The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-12-14
HIGH SCHOOL
FOR THE VALLEY
MANY ADVANTAGES TO SUCH PLAN
Advocated by Supt. Neif and Prof. WI.
ley-WOuld be Economical and
Bring Desirable Residents
TO Hood River.

The time is fast coming when the
school facilities of the valley will be
taxed to their utmost and in order to
be prepared fol an emergency it would
seem that the best idea Is to take hold
OF the matter now and not wait until
there is no provision for the education
of pupils in the higher grades.
A plan advocated by Supt. Netf and
endorsed by Prof. Wiley, as outlined
in an article printed below, is to have
a central high school located at Hood
River, which will be amply large
enough to accommodate the pupils of
the advanced grades throughout the
valley. The cost of an educational
system of this kind would be reduced
to a minimum, by the large number
who would share the expense, and the
comprehensive scope of its education
al feaures would be widened to an ex-
tent that can be done in no other way,
The prestige that would accrue to
Hood River and its environment
through the maintenance of high
school that would be second to none
in the state, would mnny times com
pensate the taxpayers for any outlay
Of money spent this way.
There is probably no way to attract
the letter class of citizens to town
or city than through its schools.
There Is no question moIe near to the
heart of every good American citizen
than the education of his children. A
Inc school for the higher grades,
coupled with the many other attrac-
tions and advantages of the Hood
River valley would be the means of
bringing the most desirable class of
residents that could be had to this
section of country.
In discussing the matter Prof. Wi
Icy says:
Believing much of the success In
fruit and berry raising in Hood River
valley to be due to the eagerness with
which our people in general seem to
seek after the very best methods and
the persistency with which our local
papers keep the people reminded of
our advantages aud the successful sale
of our fruits, i am prompted TO o, k
space to present some thoughts On
the school outlook.
"We all know how we'll and favor
ably known is our valley for the fer
tility of soil, the abundance Of fruit
and the beauty of its farm homes.
We are as particularly favored with
regard to educational advantages IL
we but rise to the occasion.
1--WE have no less than five districts,
Pm hnak -
boys and girls at home and give them
a High school education. Wouldn't
it be wiser plan instead of building
on TO our crowded buildings to make
room for one or two high school
grades, taught by an over worked
principal, to unite and build one
large, modern, uptodate High School
building and employ none but spe-
cialists as teachers?
Superintendent Ackel man has re-
peatedly said in different parts of the
state that no section In the whole
state presents SO many conditions ia
vorable to consolidation of school dis
tricts as Hood River valley. The dis
tricts adjoining Newberg have consol-
idated and bring the children to
school in large covered wagons at the
expense Of the district. Can we not
choose a location for high school
and provide some means of transpor-
tationY Why are not our boys and
girls entitled to just as g cd advan-
tages and opportunities as the boys
and girls in Portland or anywhere
elsey Let's have one school board,
nftu xfaIIau fs,Nn
(and when Cascade county is organ
lied in January 1907, make the county
and the valley superintendent one and
the same otiice) and one central high
school. This suggestion has been
heartily endorsed by Superintendent
Ackerman, Superintenden Nef, Su-
perintendent Landers and all other
educators to whom it has been pre-
sented as '"The Ideal Condition.
"We would be surpassed by no schools
in the state, not even Portland, for
we woull expect to have some strictly
first class superintendent Of a wide
and successful experience equal to
our best city superintendents.
"Our present consolidation law, to
my mind, provides for just what we
need. If the consolidation plan
doesn't suit everybody's idea then
let's have valley high school estab-
lished by popular vote and maintained
by the valley taxpayers just as the five
county high schools of the state are
now maintained.
This is not plea to get fine new
high school building for the Hood
River city schools, have the valley
pay for it and assume our present in
debtedness. We will pay our indebt-
edness as fast as the bonds are due,
consolidation or no consolidation.
We have now an enrolment in our
high school of GO and more than 40 in
the Sth grade and have co. TEN" lated
full four years course next year with
100 pupils. But why not join inter-
ests? Let's talk and agitate the ques-
tion till our ideal is reached, then
we can watch "our valley" and not
the Washington city grow, for nothing
will do more to bring us the desirable
homeseekers than these school condi-
tions. They can be brought about
before another year If we want them.
They are coming soon, why not have
than nayt vparYii