights for the winter season good desks debs and seats adapted to the smaller as well as the larger pupils are also in demand but bat those persons care that thata so long as they can escape being taxed to purchase them the Tru trustees steea then if they need means to sustain the school should bee beo to it that the taxpayers are well notified of a school meeting and in the evem event of a small attendance and a failure to levy a tax which Is ia absolutely necessary for tle tte proper maintenance of the school they can try again there ia nothing in the law to prevent other meetings being called so long as the amount levied in one year la Is kept within the limit prescribed namely two per cent on he the t taxable property in the district can the tax bo be yes I 1 a proper course is taken it is col fectea in a great many districts it maybe may be collected in all the thel mt law w provides for its enforced collection when taxpayers neglect or refuse to pay When the district collector is unable to collect a list of the delinquents Is to be ba placed in the hands of the county collector who may proceed as in the case of delinquent county and territorial taxes tases there seems to be ba an idea among some of the people that the three mills on the dollar general annual tax jesall is all nil sufficient lor for school pur poses but they should understand that this can be used for no other purpose than the payment of t chool teachers und nd that t lie lle necessary funds for fuel lights school furnishings and other iother things required in keeping up au emm efm lelent efficient school mus must t be obtained in bome rome other way the assessment of a tax in such amount as the taxpayers themselves decide is the proper method of obtaining funds for thebe these purposes and we thin that nono nogo but gre gres sive saive and selfish people W object to the collection of bf it a small smail tax such as aa is requisite for the support of a good school if the matter is properly explained to them our school system is by no means perfect but if the people want good schools they cad can have them under its workings the law leaves much to the wili will of the people A first class school ibs los thenn eign sign of popular progress and favor to education the character of a district may be determined by the kind of schools it maintains |
