this type of aid through the years has fully justified in every way its beginning in this trying period. It would seem that in the present grave world emergency it would be a most appropriate time to enact legislation of the type suggested in your bill for general aid to education throughout the country. I happen to be president of the National Council of Chief State School Officers and you might be interested to know at our annual meeting in Chicago last December a resolution was unanimously adopted by that organization in the following language: "Resolved, That this council, believing as it does, that the education of the youth is the best defense measure for the present and future of our country, strongly urges the maintenance of the present educational program and its improvement during the present emergency. It furthermore affirms its conviction that Federal aid to public education is more imperative now than in normal times." I sincerely hope your committee may be successful in enacting this legislation at as early a date as possible. Yours very sincerely, B. E. PACKARD, Commissioner. STATE OF WYOMING, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, Hon. ELBERT D. THOMAS, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: In compliance with a request from Mr. Willard E. Givens, we shall attempt to give you some idea of the need for Federal aid in Wyoming. We have listed below the five needs for financial assistance to the States for public schools, and have tried to estimate the needs which apply to this State. A. Reduction of educational inequalities in elementary and secondary schools— The School Equalization Fund cares for inequalities in most sections of the State; however, a need is felt for additional funds in those sections in which there are irrigation projects, such as at Pavillion and Eden Valley. The valuation per child at Pavillion is only $1,191. B. Increase of salaries for Negro teachers made necessary through recent Federal court decisions--None. C. Educational facilities and additional teachers in defense areas, both military and industrial—There are no industrial areas in the State particularly connected with defense areas, so the only defense area would be the military post at Fort Francis E. Warren. We are enclosing copies of the report made to the National Office of Education for the increased activities due to additional school needs caused by the Fort Warren National Defense Program, and the report of the national defense training program in operation in the State. A total of $183,000 was requested for the Cheyenne school district to care for the educational facilities for the Fort Warren increase. D. Educational facilities for children of migratory workers-None. E. Educational facilities for children of Federal employees residing on Government property and reservations. We have repeatedly had requests from Federal employees in Yellowstone Park to provide educational facilities for children of these families. Since there are 30 children of grade-school age in the park, $10,000 would be required to care for schools, teachers and transportation. It is definitely the duty of the Federal Government, we feel, to provide for the education of these children. There is also an Indian Reservation in this State. Although no figures are available as to the number of children who require educational facilities there, it is quite probable that there are as many or more in the reservation as there are in Yellowstone Park. The per capita cost of education for the past year in this State was $107. If we can be of further assistance in your study, this department will be happy to cooperate in every way possible. Yours very truly, ESTHER L. ANDERSON, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE STATE OF WYOMING FORT WARREN NATIONAL DEFENSE PROGRAM The following amounts were recommended to the National Office of Education for the increased activities due to additional school needs caused by the Fort Warren National Defense Program: (These figures are based on Fort Warren housing 7,600 enlistees): For 1 new building (the site has already been purchased by the local Requested for 2 additional rooms at Alta Vista School. Total, for building and equipment - $125,000 20, 000 15, 000 160, 000 In addition to this, $5,000 has been asked for operation and maintenance, and $18,000 for salaries of additional teachers. Since it is rumored, and with quite definite information, that the fort will be increased to a capacity of 16,000 enlistees, we are advising the newly formed commission that our needs are estimated as follows: For new buildings_ For additions to present buildings_ For equipment - - Total, for building and equipment_-_ $300,000 50, 000 40, 000 390,000 In addition to this, $15,000 is requested for operation and maintenance, and it is estimated that $50,000 will be needed for salaries of additional teachers. REPORT OF THE VOCATIONAL DIVISION OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR THE STATE OF WYOMING NATIONAL DEFENSE TRAINING The report attached is a summary of the national-defense training for Wyoming in the following types of programs: Program I.-VE-ND: (a) Refresher courses. (b) Supplementary courses. Program II.-Equipment: Equipment to carry on in program I. Program III-Engineering: Conducted at the Engineering College, University of Wyoming, Laramie. Program IV.