TABLE 54.-Percentage relation between the largest age group and the number found in each grade in certain cities having less than 25,000 population, 1918-Group B-Con.

TABLE 55.-Distribution of cities according to value of school properties per pupil enrolled,

360 AND OVER.

Value of school property per pupil enrolled, 1917-18.

FIG. 32.-Distribution of 1,515 cities according to the value of school property per pupil enrolled, 1917-18. PER CAPITA VALUE OF SCHOOL PROPERTY.

Altogether, 1,515 cities reported the total value of school property and the total number of students enrolled. From these reports the average value of school property for each pupil enrolled has been computed. These averages have been classified in Table 55 according to the size of cities. The combined summary of the distribution has been shown in figure 32, the percentage frequencies of cities being used as ordinates and the value of property per pupil as abscissas. The highest ordinate represents an average value of property varying from $100 to $119. The next longest bar stands for the group $120 to $139. It is seen, therefore, that over 27 per cent of these cities have from $100 to $139 invested in school property for each pupil enrolled. A few cities have an average investment exceeding $300. On the other hand, a few cities have very low investments, even less than $60 per pupil.

The middle half of cities of Group I have investments ranging from $124 to $191, those of Group II from $127 to $188, those of Group III from $109 to $180, those of Group IV from $94 to $177, and those of Group V from $81 to $164, and the middle half of all cities combined from $96 to $178. The corresponding medians for these respective groups of cities are 162, 155, 144, 131, 114, and 133. It is seen, therefore, that the larger cities generally have higher average investments per pupil than do the smaller ones. In the report on State school systems the average value of school property for both urban and rural schools was found to be only $95 per pupil enrolled. The medial value of city school property per pupil exceeds, therefore, the average for the United States by $38. The corresponding average value for city school systems is $147, or $52 more than the corresponding average for State school systems.

THE CITY SCHOOL DEBT.

The amount of school bonds outstanding in 1,263 city school systems in 1918 was $620,133,300. In addition other forms of debt. amounted to $126,908,200, making a total minimum school indebtedness of $747,041,500. This enormous debt is almost sufficient in amount to pay for maintaining the entire public school system of the United States for one year ($763,678,089 so spent in 1918) and more than twice the amount necessary for meeting for one year the total current expenses of city schools ($334,018,175 spent in 1918). If city schools should close for two years, and if the revenue could be used in the amortization of school bonds and other debts, including accruing interest, they could reopen in the fall of 1920 free from all incumbrances. This vast city school debt is more than the corresponding indebtedness reported by the various State officers of education in 1918 (viz, $469,089,795) for both urban and rural schools combined. This great discrepancy means that all the various State officers have not succeeded in getting complete returns on the existing school debt. This city school debt amounts almost to $87 per pupil enrolled in school during the year.

To meet the interest on this debt the city school systems must raise annually $14,635,004 (see Table 82), which seems altogether too small, since this amount is less than 2 per cent interest on the indebtedness. To redeem the school bonds as they become due there is now in the city school sinking funds only $85,443,100, or 11.4 per cent of the amount necessary to liquidate the debt. In 1918, $6,469,384 was raised by taxation to redeem accruing bonds, most of which were presumably serial bonds. An additional amount of $4,938,662 was raised by taxation and transferred to the sinking funds to provide for the amortization of other bonds as they mature. Almost an equal amount, $4,469,236, was drawn from existing sinking funds to pay

off bonds maturing in 1918. An additional amount of $5,694,067 was raised by city school systems to redeem short term loans usually negotiated during the preceding school year.

The total amount raised by city school systems for reducing the principal of the school debt during the year was $17,102,113. At this rate of reduction it would take cities over 43 years to liquidate existing school indebtedness, let alone the new school bonds issued annually. In Table 75 it is found that the total amount of new city school bonds and loans negotiated during the year 1917-18 was $38,076,320. This sum is more than double the amount of the old school debts paid off during the same time. In other words, city school systems are going into debt more than twice as rapidly as they are getting out.

WHERE THE CITY SCHOOL DOLLAR COMES FROM.

In figure 33 it is shown that 68 per cent of all school revenue, excluding nonrevenue receipts, comes from city school taxes, 11.8 per cent from the State, 11.3 per cent from the general city treasury, 4.2 per cent from the county, and 4.7 per cent from miscellaneous sources. In some cases nearly all city school revenue is appropriated out of the general city treasury. Whether such money comes from the treasury or from special school taxes, the burden of support rests on the the city taxpayer. Combining these two percentages, it is found that 79.8 per cent of the city school revenue comes from the city itself. An additional 4.2 per cent comes from the county, but ordinarily the city pays into the county treasury more than it gets back. Likewise, the city generally contributes in State taxes more than is returned to it in the nature of an appropriation or allotment. It is seen, therefore, that the city taxpayer practically supports his own school system, although the revenue may come through several channels.

The total city school revenue receipts aggregate $382,542,269, or almost 52 per cent of the total revenue receipts ($736,876,442) for

State school systems. Over half the money raised for public education goes into the city school treasury. This is significant in view of the fact that all city schools register only 8,587,593 children out of the 20,853,516 children enrolled in public schools throughout the entire country, or a little over 41 per cent of the total number. Thus 52 per cent of the school revenue of the Nation is used for 41 per cent of the children.

In addition to the revenue receipts, $38,076,320 was received from the sale of school bonds and the negotiation of temporary loans and $1,149,390 from the sale of school property. The revenue and the nonrevenue receipts combined amount to $421,767,979.

TABLE 56.-Distribution of cities according to the tax rate for all school purposes on the estimated true property value, 1917-18.