USA > Missouri > St Louis County > St Louis City > Education in Indiana. An outline of the growth of the common school system, together with statements relating to the condition of secondary and higher education in the state and a brief history of the educational exhibit. Prepared for the Louisiana purchase exposition, held at Saint Louis, May 1 to November 30, 1904 > Part 17
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172
EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
belongs to woman by virtue of her own nature and her maternal function, may be exercised by women." The committee by cir- cular letters and by its convention programs has sought to enlist each individual club in a study of the schools and the press of its locality.
Mrs. Virginia Meredith was appointed chairman of the "stand- ing committee on home economics." The announced object of the committee is to promote a public sentiment favorable to the teaching of home economics in the common schools and the colleges of the state.
"The wise use of knowledge, time, energy and money, in what- ever pertains to the home, is the scope of home economics. Many clubs have observed the request of this committee to have special programs during the year, while in some instances clubs have had a series of consecutive programs dealing with the several phases of home economics. Speakers from schools and colleges where the subject is being taught have addressed the annual con- ventions. There are a number of schools in the state where a beginning is being made by the introduction of subjects closely related to the art of living. School superintendents usually are favorable to the idea, and when the club women of a town are sufficiently informed to be hospitable to the proposition to intro- duce this subject into the school, they become a helpful influence and one that sometimes prevents the too narrow conception of the subject which would limit the teaching to cookery and sewing. They may also prevent this by insisting upon specially prepared teachers who are competent to give instruction in hygiene, the distribution of income and house furnishing. The proposition that home is a place and an opportunity for the right development of the physical and spiritual natures is the basis for seeking to bring about a system of education that will give some degree of preparation to the one who would organize a home. The subject is not considered exclusively a woman's subject, but, on the other hand, is thought to be so difficult and so far-reaching in its influence that the intelligence and sympathy of men is solicited in its behalf."
Mrs. Harry Cook, of Evansville, was appointed chairman of the "standing committee on business," which has charge of all the business of the annual convention, even including resolutions
173
EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
and elections. It contributes greatly to the rapid and orderly transaction of the business of the convention.
At the request of the standing committee on fine arts a stand- ing committee on music was authorized with Mrs. Eunice 1. Yonche, of Crown Point, chairman.
The union of literary clubs is intelligent upon and interested in public questions, and has brought to its annual conventions the best thinkers upon educational and sociological themes, while the exhibition of the paintings of Indiana artists at Huntington in 1895, the "composition of a picture," graphically illustrated by W. R. French, at Evansville, in 1902, and the "embellish- ment of backyards," shown by stereopticon views from the Na- tional cash register company, of Dayton, Ohio, have had a benefi- cent influence not easily over-estimated because so widely dif- fused.
The union discussed forestry and asked legislative action before the present forestry laws were passed. At the present time it is asking a law making it mandatory that school boards shall include at least one member a woman.
The Indiana union of literary clubs is one of the potential forces in creating public sentiment favorable to advanced methods and agencies in education : it has become so on account of the scope of subjects embraced in club programs, the earnestness of its membership and the wide distribution throughout the state of its constituent clubs, the aggregate membership of which reaches into the thousands.
XII. SCHOOL FUNDS.
A. COMMON SCHOOL FUND-$8,032,654.79.
1. HISTORY.
From the State Constitution.
Sec. 2. The common school fund shall consist of the congressional township fund, and the lands belonging thereto;
The surplus revenue fund:
The saline fund, and the lands belonging thereto;
The bank tax fund and the fund arising from the one hundred and fourteenth section of the charter of the state bank of Indiana;
"The fund to be derived from the sale of county seminaries, and the moneys and property heretofore held for such seminaries; from the fines assessed for breaches of the penal laws of the state; and from all for- feitures which may accrue;
All lands and other estate which shall escheat to the state for want of heirs or kindred entitled to the inheritance:
All lands that have been or may hereafter be granted to the state, where no special purpose is expressed in the grant, and the proceeds of the sales thereof, including the proceeds of the sales of the swamp lands granted to the state of Indiana by the act of congress, of the 28th of September, 1850, after deducting the expense of selecting and draining the same;
Taxes on the property of corporations that may be assessed by the general assembly for common school purposes.