-Out-of-school youth: The reports of this work change daily and it is difficult to give a report today that will be accurate tomorrow. Any further details that may needed will be gladly furnished. Respectfully submitted. F. M. TREAT, State Director of Vocational Education and National Youth Administration, budget estimate, Mar. 1-June 30, 1941 Expansion. Total__ VE-ND supplementary budget, first budget (13-week period), quartermaster replacement center.. $85, 524. 78 24, 000. 00 109, 524. 78 34, 421. 09 9, 000. 00 43, 421. 09 15, 106. 00 Senator ELBERT THOMAS, MONTANA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR THOMAS: I am writing you a brief statement of the reason that Montana desires Federal aid for education. 1. Montana believes in an equal opportunity for the children of the entire United States because we believe that the best defense that America can provide for democracy is a thorough education of all of the future citizens. 2. Montana now finds itself in a position where nearly 25 percent of all of the land is nontaxable. This includes land taken over because of the Fort Peck Project, many other irrigation and reserve projects, Indian reservations, national forests, national purchase of land, county delinquent land, and other public land. The money to finance the educational program must, therefore, come from some source other than local property taxes. 3. During the drought years several hundred children moved into the western part of Montana from the Dakotas and other Dust Bowl States. These communities have been hampered considerably because of this influx. 4. The average salary of Montana teachers today is $297 a year less than the average for the United States. This means that we are now losing a large number of the teachers of the State and we shall be forced to lower the standards of qualifications unless we shall have additional money to pay salaries somewhere commensurate with those paid in other fields of endeavor. 5. While the State of Montana will receive in return from the Federal Government not a great deal more money than it must pay back it does serve to equalize the opportunity and to collect the taxes from sources other than local real estate which now carries about 82 percent of the total cost of education. We hope that Federal aid will be forthcoming during the present session of Congress. All Montanans who are thinking strictly in the terms of education favor Federal aid. There are a few who are prejudiced for one reason or another because of fear of domination from the Federal Government who may oppose Federal aid. You can count on the Representatives and Senators from Montana to support this legislation as they have always pledged themselves to support such measures. Sincerely yours, 317387-41-26 M. P. MOE, Executive Secretary. SOUTH DAKOTA CONGRESS OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS, The Honorable ELBERT D. THOMAS, Committee Chairman, Senate Committee on Education and Labor, DEAR MR. THOMAS: I am vitally interested in the new bill for Federal aid to education, bill S. 1313. Our big task in South Dakota is to equalize educational opportunities in both our elementary and secondary schools, and we can only hope to do this through some form of Federal aid to education. While all the provisions of the bill do not apply specifically to South Dakota, the first proposal is of vital interest to us. I have just returned from a complete tour of the State in which I have had occasion to talk to parents and teachers in every section of the State and find a deep concern over this problem. Many rural people have lost their farms and many have moved into small towns or to the outskirts of larger towns. This presents an acute problem. The average teacher's salary is less than $600 per year, and in a great many parts of the State that salary is reduced because of discounted warrants. In fact, the average of rural, elementary, and high-school teachers is approximately $800 per year. Last week I visited a small rural high school that is operated solely on a tuition basis. Through the aid of W. P. A. and the dormitory plan, children are able to get a high-school education. Before the dormitory plan was set up one girl rode 17 miles on horseback against the cold cutting wind of South Dakota. While the dormitory permits them at least to attend school, I personally feel that the health conditions are not what they should be. There is inadequate heat, flickering kerosene lights, and not too adequate a diet, although the school lunch program with W. P. A. labor and surplus commodities has improved this situation tremendously. I know there are a great many problems confronting our Congress during these critical times, but it seems to me that equalized opportunity for education for these children in our great rural areas is a matter of primary importance and cannot be ignored much longer. Very sincerely, GERTRUDE E. FLYTE, Past President, South Dakota Congress of Parents and Teachers. THE IDAHO EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, The Honorable ELBERT D. THOMAS, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. THOMAS: We have just received a copy of S. 1313, which you have recently introduced in the Senate for yourself and Mr. Harrison. You may count on the educational forces