The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-08
NLEU MU0E UHO0
Topeka Must Not Have 1t Said
That
The City Does Not Provide
Adequately
FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN
But the School Tax Levy Must
Be Raised
In Order to Build Necessary
New School Houses.
OR SCHOOL CHILDREN

At the recent meeting of the school
board it was decided to postpone the
discussion of issuing bonds for the
building of new school rooms until the
meeting in March.
In order that all the children of TOpe-
ka of school age may be given the priv
ieges of the public schools, new rooms
must be added to the buildings now i'll
use and Sumner school must be re-
built. Fire Marshal Wilmarth notified
the board that the present building
must not be used for school purposes
and that he wished his notification 20
go on record. This is the only building
that will have to be built but the annex
to Clay school. which is now one story
high, should be completed and additions
must be built to other buildings.
Branner school now has four rooms
but they must be torn down and the
new building would have nine rooms at
a cost of $12, 600.
The other additions are as follows, all
amounting to $50, 600:
One three room addition to Lincoln
school, estimated to cost, with heating
apparatus and furniture complete, 3d.
600.
One two room addition to Euclid
school, estimated to cost, with heating
apparatus and furniture complete, $2,-
600.
A two room wing to Polk street
school building on the west, as per or
iginal design, with heating apparatus
and furniture complete, $4,000.
One four room addition to Quincy
school, with furniture and heating ap-
paratus complete, estimated to cost
$4,000.
One four room addition to Harrison
school, estimated to cost, with heating
apparatus and furniture complete, So
600.
To complete the new Clay building
by adding a second story, as per origi-
nal design, with furnace and furniture
complete $1,000.
4
heating apparatus in Grant, Quincy,
Lane, Madison, Branner, Parkdale, Lin
coin, Washington, Monroe. Garfield,
jackson. Van Buren,, Polk, Euclid, Low
man Hill, Buchanan, and Harrison
buildings, $4,000.
The board has deliberated upon the
question of submitting the question of
voting $50, 900 bonds for some time and
for several meetings the question has
been laid upon the table and not until
Mondays meeting was any proposition
made that met with the approval of all
the members.
1t has been decided to look into the
matter of legislation and to ascertain
if it would not be a better plan to have
the tax levy of eight mills raised.
The school tax levy for Topeka is
eight mills, while. Kansas City, Kan,
has a tax of u mills and a special levy
of three mills for repairs which gives
them seven mills more than Topeka.
LeaVenWorth, AtchiSOn, Fort Scott and
other towns not as large as Topeka
have a higher levy. The Is mill levy
of Kansas City is allowed by a special
law which grants such a levy to cities
of 10000 or more population. A COM
mittee composed of John CLANCY, chair
man. L. S. Ferry and I. o. Howe was
appointed by Chairman Edward Wilder
to look into the plan in operation
with view of asking the legislature to
change the reading of the bill from 40
to 20 thousand in order that Topeka
might raise the tax levy. At present
Topeka comes under the general law
calling for an eight mill levy.
At present the board claims it is max
ing every retrenchment possible in order
that the year can be completed with the
money available and it will take close
f1nanciering to be q BILE to meet all the
bills with the money allowed It might
be a good idea to abolish some of the
''frills'' in the high school for the sake
of A. r G. in the primary.
The Topeka board of education would
like to have the same levy of II and
mills as is allowed to Kansas City
While the limit of Is mills would not
always be expended 1t would place the
board in position where they could
obtain more money if necessary. I'm
der the present straitened financial con-
ditiOns confronting the board, moth
ing can be done without the issuing of
more bonds. If one of the large school
buildings now in use were to burn it
would be impossible for the board to
erect another or to even rent rooms for
the use of the scholars of the burned
building. without first submitting the
question of issuing bonds, to be voted
upon.
If the bonds were voted for the
building of the new rooms needed there
would be no money with which to pay
the extra teachers and janitors so that
the raising of the tax levy is necessary
If the levy for the general fund were
raised from to 70 mills it would also
provide for the paying Of the teachers
salaries.
ed from Chief WiImarth, the board au-
thOrized the special committee to adj
vertise for bids for the tearing down
and selling of the Sumner school build
ing.
At the next meeting of the board in
January the special committee viii
make a. report concerning the levy as
in use in Kansas City and the board
will proba bly, adopt whatever the COM
mittee recommends.