Sec. 3. The principal of the common school fund shall remain a perpetual fund, which may be increased but shall never be diminished: and the income thereof shall be inviolably appropriated to the support of common schools, and to no other purpose whatever.
Sec. 4. The general assembly shall invest, in some safe and profitable manner, all such portions of the common school fund as have not hereto- fore been entrusted to the several counties; and shall make provisions. by law. for the distribution, among the several counties, of the interest thereof.
Sec. 5. If any county shall fait to demand its proportion of such interest for common school purposes. the same shall be reinvested for the benefit of such county.
Sec. 6. The several counties shall be held liable for the preservation of so much of the said fund as may be entrusted to them, and for the payment of the annual interest thereon.
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EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
Sec. 7. All trust funds held by the state shall remain inviolate, and be faithfully and exclusively applied to the purposes for which the trust was created.
The purpose of the general assembly in 1852, upon the adoption of the new constitution, was to consolidate the several school funds into one common fund (see Art. viii, of constitution of Indiana), but the supreme court (6 Ind. 83) decided at the November term of 1854 that the con- gressional township fund could not be so used. We have then two dis- tinct funds, known as the congressional township fund and the common school fund, which latter is made up of several funds, such as the surplus revenue fund, the bank tax fund, the saline fund, sinking fund and the seminary fund. (See R. S. 1881, sec. 4325, and school law, sec. 4325.)
B. THE CONGRESSIONAL TOWNSHIP FUND- $2,465,983.65.
1. HISTORY.
The congress of the United States, by an act passed on the 19th of April, 1816, "to enable the people of the Indiana terri- tory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of such state into the union on equal footing with the original states, offered for the free acceptance or rejection of the people, the proposition among other propositions that the section of land numbered 16 in every township, and when such section has been sold, granted or disposed of, other lands equiv- alent thereto, and most contiguous to the same, should be granted to the inhabitants of such township for the use of schools, on condition that the convention of the people in forming a state constitution should provide by an ordinance irrevocable without the consent of the United States, that every and each tract of land sold by the United States should be and remain exempt from any tax, laid by order or under any authority of the state, county, township, or any other purpose whatever, for the term of five years from and after the day of sale."
In 1827 the legislature of Indiana applied to congress to ex- tend to the general assembly the power to sell the school lands. By act of congress, 1828, such request was granted and the trust estate became a "trust fund."
The provision of this act declared that "Said land, or any. part thereof, shall in no case be sold, without the consent of the inhabitants thereof."
176
EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
By virtue of acts of January 24, 1828, congressional lands were authorized to be sold and the money loaned, the interest applied to the use of schools.
By virtue of an act of 1833, February 2, which provided for three trustees for each congressional township and for a school commissioner for each county, the inhabitants of each congres- sional township were authorized to determine by vote whether the moneys received from the sale of lands should be forwarded to the state loan office (established by acts of January 9, 1821) or loaned to the citizens of the county.
In 1838 (see R. S. 1838, p. 509) each congressional township was made a body politie and corporate, and the affairs of the several congressional townships situated within each county were managed by a school commissioner who made deeds for the lands sold and loaned the money for the use of the township.
In 1843 the legislature (art. viii, sec. 114) made the counties liable to the inhabitants of the respective congressional townships for the preservation of said fund, and the payment of the annual interest thereon, at the rate established by law. Up to that time $27,918 were lost to this fund through the failure of mortgagors to pay the funds borrowed in full.
The county auditors of the several counties manage this fund, loaning it upon mortgage secured by real estate, at 6 per cent. interest, and the interest is collected and apportioned within the respective counties managing it.
EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
177
C. TABLE SHOWING INCREASE IN FUNDS FROM 1853 TO 1903.
Year.
