Senator ELLENDER. And other Federal Aid Acts? Mr. VANDIVER. Yes, sir. Senator ELLENDER. To what extent? Mr. VANDIVER. We have, I do not remember the exact number, but quite a great number of those, especially Smith-Hughes. We do not have many large cities. We have quite a number, though, getting benefit on distributive education also. Senator ELLENDER. To what extent has the Federal Government tried to exercise its domination over those schools? Mr. VANDIVER. Well, I would say we find that our educational program in Mississippi is very popular, and that while we have suggestions from the Federal Office, they are not objectionable in the administration of the school system. Senator ELLENDER. They do not try to interfere with you? The local boards really have the control, and all that part of it. Of course, the funds are supplied. We do not find that objectionable. We would like quite well to have Federal aid for general education to be administered under a similar system, because there is not anything there that is objectionable that I know of, and I am the chief executive officer of that board. Of course, we have to keep reports and have audits, and all that, but we do not object to that. Now I would like to submit a memorandum. (The memorandum referred to is as follows:) MEMORANDUM BY J. S. VANDIVER The cost of education in the United States is $2,419,968,408. The current expenses per A. D. A. varies from $147.65 in New York to $28.19 in Mississippi (Session 1937-38), with a National average of $83.87. We realize that Mississippi, with a mild climate and a good system of highways which makes consolidation of schools desirable and practical, can operate the schools for less per capita than can many other States. It is a fact too that in the operation of the Mississippi schools we have had very fine and businesslike management. It has been necessary "to do much with little." However, we believe all will concede that even with our advantages, if we are to maintain the same quality of school work as is maintained in other parts of the United States, the South will need funds equal to at least three-fourths of the National average of expenditures per pupil. Mississippi is near to the top among the States in her effort to provide schools for her children. Because of lack of resources our State finds it possible to increase by only a few dollars the present per capita expenditures of $28.19. We think that Mississippi can and should provide a few more dollars per child. As I stated in my address during the M. E. A. convention, "We believe that it is impossible to maintain our present standards of instructional proficiency on salaries paid a majority of our white teachers at the present time-$10.23 per week for 52 weeks a year. Industry realizes and appreciates the fact that such a standard of wages would be entirely inadequate for its workers who are required to be only high school graduates. Consequently, no industry in the State, so far as I know, pays its employees for a year's work as little as is paid to a majority of our white teachers in Mississippi. We believe that a substantial increase should be provided. We should like to emphasize the need for increased support for vocational education, also for junior and senior colleges in approximately the same ratio as for common schools. There should certainly be made a proportionate increase for the support of our Negro schools." It is evident, therefore, that Mississippi and other Southern States where a large percentage of the population has a small income must look to the National Government for Federal aid for schools. MISSISSIPPI IS DOING MORE FOR NEGRO EDUCATION The last legislature provided both white and colored schools with free textbooks. The Mississippi Training School in Jackson (for Negroes) was established. Steps are now under way for establishing junior colleges in the Delta section for Negroes. Agricultural high schools for Negroes have been established in several parts of Mississippi and are operating successfully. Plans are being made to establish more of these in other counties. In the adult-education program the Negro has fared extremely well. Vocational schools have been provided in a great many of the Negro high schools of the State. In a large number of the counties a county-wide 1-mill levy has been made by the board of supervisors, a large part of which is used for improving Negro school buildings. Dr. F. J. Underwood, State director of public health in Mississippi, gives the following statement: "Fifty-five of the 58 Negro physicians practicing in Mississippi have had the benefit of a postgraduate course in pediatrics and obstetrics given under the auspices of the Mississippi State Board of Health. Approximately 80 percent of all of the Federal and State money expended on the venereal disease control program in Mississippi is spent for the control of these diseases among the Negroes. Negro women in the State have the benefit of at least 75 percent of all Federal and State funds expended on prenatal care, clinics, etc. Negroes have the benefit of more than 60 percent of all immunization and vaccination services given by the State and local health departments. All of our midwives in Mississippi are Negro women. The State board of health midwife training program is most outstanding for the 3,000 midwives in the State. The Federal Children's Bureau and the health departments of other States and countries have complimented our State board of health on its work in this field of health education. "That we have made great progress in health work among the Negroes in Mississippi is shown by the following vital statistics record: Tuberculosis deaths among negroes have decreased more than 50 percent since 1920; smallpox, 100 percent; typhoid, 80 percent; malaria, 60 percent; diphtheria, 30 percent.' FEDERAL AID A NECESSITY Mississippi, even with the maximum effort out of State funds, can never hope to reach 50 percent of the present National average for schools--without phenomenal discovery or development. Therefore, if we are to have equalization of educational opportunities, we must look to the National Government for financial aid, without Federal control, for our schools. How can the Southeastern group of States ever hope to have