The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-19
Money FOR THE SCHOOLS
COMMERCIAL CLUB COMMITTEE HAS
BEEN INVESTIGATING.
An Exhaustive Report Dealing with
the Matter-PIan OF Relief
Suggested.

the committee that has been investigating
the financial needs of the Indianapolis
schools submitted it's report The com
mittee has spent several weeks In its work,
holding several conferences with the School
Board and as result of its exhaustive
examination it recommends that the school
tax levy for this city be increased 6 cents
on each 800 and that the School Board
be empowered to issue bonds to the
amount Of $4,000. the money TO be expend-
ed in permanent improvements, new build
ings,- additions to present buildings and i'm
proved heating system. bill embodying
these provisions is attached to the report.
IL was originally proposed that the school
tax levy be increased 10 cents. 1t was
generally conceded that the School Board
must have more money and this was the
plan suggested. The Commercial Club COM
mittee was instructed TO consider this prop
osition and see If it would provide sufh-
cient revenues to meet the needs of the
schools and if it was the best plan that
could be devised to meet the emergency.
The report modifes this plan materially.
The members Of the committee were II.
u. Brown. t. c. Day, A. l.. Mason, Vim
cent G. Clifford. John Appel, John L. Ketch-
am, William NJ. Taylor, William ]. Scott
the commercial organizations of the city.
EXHAUSTIVE RESUME.
The report, which is an exhaustive re-
sumo OF the school situation in Indian
apolis. is as follows:
Indianapolis has grown rapidly, and its
school enrolment has in the last ten years
grown at the rate of 1000 a year. We are
satisfied that the necessity for school re-
lief exists, and that the School Board has
not been extravagant in its plans and es-
Inmates for expenditure. The primary and
secondary schools OF indianapolis need
more room and better equipment Rooms
In dwelling houses and storehouses have
from time to time been occupied for pri-
mary school purposes, and ten portable
schools are in use.
THE greater number of these are in ILL
ventilated and poorly lighted buildings,
making proper instruction and management
impossible, and causing actual discomfort
and even injury TO the pupils.
Other school buildings old and over
crowded. The two nigh schools are crowd
ed far beyond their reasonable capacity
About 100 students are occupying quar-
tiers designed for less than loo. Neither
OF the schools has assembly room OF
sufficient capacity to accommodate half of
its pupils. Neither school has the appa-
ratus and equipment it should have Tween
ty-one school buildings heated by
stoves This Is dangerous. expensive and
unscisntfic method.
THE onange from gas. a fuel at COM
mand when these buildings were con-
stTucted, to coal, makes a complete change
of heating apparatus imperative OF the
schools. seven have inadequate play
grounds; and in some instances the streets
are used by the pupils at recess.
For pupils already enrolled the board
must nave four new school buildings, and
inside of three years five others for the
primary grades, besides extended enlarge
ments of its high schools. Additional
grounds that must be bought in ten in
stances and additions of four to eight
rooms must be made TO ten buildings now
in use.
1.-The total amount required for all these
necessities. including new heating appa-
ratus. IL in excess of $4,000. The yearly
necessities, to provide for the new teachers
that will be required for these new schools,
for reasonable increase in the salaries of
teachers that are now underpaid and to
supply the defects in maintenance and
Board, in seeking relief, suggested an in
crease in the tax levy to the amount OF IL
cents on the 800. yielding about $4,000 a
PLAN OF RELIEF.
''Your committee has with some care
gone over the grounds of the necessities
and the proposed plan of relief. 1t con-
cudes that the relief must be granted II
Indianapolis is TO have proper schools. We
are of the opinion that. inasmuch as the
additional moneys will be expended largely
for buildings and grounds and this ex
penditure will add an equal value to the
permanent assets of the city, it should no
be contributed wholly by the present tax
payers, but may Justly be distributed IN
large part to those who come after anC
who will be the large beneficiaries.
I'VE are moved to this conclusion also by
the fact that the present School Board ha:
already actual assets in the way of real es
tate and improvements and equipment OF {
permanent character conservatively ap
praised at s.. 500O 600, while its total debt 1:
but little over one-third of this valuation
total of $S6S, Geo. An addition of $3.50, 0Ga
for real estate and improvements will ado
to the assets as well as TO the debts ant
make the totals respectively s.. 900 anC
S,3is,000, or considerably more than two L
one.
I'm brief. your committee recommend
the following plan of relief:
That the Board of School Commission
ers be empowered TO issue bonds. neces
sity requires, for permanent improvements
and the purchase of real estate and the i'm
provement thereof, TO the amount of $50.
900. not more than $4,000 to be issued il
any one calendar year; levy / cent on tn
500 TO pay interest on the new bond issu
and cents on the 500 addition to TIL
special fund, and to pay for the repair o
buildings. The bonds should mature at tn
rate OF $4,000 year, commencing with tn
first year after the maturity of the last o
the present issue of funding bonds. namely
on July l, 1929. The word repairs shou
be removed from the old law, leaving tn
scent levy provided to be used exclusivel
for building and grounds.
FOR GENERAL PURPOSES.
Under this plan the board would re
Guiding repairs and new buildings If needed
in addition TO those TO be put up out of tn
present building and ground tax, of SO OC
year. 1t is the hope of this committe
that If this provision is made now furthe
legislative relief will not be needed for 81
years. and perhaps not until with tn
growth OF the city a third high school sha
become necessary.
Under the present bonding scheme tn
board will continue. heretofore, to pa
OFF the outstanding debt at the rate on
average. or $4,000 year until the propose
bonds shall begin TO mature
1--WE have taken into consideration wha
we believe 10 be the sentiment of our pee
pie relative TO the increase in the tax lev
and IL Is our Judgment that at this tim,
when other branches of the city governmer
are commanding large sums, il would nc
be advisable TO put upon the taxpayers III
entire burden OF the proposed improvement,
TO the school system.
For this reason, and because the presef
generation Is already subscribing funds fc
the payment of debt created in obtainin
property that will be handed down to fl
ture generations. the entire l0-Cent increas
should not be granted. but that the propol
ton of $4,000 out of what is irnperati vel
needed during the coming year should I
paid out of the proceeds Of an issue of re:
estate and Improvement bonds. and III
ture beginning with the approaching builS
ing season may well be derived from a
addition TO the tax levy.
THE School Board has preferred to pa
az IL goes and thus far has done so. bl
we are assured that IL will concur in IL