Total Fund.
Year.
Total Fund.
1853.
$2.278,5SS 14
1883.
$9,271,748 79
1854.
2.559,308 12
1884.
9,339,205 58
1856.
2.785,358 87
1885.
9,458,085 71
1858.
2,860,609 72
1SS6.
9,518.887 83
1860.
3.293,426 70
1887
9,617.250 49
1862.
7.193,154 91
1SSS.
9,654.552 05
1864
7.778,355 94
1889.
9,765,598 25
1866
7.611,337 44
1890.
9,784,170 56
1868.
8.259.341 34
1891.
9.856,585 77
1870.
8,575,047 49
1892
9,986,855 59
187:
8.437.593 47
1893
10,057,649 37
1873.
8.590,239 00
1894.
10.157,163 32
1874.
8.711,319 60
1895
10.141,316 47
1875.
8,799.191 64
1896.
10,218,432 19
1876.
8,870,872 43
1897
10,256,418 72
1877.
No record
189S.
10,303,184 01
1878.
No record
1899
10.312.015 27
1879.
No record
1900.
10,359,959 05
1880
No record
1901
10,390,326 33
1881.
No record
1902.
10,443.885 32
1SS2.
No record
1903
10,498.716 09
12-EDUCATION.
XIII. SCHOOL REVENUES.
A. TUITION REVENUES.
1. FROM STATE.
a. FROM STATE TAXATION.
There shall be in the year 1895, and annually thereafter, assessed and collected, as other taxes are assessed and collected, the sum of eleven cents on each one hundred dollars worth of taxable property, and fifty conts on each taxable poll in the state, which money, when collected, shall be paid into the school revenue for tuition fund in the state treasury, and shall be apportioned to the several counties of the state in the manner now provided by law.
b. FROM INTEREST ON COMMON SCHOOL FUND.
The principal of all moneys, whether belonging to the common school fund, or the congressional township school fund, received into the county treasury, shall be loaned at 6 per cent. per annum payable ammally at the end of each year from the date of such loan. The interest from these funds go to the tuition revenue.
2. FROM LOCAL SOURCES.
4. FROM LOCAL TAXATION. 1
The school trustees of the several townships, towns and cities shall have power to levy annually a tax not exceeding fifty cents on each one hundred dollars of taxable property and twenty-five cents on each taxable poll, which tax shall be assessed and collected as the taxes of the state and county revenues are assessed and collected, and the revenues arising from such tax levy shall constitute a supplementary tuition fund, to extend the terms of school in said townships, towns and cities after the tuition fund apportioned to such townships, towns and cities from the state tuition revenues shall be exhausted: Provided, however, That should there be remaining in the tuition fund of any township, town or city levying such tax at the close of any school year any unexpended balanees of such supplementary tuition fund assessed and collected for use in such school year, or previous years, equal to or exceeding in amount one eent upon each one hundred dollars of taxable property in said town- ship, town or city, then it shall be the duty of the county anditor to take notice of the same, and at the time when the trustee or trustees of such
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EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
school corporation shall make the annual levy for such tax such trustee or trustees shall make, under oath, an estimate of the amount of supple- mentary tuition fund that will be required to meet the actual expenses of the schools for the next school year, and from such estimate said auditor shall deduct the unexpended balance of such fund in such trustee or trustees' hands on the first Monday of July. and the said trustee or trustees shall make a levy not larger than shall be sufficient to produce a supplemental revenue equal to the corporation as well as upon money capital paid in: Provided. That this act shall not apply to waterworks companies.
b. FROM DOG TAX.