anything like a good system for all the children unless the Federal Government helps solve this problem? I quote from the Advisory Committee on Education, "The Federal Government and Education," page 10, "In the Southeastern region, the farm group had the care of approximately 4,250,000 children age 5 to 17, with only 2 percent of the national income. At the other extreme, the nonfarm population of the Northeast, with approximately 8,500,000 children age 5 to 17, had 42 percent of the national income, 21 times as much income available with which to educate only 2 times as many children.' Quoting again with reference to farm people, "In 1930 the farm population was responsible for the care and education of 31 percent of the Nation's children, but the farmers received only 9 percent of the national income." If the Thomas-Harrison bill, S. 1313, should become a law and $300,000,000 be appropriated annually for schools, then every State could on a State-wide basis reach an average of from $60 to $70 per child. Every poor school district in any State regardless of how high the State-wide average might be could be brought up to this level, and there are a great number of poor districts in many of the States. Then quoting again from the same bulletin on page 7, "In many States the variation in expenditures between rich and poor districts on a classroom basis is about 6 to 1." Leading educators in Mississippi will continue to press their efforts before Congress to secure Federal funds in order to provide more adequate educational opportunities for both races. The CHAIRMAN. Did Mr. Marsh come in? (No response.) The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Wells from Georgia. We called your name this morning, Mr. Wells. Mr. WELLS. I am sorry I was not here, Senator. 317387-41--17 STATEMENT OF JERE A. WELLS, SUPERINTENDENT OF FULTON COUNTY SCHOOLS, FULTON COUNTY, GA. Mr. WELLS. My testimony will be very brief. The CHAIRMAN. Your name and your title, Mr. Wells? In addition to this statement, Senator, I would like to state that our Senators and Congressmen from Georgia have always pioneered in the field of Federal aid for education, vocational education. I believe it was the Smith-Hughes bill, the first for Federal aid for vocational education, that came from Congressmen and Senators from Georgia. It shows the interest of our Georgia delegation in Federal aid. I am satisfied the entire delegation at present is very much interested in Federal aid for the public schools. I do not suppose it is necessary to take the time to read the statement with reference to the Fulton County School System. I will just leave it with your secretary. I am the superintendent of a county school system in Georgia. I have served for 16 years in this capacity and have had some practical experience in regard to equal educational advantages in rural schools and urban schools, and this statement covers the experiences I have had. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Wells. Your statement may go in the record. (The memorandum referred to is as follows:) MEMORANDUM OF JERE A. WELLS For 16 years we have endeavored to equalize education in the Fulton County school system. This system is both rural and suburban. We find the economic status of the rural section, as a rule, to be much lower than that of the urban or suburban section. The lack of advantages and opportunities, other than educational, caused by this economic condition places a greater responsibility on the rural school teacher. Therefore, we endeavor to employ as well prepared teachers for the rural areas as those of the suburban areas. For the rural teacher to properly help the rural children, it is necessary for us to get the rural children together in large units. This of course calls for transportation expense. The transportation item should not be overlooked in the cost per pupil for education of rural children. The average annual cost per pupil for transportation ranges from $15 to $20. To offer equal vocational training as well as other types of training to the rural youth, we find it more expensive per pupil to properly equip a small high school than that of the larger schools. When consolidation in rural areas has been perfected to a reasonable degree, the school is still small as compared with the high schools in the thickly settled communities or in the city. Hence, the equipment necessary for the same training stands idle longer in a smell school than in a larger one, which makes your per pupil cost for equipment much higher in a small school. These two items alone-transportation and equipmen.—make the per pupil cost in thinly settled areas much greater in our county than is true in the dense communities. The per capita tax values of the rural areas of our county is scarcely one-third the value in the suburban sections. To give the same opportunities to the rural children in Fulton County it is necessary to levy a uniform tax over the entire county (and in fact to tax the city of Atlanta, an independent system, by 11⁄2 mills) to properly finance the schools of the county system. What is true in a small unit such as Fulton County is equally true in the entire State of Georgia. The State, through its equalization funds, endeavors to equalize the opportunities of the rural children with those of the city. Likewise, what is true in a county system or in a State is equally true of the Nation as a whole. To afford America's children the same opportunities from an educational standpoint, property must be taxed where values are found, and children must be educated where they are found. This can be accomplished Nation-wide only with a substantial equalization fund being provided by the Federal Government. The CHAIRMAN. Dr. A. D. Holt. Dr. DAWSON. Mr. Holt had to go back to Nashville. He left a statement with me to be put into the record. I also have a statement from Mr. B. O. Duggan, commissioner of education, for the State of Tennessee, to be put in the record. The CHAIRMAN. Give them to the recorder, for insertion in the record. (The statements referred to are as follows:) STATEMENT BY A. D. HOLT, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION TENNESSEE'S NEED FOR FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION Tennessee needs Federal aid to public education particularly for the following reasons: 1. To provide school facilities for children recently removed to the areas of defense activities and industry in the State. The attached table indicates the amounts the State department of education has estimated will be needed to defray the cost of additional buildings and equipment, operation cost, buses and teachers in defense areas of Tennessee. (The table above referred to is also included in the statement of B. O. Duggan and is printed as table IX, on p. 253.) 