of Idaho to give full support to this measure. We have, for a number of years, favored Federal aid to education, provided there is no possibility of Federal dictation or control of educational procedure and policies in the several States. This bill embodies principles which we already have approved. First, it provides that moneys provided by the Federal Government shall be apportioned and used only for public education and through public officers and agencies; second, it prevents Federal domination or control over public education, in that the measure shall be so construed as to maintain local and State initiative and responsibility and reserving explicitly to the States and their local subdivisions complete control over organization, administration, the processes of education, determination of curricula, methods of instruction, and selection of personnel-in short, complete control of public education; third, it provides for distribution of the Federal moneys on an equalized basisthat is, according to the needs of the several States. To agricultural States, like Idaho, in which there are no big concentrations of wealth, Federal aid for education is a matter of tremendous importance. Much of the great wealth we produce in livestock, lumber, minerals, a id transportation resulting therefrom, flows into Eastern States, where it contributes nothing to the education of Idaho's citizens. The largely agricultural values left in the State are hard put to keep the schools open on even a minimum program basis. Indeed, our tax program for schools completely broke down in 1933, and schools began closing for lack of funds. Had not the State come to the rescue with an equalization program a majority of our schools would have been closed. But even with State assistance for this equalization program, known as "the minimum program" and amounting to about $1,080 per year for each classroom unit, the burden of taxation in poorer communities, particularly in rural ones, is well nigh confiscatory, and still these communities are unable to conduct satisfactory schools. A few examples may serve to give a better picture of the situation. For the present year, the county and district levies for education on the property of the Cole School District No. 5, Ada County, amount to 22.89 mills on the assessed valuation, the absolute limit of taxation permitted by law, yet the school board of that district appeared before the legislature and stated that with the money available it was impossible to pay salaries that would keep competent teachers and maintain even a moderately satisfactory school. State and county school levies on the property of Malta District No. 7 of Cassia County this year amounted to 30 mills on the assessed valuation, and in addition there was a State school levy of 2.57 mills, making a total of 32.57 mills. With the tremendous approaching burden of our defense program and other heavy tax levies agricultural property cannot and will not pay such taxes indefinitely. Yet these schools and hundreds of others like them have a very meager school program, with low salaries for teachers. A summary for the entire State for the last complete school year presents a picture with serious implications: Total expenditures (including capital outlay).. $10, 185, 984. 97 9, 635, 984. 97 24. 9 mills For an agricultural State a tax of 24.9 mills, when added to all other taxes, constitutes a tremendous burden. Indeed, it is probable, if not certain, that with increasing demands on Government, the property of Idaho cannot continue to raise revenues sufficient to operate its schools for an even moderately satisfactory program. For the present program cannot be considered even moderately satisfactory for a self-respecting State in a democracy. Certainly it is far from extravagant, as the following tabulation will indicate: Total expenditures (including capital outlay)- $10, 985, 984. 97 105, 985. 03 96. 11 928. 16 839. 46 1, 333. 98 Considering the fact that half of the school districts in Idaho have one-room schools, where the low enrollment entails a high per-pupil cost, the average perpupil cost of $96.11 is very low indeed. Salaries are below a decent living mini mum. Yet conditions in Idaho—and many other agricultural States are not likely to improve. Just the reverse. In fact, with impending defense and other increasing burdens, unless the Federal Government comes to the aid of education in agricultural States, there is good reason to believe that public education is doomed. In that case, we can as well face the fact that democracy itself is doomed, for it rests upon a free system of public education. On the other hand, the enactment of S. 1313 would go far toward stabilization of education in States such as ours. The $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 that would accrue to Idaho, not only should make it possible to raise standards in the poorer agricultural sections, but would also make it possible to reduce the excessive taxes in such communities. In the interest of public education and Democracy, we in Idaho urge your committee to put forth every effort to obtain the enactment of S. 1313. We can pledge the support of the educational forces in our State. We believe, also, that when our citizens become informed they will favor such a measure. Respectfully yours, JOHN I. HILLMAN, |