The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-04-14
OUR OPPORTUNITY.
Now is the Time to Secure g
High Grade School How
to Do It.

The recent gift of the Auditorium
to the town by Hon. Edwin Gilbert,
for school and other public purposes,
makes it possible for Crescent City
to easily have one of the best, most
thoroughly equipped high and grad
ed schools in Florida.
As it now stands our school ranks
as Il Junior high school and an eight
months term is made possible by a
special appropriation of $3.50 per year
for schools of that grade. This is in
addition to the pay of two teachers
for the regular school term allowed
all other schools not in this class.
There is a way to increase this
amount sufficient to give Crescent
City senior high school with a
special state appropriation of 5000, To
increase it sufficient to enable us to
employ principal and three assis-
tants, thereby less ening the number
of grades each teacher would have,
and allowing them more time to
each grade.
AS it is there are ten grades in our
school and but two teachers. This
gives each teacher five grades.
With an average of four studies to
each grade, each teacher is obliged
to hear twenty recitations day.
That is from IL to 10 recitations too
many for effective, telling work. The
teachers are over worked and the in
dividual pupils can not receive their
Just share of attention.
But the way:
Under the school laws of Florida
we can create special tax school dis
tricts in any county. There are al.
ready three in this county, viz, Po-
mona, Francis, and FlOrahome. The
law in brief is as follows:
1t is the duty of the county school
board to call an election for the pur-
pose of forming a special tax school
ulSJIlCJ "ucI0FSI OhS-lOulGil VI Vic
qualified electors in proposed dis
trict shall so petition. In this petit
ton the limits of the district are de-
fined. In the election a majority
vote in favor of, establishes the dis
trict, elects three trustees and estab- |
fishes the number of mills that shall
be levied for the support of the
schools. The constitution limits this
levy to three mills. 1t may be even
less.
A special tax school district here,
with the money already provided by |
the county and state, could prosper
and have all necessary funds on a
TWO MILL levy.
The time to act is now. BY acting
now we would be in shape to open
our new senior high school in our
new building next fall
The News suggests that the pro-
posed special tax district be defined
to embrace the whole of election pre-
cinct No. 1. This might wipe out
the schools at Huntington and Den
yer, but it would give the children of
those places the advantage of a first
class graded school, which would
employ the present teachers at those
places if acceptable to the county
board. Such district would also
be able to provide teams to take pu-
pills from these outlying places to
and from school
1t would furnish one large, thor
oughly equipped central high and
graded school for the precinct with
tutors of the highest ability,
And such district would not in
crease taxes but little-so little that
no man, no matter how poor would
notice the extra burden.
1t would be a grand school consol-
idatiOn and would allow the money
now going to three to be spent on the
one.
And best OF all
Such school would allow our boys
and girls chance to complete their
education, up to the point of enter
ing the university, right here at
home.
Will the people take hold of this
matter now and act? The News
trusts SO; and this paper will be
pleased to publish the views of others
on this important matter.