2. To increase financial support of Negro schools, made imperative by recent Federal court decisions. Although Tennessee in recent years has made commendable progress in improving its Negro schools, there are still many counties and cities in the State which have been financially unable to raise Negro teachers' salaries even to the low minimum paid white teachers. A Negro teacher of Nashville, Tenn., has recently filed suit against the city board of education for the difference between the salary he has received since becoming an employee of the board and the salary paid by the board to white teachers of similar qualifications. A careful study has shown that to raise the salaries of its 205 Negro teachers to the level of those now paid its 574 white teachers, Nashville would have to raise an additional $70,000 per year for school purposes. It has been estimated that to raise salaries of all Negro teachers to the level of those paid white teachers in the same locality would necessitate an increase of $685,000 in public school expenditures in Tennessee. If the per capita cost per student for Negroes is increased to equal the per capita amount now spent for white students an increase of $2,425,000 will be made necessary. 3. To provide children of Tennessee with educational opportunities comparable to those provided children in other States of the Nation, without imposing an unbearable burden on the State. The following table will indicate a few inequalities of educational opportunities now suffered by the children of Tennessee: The following table indicates Tennessee's comparative ability to support an adequate program of public education, as measured by certain common indexes: Percent of tax resources (Newcomber) required to support a $60 per unit minimum program: Average for Tennessee. Rank of Tennessee. 3.3 38. 6 79.2 37 STATEMENT OF B. O. DUGGAN, COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, FOR THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE TENNESSEE'S CASE FOR FEDERAL AID Educational leaders of Tennessee, along with those of other States, have been thinking for a long time that it is an obligation of the Federal Government to assist the States in the program of public education in an effort to more nearly equalize educational opportunity among the various sections of the country. For the above reason we wish to endorse, and support, the Senate bill No. 1313 which is known as the "Educational Finance Act of 1941." Below are a few of the significant facts showing prevailing conditions in Tennessee and showing our need for funds anticipated as a result of this program. Tennessee must have outside assistance for public education if its rural children are to have the advantages which the Constitution of the United States gurantees to all its citizens. A. Elementary schools.-The foundation of all education is laid in the elementary schools and for that reason these schools should be the very best possible. Since Tennessee is very largely an agricultural State a large number of its children attend rural schools which are supported in large part by local taxation. These children attend 2,542 one-room schools enrolling 76,966 pupils; 1,558 two-teacher schools enrolling 95,106 pupils; and 1,201 three-or-more-teacher schools enrolling 215,396 pupils. In other words, 45 percent of the county elementary children in Tennessee are attending either one or two teacher schools where many of the buildings are in deplorable condition, instructional supplies are lacking, health and sanitation are below normal, and in many cases young and inexperienced teachers, or older men and women teachers are working. These conditions exist in spite of the fact that the counties are spending in some instances as much as 40 percent of the total county revenue, together with an equal amount in many instances from the State funds, on their elementary schools. As long as these conditions exist it is not difficult to understand that only 81 percent of the scholastic population in Tennessee is enrolled in its elementary schools, and only 66 percent of the total scholastic population is in average daily attendance. This situation cannot be remedied until additional funds are made available for consolidation and transportation, and these funds of necessity must come from sources outside the State of Tennessee since all available revenue is now being expended on the elementary program. A study of the statistical reports shows that enrollment in the schools varies from 70 percent in strictly rural counties where so many of the one-room schools exist, to 93 percent in some counties where better facilities are available to attract the interest of the children. The same conditions cause a variation from 75 percent in average daily attendance in a strictly rural county, to 92 percent in a larger county. The size of the school is also an important factor in the matter of promotion and retardation in the elementary schools of Tennessee. A study of table III will reveal the following facts in a very striking manner: 1. The promotion of children in one-room schools of a random selection of counties varies from 54 percent to 64 percent, while promotion in a two-teacher school varied from 55 percent to 74 percent, and promotions in three-or-moreteacher schools varied from 59 percent to 79 percent. This shows that the chances for promotion are increased with larger school units. 2. The problems caused by children dropping out of school also show the weakness of the small school units since from 14 percent to 33 percent of the enrollment dropped out of one-teacher schools, 5 percent to 30 percent dropped out of two-teacher schools, and 4 percent to 25 percent dropped out of three-ormore-teacher schools. |