Image provided by: Ashland School District #5; Ashland, OR
About Southern Oregon miner. (Ashland, Or.) 1935-1946 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 1944)
Southern Oregon Miner School Fund Ballot Measure Is Reviewed 1 left to the state legislature, but measure. Now what ubout its This Amendment Does Not: 1. Constitutes a sell is h “teacher the amendment would lift to six merits? the past Oregon has depend grab ’ but an urgent necessity to per cent limitation from applica ed In very largely on locul school tion to this fund. save education lor Oregon child taxes supplemented by ren (ducn a constitutional) sup Of the total sum $8,000,000 districts tux (also u property tax) port assurance will do much to must be applied to reduce local a county da state elementary school improve professional standing ol property tuxes until the year of un tax (also a property tax until teaching in Oregon, attract teach 1950; alter that the legislature very late yeurs) for pinuncing its ers into training, reu in present will decide how much shall be schools. If school children were qualilied teachers, and prevent applied io this purpose. The me distributed geographically in ex uie trends toward the tragic con thod of distributing this fund, act proportion to assessed valua ditions evidenced by the lack of which wil linclude the present tion the distribution of the burd teachers now in truinmg in Ore state elementary school fund and perty offset until 1950. of education would be equal the $5,000,000 diverted from in en gon. ized. That condition does not 3. Includes in this state fund (It was reported at the recent come tax proceeds under the ini exist for decades, if the revenue from the state’s 2 meeting or school administra tiative of 1942 and the act of 1943, It ever and did. has As not u result there is mill elementary tax which pro The Bill: tors in Salem that there are is left to the legislature. wide disparity in school taxation. Be it enacted by the people of duces approximately $2,000,000.00 only sixty-eight women and When we first heard that the The writer in his message to the the State of Oregon: That the annually. This amount added to two men now in training in all teachers’ association was propos legislature in 1939 reported: constitution of the Slate of Ore the $8,000,000.00 local property of Oregon's teacher training in ing a constitutional amendment Of the 2085 school districts of gon stall be and the same hereby tax offset noted above accounts stitutions who will be eligible establishment of state aid we the state. 691 levy no special tax amended by adding to article for a total of $10,000,000.00 which for certification in 1944-45 and for were inclined to oppose it, as for elementary schools. For other V1U tnereot a new section to be is a direct offset to present taxes approximately 150 additional suming that it would be using the districts the taxes range us high numbered and known as section for education in Oregon. wno will be eligible for emer constitution for legislative rath 50.7 mills. 0, to read as follows: 4. Provides additional and new gency certification. This makes er that truly constitutionul pur as There are two ways to equalize Article VIII revenue to schools of Oregon in a total of only 220 prospective poses. A study of the amendment the tax burden: one would be to Section 6. In addition to the an amount of approximately $3,- teachers from all our educa does not bear out that fear. It consolidate districts into larger income of the common school 000,000.00 and this is the only ad- tional centers for 1944-45, to establish as a princi- unit3, th r o u g h s u b s e q u e n t fund, the legislative assembly diaional fund for the common whereas Oregon required appro proooses .horino tn ple -•»♦« state sharing in cost of .«it- our cy,anges would again bring about shall provide a state fund for schools of Oregon involved in the ximately 1400 new teachers common schools in a substantial inequality; the other method is to support of public elementary and measure. The $8,000,000.00 is a this year. These figures are amount. Since the principal provide a larger sum from the secondary schools. Said st a t e lax shift from the shoulders of lo truly alarming.) would ouiu be oe meaningless unless umesa tied ncv. state treasury and lighten the fund shall include all funds de cal districts to the state providing 2. Discriminate against any w to a figure, the amendment fixes J burden on the local districts. Th rived from state taxes, as now justifitd and needed equalization school, large or small. It leaves to 45 Gents per child per day of at- pending amendment will increas increase provided by law, for support of of educational opportunities. our ligislature the method of dis tendance as the measure of state substantially ...................... the