The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-31

Euclid. Polk and Garfield schools makes
1t necessary for the board to take "a
look ahead" in the selection and pur-
chase of suitable school site in the
Fifth ward. A new school in that ward
to be built from funds derived from the
building fund levy will be one of the
pressing necessities in a very short
time. Unless the board purchase a
school site in this part of the city soon,
prices will be greatly advanced, and
what is far worse, no suitable and ad-
equate site will be found at all, as this
portion of the city is now growing very
rapidly.
sixth-The board has no funds avail
able to meet any of these emergencies
and necessities. and therefore it is
forced to ask for this small amount
of bond issue, confidently believing
that the patrons and voters, when con-
fronted by these startling facts. will
respond cheerfully and willingly to this
call to meet the emergencies and neces-
stiles which now confront the board
of education.
CONSTRUCTION WORK THIS YEAR
The board has completed the Low
man Hill school all but the basement,
and will soon have completed the adj
dition to POtwin.
1t has now in process of erection the
new Quincy school in the First ward,
the Lafayette school in the Second
ward and the new high school building,
for all of which it asks additional
It has not yet begun the construction
of the colored school Gane) in the
First ward. for which bonds were
voted last spring, but will probably do
so this summer. The delay has been
on account of the flood. Plans for the
building have been accepted and site
securad.
The two-room addition to Euclid
school. which was mentioned last
spring, can be built out of the building
fund levy in the near future. providing
this bond proposition carries
A LOOK AT THE FUTURE.
At the election last spring the board
stated that the amount of bonds for
which it was asking was reduced to
the lowest possible minimum. When
bids on the Potwin. Lafayette and new
| Quincy schools were received it was
found that the estimates on these
| buildings were placed too low-lue to
| the increased price of labor and ma
terial.
1t should be remembered. too, that
the board stated that the Lafavette
school was to have but four out of its
eight rooms completed out of the bond
! issue called for at that time, and that
| the new Quincy school was to have but
two or three rooms COMPLETED out of
the twelve rooms therein. The bond
issue now called for cOntempIates the
completion of the remaining rooms in
| the Lafayette building and the COM
! pletion of the whole of the new Quincy
| IN order that the old Quincy NAV be
| abandoned as insisted upon by Chief
! Wilmarth
While the new high school was con-
| tracted for within the estimate made
still the board did not include the heat
plant in that estimate, believing that
/ 1t could draw upon it's regular build
ing fund levy to meet the expense of
installing such plant. But the unex.
pected heavy draw upon the building
tund for the current year, due to the
school buildings in the First ward in
repair after the flood of last spring
frustrated the plans of the board
which now finds itself without avail
able funds from which to install a
high school heating plant. That this
plant is an imperative necessity will
be apparent to all AMI mat the plant
should be installed while the building
is in process of construction will be
| conceded without argument. But on
account of the flood expenses no funds
are available for this purpose unless
bonds are voted at this time. This
plant can be installed much cheaper
now than after the building is erected
and certainly with less wear and tear
on the building. If these bonds are
voted it will be most timely circum-
stance in connection with the erection
of the new high school building. If the
bonds should fail it would most ser
iously delay the completion of this
building which is so greatly needed to
relieve the crowded condition of the
present structure.
It is not necessary to enumerate the
other necessities herein mentioned. I
have only reviewed the above facts to
show how dire are our immediate ne
cessities and how important it is that
this bond issue be voted at this times
and to state this further fact that if
these bonds are voted the board will
be able to place the city in such splen-
did shape from the standpoint of its
school buildings that all school con-
struction for the next ten or twelve
years can be taken care of success
fully through the building fund levy.
and. too that rate of levy materially
reduced in the next few years-unless
the city should have a sudden and I'M
expected growth or suffer the loss of
some of its buildings by fire-such as