Amador ledger., 1903-06-12
Proposed High School District.

lone is first in the field to organize
for q union high school district for the
purpose Of receiving the benefit Of the
law passed by the last legislature
authorizing a tax of u cents on all
taxable property in the state for the
support of high schools. An election
has been called in the school districts
in township two to vote on the PROPOSE
tion. The election will be held on Sat-
urday, June 13. The districts to be in
cluded in the proposed high school dis
trlct are as follows; Camp Opra, Car
bondale, lone, Mountain Springs,
Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Echo, and Lancha
Plana. This arrangement omits Buena
Vista, jackson Valley and Julian school
districts, from the scope of the high
school. Outside of lone, the districts
left out are the most populous, from
a juvenile point OF view, in the town
ship, having SO census children while
the seven districts included in the cleo
tion call outside of lone, have a school
population of 128. 1t may appear
strange that the largest districts out
side OF lone should keep aleOf from the
movement, especially when it is con
sldered that the territory covered by
these districts is within easy reach of
the probable location of the school.
We assume that in the three districts
excluded, a majority Of the heads of
families DECLINED to join in the petition
to submit the question to vote. That
Is the preliminary step in the formation
of high school district. A majority
OF the heads of families-not majority
of the qualified voters-in each school
district must sign petitien TO submit
the question to g vote. This is not
only the initial step, but the most vital
step in the whole proceeding. Con-
sent TO submit the high school question
to vote, carries with it the consent of
each district to be governed by the
majority vote Of the entire high school
district as proposed. After agreeing
to call an election, the several districts
lose their individuality in the matter,
They become merged in the proposed
district as q whole. In the coming
election a majority vote of the qualified
electors is decisive of the question. 1t
matters not whether Lancha Plana or
any other small district votes over
whelmingly against the proposition, if
the vote on the WHOLE is favorable,
Laneha Rlsna is swept in with the rest.
1t is presumed of course, that in voting
to call an election those signing the
petition will also vote to establish the
high school. Nevertheless, it is proper
to explain the matter as far as possible.
There is a possibility that the subject
may be misunderstood. We have not
noticed any discussion of this particular
point. 1t is no more than right that
those Interested SHOULD be fully in
formed on matter of such Importance
as the subsection of their property to a
special tax for an indefinite period.
We do not argue the justice or injus-
tice of the law. In this particular case
the preponderance of votes is with lone
City. Should lone vote solidly for,
and the outside districts vote salidly
against the propositiop, still the
high school district would carry, not
only for lone but for all the other dis
tricts named. True, that is an extreme
view. The proba bility is that o majorl-
ty of the heads Of families in all the
districts having joined in the petition,
q majority of voters in each district
will be found ranging themselves under
the banner of "for the high school"
Such, however, is the law, and It is
right that those concerned should be
made aware Of it.