And when it shall so ocenr on the first Monday of March of any year in any township in the state of Indiana that said fund shall acenmulate to an amount exceeding one hundred dollars over and above orders drawn on the same, the surplus aforesaid shall be paid and transferred to the county treasurer of the county in which such township is located and the fund arising from such surplus from the township of the county shall constitute a county dog fund and shall be distributed among the townships of the county in which the orders drawn against the dog fund exceed the money on hand. This distribution shall be made on the second Monday in March of each year, and if said county dog fund be insufficient to pay for all the live stock or fowls maimed or killed by dogs of all the town- ships the distribution shall be made in the ratio of the orders drawn against the dog fund of the townships and unpaid and unprovided for. which ratio shall be obtained from the report of the trustees of the town- ships made to the auditor of the county which is hereby directed shall be made by each township trustee of the county upon the first Monday of March of each year, which report shall show all receipts into the dog fund of his township, and all orders drawn against the same in the order in which they were drawn. And when it shall oceur again upon the second Monday in March of any year that there is a surplus left of the county dog fund after provisions have been made for the payment for all the live stock or fowls killed or maimed, of all the townships of the county, such surplus shall be distributed for the schools of the county in the same manner the common school revenue of such county is dis- tributed.
c. FROM LIQUOR LICENSE TAX.
The money and income derived from licenses for the sale of intoxicat- ing liquors shall be applied exclusively to furnishing tuition to the com- mon schools of the state, without any deduction for the expense of collec- tion or disbursement.
d. FROM INTEREST ON CONGRESSIONAL TOWNSHIP FUND.
The revenues derived from the congressional township fund are dis- tributed by the county auditors to the townships and counties to which they belong.
150
EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
B. SPECIAL SCHOOL REVENUE.
1. FROM LOCAL SOURCES.
4. FROM LOCAL TAXATION.
The trustees of the several townships, towns and cities shall have the power to levy a special tax, in their respective townships. towns or cities, for the construction, renting, or repairing of school houses, for providing furniture, school apparatus, and fuel therefor, and for the payment of other necessary expenses of the school, except tuition; but no tax shall exceed the sum of fifty cents on each one hundred dollars worth of tax- able property and one dollar on each poll, in any one year, and the income from said tax shall be denominated the special school revenue. Any tax- payer who may choose to pay to the treasurer of the township, town or city wherein said taxpayer has property liable to taxation, any amount of money, or furnish building money for the construction of school houses, or furniture or fuel therefor, shall be entitled to a receipt therefor from the trustee of said township. town or city, which shall exempt such tax- payer from any further taxes for said purposes, until the taxes of said faxpayer, levied for such purposes, would, if not thus paid, amount to the sum or value of the materials so furnished or amount so paid: Pro- vided, That said building materials, or furniture and fuel. shall be received at the option of said trustee.
XIV. COMPARATIVE TABLES ON FUNDS AND REVENUES.
The tables on following pages give a brief survey of the growth of Indiana's schools.
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EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
TABLE A. * PRINCIPALS OF SCHOOL FUNDS BY CALENDAR YEARS.
Year.
Common School Fund.
Congressional Town- ship Fund.
1880
$6,616,112 02
$2,449,142 69
1885
6,923,854 57
2,404,936 82
1890
7.290,065 20
2,494,105 35
1892
7,454,032 41
2,500,761 87
1893
7.521.226 45
2,472,150 97
1894
7.585,228 10
2.571,935 22
1895
7,645,369 22
2,501,590 08
1896
7,714,433 46
2.503,998 73
1897
7,752,727 96
2,470,064 28
1898
7,799.150 75
2.504,033 26
1899
7.842.032 77
2,469,982 50
1900
7.892,303 52
2,467,655 53
1901
7,925,579 50
2.464,746 83
1902
7.978,580 70
2.465,304 64
1903
8.032,654 79
2,465.983 65
*These amounts are loaned by county auditors, payable annually at the end of the borrowers' year. Counties must pay interest on unloaned balances. The congressional principal has reached its maximum (ap- proximately). The common school fund increases by fines, forfeitures. escheats. etc.
183
EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
TABLE B. * REVENUES AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES EACH CALENDAR YEAR.
Year.
Tuition Revenue for Paying Teachers. $2,943,105 77
Special School Rer- enue for Buildings. Repairs, etc.
