The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-05-21
AN OPEN LETTER.
To W. T. Gardner. Mayor of Ard

4
more:
Dear Sir-For some time past
criticisms have been, and are now
being made, as to the seeming in
activity of the public school board
Of Ardmore. Many keep inquir-
ing, and rightly so, What has
the school board been doingi /"
ard Why do we not hear from
them as to what we may expect
in the way of public schools dur
ing the coming school yearf "
| desire to state further that the
board has had very large mum
Der OF applications for employ
ment from able and qualified teach
ersAand superintendent for posi-
tiOns in our schools. To these,
and to all, we must give a very
indefinite and unsatisfactory an
swer, saying we cannot tell the
number of teachers We can en-
plOy, what, if anything we can
pay, and what length of term the
schools will be conducted for the
reason that the city council must
need to make levy and set aside
a sufficient amount of money to
be collected in the near future for
the support of the public free
schools of Ardmore before we can
know what to base our actions
upon, and this they have not, so
far, seen fit to do.
Men who have buildings suitable
for school purposes are inquiring
of us as to what we desire to do
and whether or not we would like
to secure their buildings for the
coming year.
We have opportunities to get
suitable school sites, in some in
stances free, and others at slight
cost, but think best to hold back
until we know what the city coun-
ell does.
School text book companies are
making repeated offers on favor
able terms to exchange new
books for old, and thus enable US
to secure uniformity of text books,
the thing badly needed in Ard
more, where a dozen or more SER
les are being used to the great
confusion and great expense of
patrons.
We are compelled to answer in
each and all of these instances
that our actions must be largely
controlled by what the city cOun-
ell does in the matter of finances.
The school board promptly
qualified after their election and
entered upon their duties and have
been carefully studying the situa-
! ton ever since, and realize each
day the great responsibilities and
labor imposed upon them. The
members each earnestly desire that
| the public schools be a success
from the start. The various com
mittees have been appointed and
are at work trying to shape up
the matters and get them into
definite form. They are met at
every point by the great problem
of finance. How much money
will be at their command and dis
posal during the coming year :
The people of Ardmore have
voted in favor of free public
schools. 1t will take money to
run the public schools, and a suf-
fcient amount must be collected
and appropriated for this purpose.
and this provided for at a late
date in the year, would, as we take
it, be an insult to the people. and
the board feel that they should de-
cline to be responsible for the re-
suits. School sites, houses, fur
niture, apparatus and fuel are all
needed and should be arranged for
at an early date. a business man
before he launches into the midst
of a business undertaking gets
ready and lays all his plans to the
best advantage before he invests.
/ The urgent need now is economy