amout ---* of -* *u the such schools and shall be in a- 5. Leaves to the State Legisla tribution which naturally has not aid. This is arbitrary to be sure; state school fund; and if the leg mount sufficient to provide each ture the privilegt and responsi yet been determined. ul be arbitary islature provides for its equitable any figure woul year not less than forty-five cents bility of: 3. Disturb the state irreducible but and no figure would leave the distribution then there will be un per child per day of attendance a. Determining the distribu i fund or county school funds but amendment empty of meaning. evening up of the burden of for the school year immediately ' merely supplements them. tion of those funds. Next t h e amendment frees school support. preceding, as determined by the 4. Alter the districts own tax b. Determining the policy of rather than restricts the legisla Objections are raised, especial superintendent of public instruc base .It clearly specimies that ture offset, if any, after 1950. .giving it power (irrespective ly by taxpayer groups, against tion. The power of the legislative c. Determining the source or money received as offset by lo oi of the m e six per pei cent v e in limitation) iuiuwuuu / to »u this mis measure on me grou.nu that uuu the ground assembly to levy or impose any cal districts does not destroy the provide sources of funds. (Whether the revenues from what the income tax receipts should tax for said fund shall no be li district tax base. these funds shall be • .'lected e /M ip o u o it it p h n n c n c or n r can p n n find; f i n d * i shrink to pre-war Intmlc Vis* L u if - chooses levels I the bur- mited by section II, article XI, from 5. Constitute a “first mortgage sources some one source, or many power also to determine the way I den would fall on property. It is Oregon constitution. many sources may be deter on the state and does not jeopar the fund be applied to offset i true that property is "exposed” The legislative assembly shall dize the state's own wherewithal 1 school district property taxes. I to additional burden by this a- mined from time to time as provide further for the annual conditions change and in ac to maintain state government. It Thus the amendment involves mendment, but only in the event distribution of said fund; provid cordance with the wishes of does make education a primary ! one principle: a mandate for state ¡other present or prospective tax ed, that until June 30, 1950, eight the citibens of Oregon. At the concern of the state, as it should ' contribution to schools in a de sources prove inadequate, or the million dollars thereof shall be present time the state has re be, and protects the state’s rev finite amount; and secondly gives legislature and the people prefer applied each year to reduce the duced its income tax rates to enue needs by its provision of the legislature wide latitude in to have property assume this bur- property tax levies of local school the 6% limitation clause. prevent surpluses. carrying out the mandate. The > den. districts and thereafter the legis 6. Causes the state to provide Statesman has come to the con The Statesman suggests that it lative assembly shall determine Ballot Measures—VIII clusion on analysis of the pro is time the people of the state the amount to be so applied. The In a real and substantial way Eighth measure on the ballot is common school of Oregon. a constitutional amendment spon posed amendment that it is en- looked at tneir schools from amounts distributed from said for 7. the Establishes a substantial fund to local school districts shall sored by the Oregon State Teach itrely proper matter both in sub another angle than how cheaply not affect the tax base of any minimum for state school sup ers’ Association which would re stance and form to go into the they can run them. The war has brought home to such district within the limitation port- .. x. quire the state to provide reven constitution. In fact, it is hard to o fsection II, article XI, Oregon | 8. Keeps and makes effective ues for the operation of element see how that step could be avoid Oregon school directors the fact i the intent of the framers of the ary and high schools in the state ed if the six per cent limitation that they have to compete for in constitution. (constitution to provide for the in structors. Teachers' salaries in amount equal to 45 cents ; is to be gotten round. ' establishment “of a uniform and per an Washington and California are ; So much for the constitutional This Amendment: child per day of attendance. 