ISSO
$1.461.891 15
1885
3,371,295 00
1,545,739 92
1890
3,794,526 03
1,777,598 32
1892
3,835,918 91
1,773,735 89
1893
4,428,267 10
1,940,462 09
1894
1.379,666 10
2,140,847 06
1895
4,735,088 63
2,412,507 03
1896
4,301,413 04
2,275.857 89
1897
4,533,316 62
2.411,351 23
1898
4.066,839 36
2,425,340 15
1899
5,290,217 61
2,507,825 97
1900
5,443,092 17
2,578,046 67
1901
5.480,400 56
2,542,460 01
1902
5,790,002 66
2,795,352 32
1903
6.160,381 86
3.163,011 29
*These revenues represent the January and June distributions of each calendar year. The June distribution is used, ordinarily, to meet the expenses of the schools for the first half of the succeeding school year. In view of this fact the sum of the tuition and special revenues set opposite each year above will not accord with the total revenues available for school expenditure as set forth in the succeeding table (Table C), which shows sources for the actual school year, namely, the June distribution of one year with the January distribution of the succeeding year. Neither will these figures agree with "Table D," showing the expenditures. Expenditures are always in excess of the revenues from tax and interest sources. The sources other than rev- ennes are private tuition charges, money realized from bond sales, school warrants, and transfers.
184
EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
TABLE C. SOURCES OF ALL SCHOOL
STATE SOURCES.
1.
11.
111.
IV.
V.
VI.
State Sources.
1880
$1,519,791 66
$204,145 30
$197.675 80
$1,921.612 76
$2 71
1881
1,408,113 49
211,112 19
187,162 70
1,806,388 38
2 51
1887
1.443.176 55
449.612 15
197.748 11
2.090,536 81
2 80
1888
1,403,412 91
464,140 73
218.118 93
2,085,672 57
2 74
1889
1,390,092 27
462,207 22
199.165 22
2,051,164 71
2 71
1890
1.416,255 46
476,184 31
180.188 30
2,102,628 07
2 72
1891
1,453,568 01
427,550 12
213.464 60
2,094,583 03
2 72
1892
1.483,036 42
136.921 66
191,761 17
2,111,722 25
2 76
1893
1.983,318 34
135.197 81
157.216 10
2,575.792 28
3 31
1891
2,077,323 12
436,960 17
161,906 62
2,676,189 91
3 36
1895
1,980,152 20
431,994 76
153,169 95
2,565,616 91
3 17
1896
1,868,745 11
444.400 13
154,817 02
2.467.962 26
3 08
1897
1,535,429 01
422,125 88
162,729 63
2,120,028 55
2 89
1898
1.568,187 59
437.794 99
148,711 53
2,151,727 11
2 87
1899
1,559,114 91
136,817 51
167.748 68
2,163,741 10
2 86
1900
1,595,311 10
151.055 81
147,456 01
2,193,855 95
2 90
1901
1.564,955 27
443,811 36
153,145 27
2.161,911 10
2 73
1902
1.623,170 87
123,130 68
139,059 59
2.185,361 11
2 88
1903
1,698,868 59
401,829 06
144,981 53
2.271,570 59
2 91
Interest on Com-
mon School
Fund Loans
Paid by Bor-
rowers.
Interest on C'on-
gressional
Township
Fund.
Total Revenue
from State
Sources.
Revenue Per C'apita from
School Year Ending July 31-
Raised by State
Tax.
NOTES ON ABOVE TABLE: 1. In columns II, III. VII, VIII, IX, XI the sources of the revenues actually used are the January distribution of any year, together with the June distribution of the previous year, not the two distributions of a calendar year. The school year embraces the last half of one and the first half of the next calendar year.
2. In column IV the current year is used. The congressional interest remains about the same from year to year.
3. The table shows that the state's participation in education is about the same per capita each year, whereas the local support has more than doubled in the period from 1880 to 1903.
185
EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
REVENUES IN INDIANA.
LOCAL SOURCES.
VII.
VHI.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
Local Sources.
