The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-18
WANT MORE
SCHOOL FUNDS
Plans Forming to Ask Special
Tax Law
FOR CITY DISTRICT
Would Allow Increase of
General Levy.
I CITY DISTRICT

The boar dof education viii make an
attempt at the next session of the leg
islature to secure the passage of a special
tax law for the purpose of providing
more revenue for the maintenance and
Improvement of the public Schools OF
this city.
Under the la wunder which the schools
are now operating it is difficult for the
board of education to raise sufficient
money to run the schools and build ad-
ditionaI buildings necessary, and it is to
abviate this drawback that an effor
to have a new special law enacted will
be made If the legislature, when it
takes up the whole question of taxation.
revises the state tax laws so that it Will
not be necessary to secure the special
legislation contemplated for Wichita, the
plan of the members of the board of edu-
cation will be abandoned, but for fear
the new general tax law will not remedy
affairs in this school district. all arrange
ments win be made to press a specia,
bill
The board has as yet taken no officiai
action on the subject, but members are
talking Of the plan among themselves
and state that they will send some Of
their number to Topeka next winter to
lobby for the desired legislation If deemed
advisable.
One plan which it is proposed to in
corporate into the bill is a provision
allowing for the issue of more bonds
Under the present law the board can
only have bonds outstanding TO tho
amount of per cent of the assessed val
uation of the property in the district
Speaking of this plan. N L. follower
said to a reporter for the Eagle:
I'VE do not think that the law allows
us to have enough bonds outstanding TO
provide for the new buildings and ad-
ditions which it will be necessary to
build in this city within short time
Now that the Orient shops will be on the
West Side there will be a great increase
of the school population on that side.
The committee on buildings and grounde
was discussing the matter today and con
Guided that the children living in the
vicinity of the shops would probably be
sent to the Mccormick and Harry street
schools. That would necessitate the
building of four more rooms to the Harry
street school and the building of four
more rooms to the Mccormick. The de
velopment of the south end will also ne
cessitate the building of two more ROOM
to the Lincoln street school.
THE development of the packing house
district has greatly crowded the Irving !
school and four more rooms will have
to be built there in a year or two A
new high school building is also becoming |
necessity.
'The board of education feels that its |
bonded indebtedness is now near enough |
to the limit of the law. II is thought |
best not to run too ,close to the limit |
the law allows. Some of the buildings |
we now have might be destroyed by fire |
sc that we would have to replace them" |
Another idea which we will seek to |
have incorporated into the special law |
will be the right to levy a larger tax for |
the general fund. 1t IS proposed to ask |
for law that viii allow us to levy |
tax for that fund of u mills instead of /
10. as at present"
DR.. Levi Horror president Of the |
board. also stated that there was talh /
among the members OF the board OF /
asking for law permitting a 12-min |
levy.
The outstanding Indebtedness Of the
school board at present is about $40, /
0o0 The limit allowed by law is betweeh /
s25O.000 and S275. 600 in round numbers. but I
the members desire a large margin. so
that in case of fire or sudden destruction /
of a school house Il could be rebuilt.