The Pensacola Journal

EXPLANATION OF THE SCHOOL AFFAIRS BY JUDGE BEGGS AND
REASON FOR PROVIDING FUND

No Part of $500,000 Bond Issue
Available for Current Expenses-Future Policy of Board.

There is now and has been in the recent past greater interest manifested than perhaps ever heretofore by the citizens of Pensacola and Escambia county in their public school affairs.

This interest has in the main been brought about by the recent statement from the board of public instruction of Escambia county to the effect that funds must be provided by the payment of tuition by pupils, or in some other method, for the last month of the term in all of the schools of the county; and also because of the delay in the payment of the current expenses of the schools, including the payment of teachers salaries. In order to secure a full and authentic statement of the school affairs of the county, a representative of The Journal called upon Judge E. D. Beggs, the chairman of the board of public instruction of the county, yesterday afternoon and secured the following statement:

Debt Accumulated.

"As the public has heretofore been informed, for a period covering a number of years," said Judge Beggs, "the board has not had sufficient funds available for the maintenance of the schools. Consequently there has been accumulated from year to year an outstanding indebtedness represented by time warrants and negotiable notes. Furthermore, the amount paid each year upon the principal of this outstanding indebtedness and the interest paid upon the remainder of the principal has had to be deducted from the general school fund. Hence, to the extent of the demands upon our current revenues to retire these outstanding obligations and to liquidate interest charges, our revenues for current school expenses have been reduced."

Extended School Terms.

"Notwithstanding this situation of affairs, however," continued Judge Beggs, "the board, with the sole desire and purpose in mind of improving the condition of our schools and placing them upon a plane equal to that of the best schools, which we felt that our children were entitled to, extended the terms of all of the white schools in the county to eight months, all of the colored schools in Pensacola to eight months, and the term of the Pensacola high school to nine months.

In addition to this, the salaries of all of the teachers in the county were increased. It was conceded by all classes of the county's citizenship that the salaries paid the teachers were very much smaller than they should be; in fact, much smaller than were paid in other counties throughout Florida similarly conditioned to our county.

Together with the above were other items of expenditure which seemed necessary and in some instances absolutely required by law which had to be incurred in the maintenance of the schools. In this connection might be mentioned the employment of an attendance officer, whose salary must be paid by the county.

"As is known to every one, the scholastic term of the Pensacola high school for 1920-1921, was extended to nine months for the first time. This was done in order that the school might be placed upon the accredited list of high schools of the south and its graduates be entitled to admission to colleges, not alone of the south, but to other colleges, upon their diplomas from our school. Having once had our high school placed upon this list, our board arranged for a full term of nine months this scholastic year and it now feels that in good faith to the pupils who will obtain their diplomas this year, as well as to the faculty, that the term should not be shortened.

But anticipating that there would be a shortage of funds, we made provision in our contracts with teachers of all of the grammar and primary schools of the county that the board reserved the right to reduce the term of those schools one month if necessary."

Monthly Cost of Schools.

With reference to the monthly budget of the board for the pay of teachers, the judge continued: "The amount of the teachers' salaries of all of the schools of the county for one month is approximately $21,500, and if the same percentage of taxes should be collected this year as last, there will be a deficit at the end of the fiscal year of more than $21,500, the cost of teachers' salaries for one month. The necessity is therefore apparent that the board had no other alternative than the action which it has already taken, i.e., calling upon the patrons of the schools to bear the expense of the extra month of school."

Each School Separate Unit.

"Another feature which the board would like thoroughly understood by the patrons of the several schools of the county is the fact that under the

board's policy of handling the proceeds which will be paid by the patrons of the schools, each of the several schools of the county will be regarded as a separate unit and the expense of maintaining each school for the extra month will rest upon the patrons of the individual schools. In other words, the funds raised for each school will be applied to the maintenance expense of that school alone."

Bond Issue Unavailable,

"The board," continued the judge, "wishes to state, as has been stated upon numerous occasions heretofore, that no part of the general funds for current expenses of the board has been expended in the construction of the new school buildings in the city. Nor were the proceeds of any part of the recent $500,000 bond issue available for current expenses of the schools in the city. Furthermore, the payment of the principal and interest of this half-million dollar bond issue by the Pensacola district for the erection of the new school buildings, equipment, purchase of sites, etc., is provided for by a special tax levied on the property of the district and no part of it paid out for the general fund of the county.

"As the boards of public instruction of nearly all of the counties of Florida were confronted with a condition similar to ours in the matter of outstanding indebtedness, the last legislature passed a law authorizing the several boards to retire their matured outstanding indebtedness by the issuance of negotiable time warrants. Acting under this law our board is providing for such an issue to the amount of $106,000, and which we hope we may dispose of in the near future. The proceeds from this issue of time warrants cannot, of course, be applied toward the current expense deficit in the maintenance of this year's school term."

Payment of Teachers' Salaries.

Although," said Judge Beggs, "there has been a delay in paying the current teachers' salaries, the board is exerting its best efforts to provide for the payment of such salaries and at as early a date as possible.

Future Policy of Board.

"In conclusion," said the judge, "the board of course regrets exceedingly the present condition of affairs. They feel in common, however, with the people of our county a pardonable pride in the very high standard to which our schools have been brought, even at the cost of the conditions just described.

The board, therefore, pledges itself to continue its efforts to keep and maintain our schools at the very highest standard. But to do this they will be obliged at the same time to use their very best judgment in the matter of placing the county's school finances upon a firm and safe basis, even though some sacrifices may be required to do so."

There are other features connected with the present school situation which will be discussed in these columns during the coming week.