$589,093 21
None.
$1,461.891 15
$8.986 36
$193,512 15
$2,253,482 87 $3 18
$5 89
806,415 35
None.
1.410,091 09
20,969 11
279.885 89
2.517,361 44
3 50
6 01
951,979 78
None.
1,546,659 90
31,377 11
331.256 59
2,861,273 38
3 84
6 64
1.008.072 56
None.
1.615.386 52
22.202 16
344,342 79
2,990.004 03
3 93
6 67
1.001,032 68
None.
1.567,921 46
31,743 07
346.652 83
2,947,350 04
3 87
6 60
1,172,232 39
$15,752 61
1,777,500 85
11,474 30
337,779 83
3,344,739 98
4 42
7 06
1.370,799 85
57,187 13
1.705,727 94
26,421 78
353,155 40
3,513,292 10
4 56
7 27
1,408,336 64
67.789 30
1.689,135 64
18,872 50
358.407 04
3.542,541 12
4 64
7 40
1,051,796 08
13.714 74
1.810,417 39
25.192 54
391.554 56
3,322,675 31
4 28
7 59
1.433.792 75
18,630 54
2.048.179 03
18,646 14
395,629 80
3,914.878 26
4 92
8 28
1.562,155 75
17,421 69
2.415,600 44
20,937 54
396.160 00
4.412,275 42
5 45
8 77
1,472,016 56
15.713 81
2,239,349 44
12.671 83
377,937 72
1,117,689 36
5 15
8 24
1,770.816 24
15.545 71
2,316.077 11
27,588 58
344,492 17
4,474,519 81
6 09
8 98
2,228,546 40
26.926 47
2.493,610 32
29.712 31
386,637 07
5,165,432 57
6 89
9 76
2.489,396 06
15.638 45
1,855,543 91
30,656 88
401,243 70
4.572,509 00
6 32
8 92
2.599,262 95
151.744 65
1,838,022 79
19,460 42
426.670 37
5.035,161 18
6 67
9 56
2,687,931 96
96,265 24
2.557.590 51
29.405 41
436.946 64
5.808,139 76
7 68
10 54
2,706,923 83
87.873 67
2.535,696 45
52,403 86
487.601 69
5.870,499 50
7 78
10 63
3,285,490 06
106,806 79
3,163,011 29
83.467 74
496,514 92
7.135,290 80
9 29
12 20
Interest on Com-
Fund Paid by
loaned fund.
Liquor License
Revenue.
Total School
Revenue from
Local Sources.
('apita from
Total Per Capita
Revenue from
both State and
Local Tuition
from Local Tax.
Dog Fund Rev-
elle.
Special School
Revenue.
mon School
Countieson Un-
Revenue Per
Local Sources.
4. The per capita of revenues as above, column XIV. does not accord with the per capita cost of education (Table D). This is due to the fact that there are sources and ex- penditures which do not come through the regular channels of school taxes and revenues. e. g., tuition paid by private parties for the privilege of sending a child from one corpora- tion to another. The per capita distribution of school revenue is never a measure of the per capita expenditure. The whole object in making this table is to show the relative degrees of participation of the state and local corporations in raising school revenues.
186
EDUCATION IN INDIANA.
TABLE D. EXPENDITURES FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF COM- MON AND HIGH SCHOOLS. COMPARATIVE TABLE.
NOTE .- This table takes no account of expenditures for the state's higher institutions.
Year.
Total Expenditure for Schoots .* $7,696,985 13
Per Capita Expenditure on School Enumeration .* $10 25
Per Capita Expenditure on School Enrollment* $13 96
*These items show all expenditures from the school funds (state and local). They do not take account of the following, paid from funds outside of school revenues:
(a) Annual salaries of township trustees from town- ship funds (approximated)
$80,000 00 (b) Compulsory education expenses from county funds 36,000 00
(c) Salaries of county superintendents from county funds (approximated)
92,000 00
(d) Funds realized from the sale of local school bonds for builling purposes .
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