The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-03-24
Yellowstone Will Vote on the
Proposition to Erect a
Building.
FREE TO ALL PUPILS
In the County-A Move That Will
Vastly Benefit the Country
Districts.

AT GD6 SugSeSGlOn OF ne billings
school board, an informal meeting was
held last evening, which was attended
by quite a number Of representative
citizens and taxpayers, 10 discuss the
proposition of establiShing a County
Central Free High School, under the
provisions Of h~oqse/bill No. So, passed
BY the last legislature. Hon. John D.
Losekamp, the originator Of the bill,
explained that the object Of the meeting
was to decide whether Yellowstone
county desired a central free high
school, and then nominated Judge j..
ID. Matheson for chairman. He was
unanimously elected. when Fl. M.
Allen was chosen secretary and read
the bill to the meeting.
An informal discussion then followed
and when the provisions Of the law
were thoroughly understood, it was
moved that q vote be taken to decide
whether the sense of the meeting was
in favor of a county free high school.
The motion was carried unanimously.
Under the law, to get the matter be-
fore the voters Of the county, a special
election must be called by the county
commissioners when petitioned by 200
electors Of the county to submit the
proposition as to whether the county
desires a central free high school and
where it shall BIZ located. To carry
out this provision, a motion was made
that the chair appoint a committee to
draft and circulate petitions to bring
about the special election. The chair
appointed Hon. John D. Losekamp, DR..
j. II. Rinehart, W. N. Johnston, Chas.
Spear, H. N. Allen and W. H. Ross as
members of such committee. It will
first circulate the petitions in the coun-
try and later they will be circulated in
this city.
The general provisions of the law are
that when q county has voted to build
a free central high school, the county
commissioners shall appoint six trustees
to have charge Of the same, not more
than three of whom shall be residents
of the town where the school is to be
located. These trustees shall then sub
NIT to the electors a proposition to
bond the county to build aud equip the
school. the bill providing that the
county cannot be bonded in a sum OK
ceeding 500, O00. The first election to
be held, therefore, is merely to decide
whether Yellowstone county desires
such a school and where it shall be 10.
Gated. Another election must then be
held before any bonds can be issued, |
the trustees submitting to the voters
the amount of bonds required, the trus-
deciding the character Of building
to be constructed and how much it
shall cost.
The school, if established, shall be
under the direction of these six trus-
tees, who will employ a principal and
the necessary teachers and provide for
their compensation. The school is to
be free to all children in the county
who a pass an eight grade examina-
tion and pupils from other counties
may attend by paying tuition when the
school is not filled with pupils who are
residents Of the home county.
II such a school is established in
it would enable such pupils
from the country districts who cannot
pass an eight grade examination, to at
tend our present public schools without
a tuition fee. At present a fee
Of $40 per year is required on account
the crowded condition of the schools,
which is just $40 less than it costs
the Billings school district per capita
for each scholar. All the members of
school board present at the meeting
were heartily in favor of establishing a
County Central Free High School, and
when the question is submitted to the
voters there is no doubt it will be car
ried.