1. Makes the state responsible general system of co m m o n Method of raising the money is I amendment pointo which has substantially higher than in Ore been raised in discussions of the gon. The state department of for approximately $13,000,000.00, schools”. Editor's Note—The following is a resume ol the Constitutional amendment wlucn the voters oi Oregon will baiiot on on Novem ber i m, generally Known as tne scnool oin. m e local .Hi A heard a general discussion ol its merits, ana wnat it proposes to do at tne meeting last inursday even ing. Also included is an editorial by f o r m e r uovernor Charles Sprague owner ol tne balem btalesman, giving his views on the proposed measure. or approximately 55% of the to tal cost of Oregon Common School Education, and would br ing Oregon out of the bottom half into the upper third of the states of the nation in the matter of state support for education. 2. Guarantees the continuance of the $5,000,000.00 local property offset provided by the 1942 initia tive measure, and provides an ad ditional $3,000,000.00 local pro i education has hud to give emer gency certuicaiea to «.u«.» ot leuciiers who cannot qu«ui> uii- ue r regulur sianuuiua. Nor is uie con u iu u u one winch win clear up wiui me end ui mu wur. o u r colleges oi euueuuou are uliuosl empty ol stUucui», in cluding women, preparing iui a leaching career, oume months ago this editor maue u stury ot tne changes among hign scnool principals and supei utienucnis in Oregon cities. Tne lacts, wmen were publisned, should uiarm par ents ot children ot school age. They showed our schools wire becoming starved ut the top be cause ol the loss ot uble men us school administrators. We submit thut the time hus come for the people of Oregon to fuce the facts. These facts point to this, that increased lunds MUST' be provided for the opera tion of our schools if we ure go ing to maintain even the present standards (which are none too high). To do this by taking the six per cent limitation off of locul district taxes would mean that property alone would beur the whole burden, because that is the only taxing power a locul school board has. Moreover there would then be no limit and directors and pat rons might "shoot the works” for their scnool and soak the rail roads, the utilities and other non resident property owners. The proposed stute fund sets u limit at *ne same time it applies a man date; 45 cents per child per duy; and the legislature has broad tuxing powers, made broader by this amendment. The additional revenue" is not exorbitant in u- mount or beyond the capacity of the people to pay. The amendment is timely; it is practical; it is just; it is neces sary. The Statesiifan strongly urges Vote 314 X Yes. KEEP HIM IN CONGRESS Oregon Women! The U. S. A rm y Medical Department urgently needs you now” MAJOR GENERAL NORMAN T. KIRK o» General U. S. Army r TF there burns w ithin you a sincere desire to do som ething active and important to help w in the war, here is your oppor- tnity. Join the W A C -s e r v e in the Army Medical Departm ent, where w om en are vitally needed now . Y ou can help bring the war to a quick, successful end. Y ou can help bring our loved ones—your loved ones, perhaps—hom e sooner. And you can learn a valuable technical skill that may be the foundation o f a career after the war. W ith the biggest battles o f the Pacific still ahead, the W est must take a still m ore active part in the war. Y ou are needed here, in Australia perhaps, or elsewhere be hind battlefronts, to give our m en the needed attention. T h e care and rehabilitation o f the sick and wounded is a w om an’s noblest work. G et into it if you can. I f you are betw een the ages o f 20 and 50 and have no children under 14, or other dependents, call the nearest U. S. Army YOU CAN SERVE AS PHARMACIST PHARMACIST AIDS PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER DENTAL TECHNICIAN DENTAL HYGIENIST DENTAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN LABORATORY TECHNICIAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT MEDICAL STENOGRAPHER MEDICAL TECHNICAN SURGICAL TECHNICIAN recruiting station. Post Office Bldg.. Medford. Oregon. EDUCATIONAL RECONDITIONER GREYHOUND SERVES, TOO OPTOMETRIST Greyhound is happy to publish this message through out the W est for the W AC. W e are in war work, t o o - providing transportation for them and other branches o f the Armed Forces . . . aiding in troop m ovem ents. . . transporting w o u n d e d . . . at the same tim e carrying on an essential service for the traveling public. And Grey hound is look in g ahead, planning for a finer, larger, better highw ay travel service w hen the war is won. X-RAY TECHNICIAN THE WflC Re-elect HARRIS ELLSWORTH Representative in Congress for Oregon's 4th Dist. G REYH O U N D & S E R V I N G T H E N A T IO N W ITH D E P E N D A B L E T R A N S P O R T A T IO N PR O V EN ABILITY ENERGETIC SINCERE BROAD EXPERIENCE SANE VIEWPOINT DEPENDABLE j Paid Adv. By ELLSWORTH FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE L. E. McClintock, Treas., Roseburg, Ore.