The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-02-01
WANT A VALLEY
HIGH SCHOOL
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING FOR IT
Project Met With Unanimous Favor
and Committees Were Appointed
to Agitate the Matter

With the enthusiasm characteristic
of the valley for progre and enter.
prise, the meeting held at Artisans
Hall Saturday for the purpose of con-
sideIing the proposition of building a
high school for the city and valley
was an unqualified success.
Delegations including members of
the school boards of Crapper, Odell.
Barrett, FIankton, PineGrove and this
city we're present and among all there
was no dissenting voice. While some
Of the gentlemen present differed as
to the mode Of procedure to secure
the desired result, all we're in favor of
the project and gave voice to their
sentiments.
j. W.Ackerman, State Superintend-
ent of Schools, and County Superin-
tendent of Schools Neff we're both
present to present their views In favor
of the school and to demonstrate what
a great benefit 1t would he to the
community of Hood River valley.
Prof Wiley of the Hood River schools,
CD. Thompson of the Barrett schools
and G. W. Brown of the Frankton
schools were also present and spoke
for the proposition, although the
building of the school may mean that
they would be forced to go elsewhere
to seek livelihood at their vocation.
Such spirit of self sacrifice as this
cannot fail to bring results, and it is
thought that many who came to the
meeting with the idea of oposing the
high school plan or at best only luke
marin In their attitude we're won to
its support by the position taken by
these gentlemen and also that of A. |.
Mason, Roswell Shelley, M. X. Noble
and others who have taken no little
pride in the local schools in their
districts and have nurtured and
watched them grow with the care
they would pet orchard.
At the conclusion of the meeting,
however, all this feeling was eradioat-
ed and a unanimous sentiment pre-
vailed that the school must be built.
The meeting was called to order by
Il. 9. Sherrieb, who was chosen as
chairman, and q, II. Vaughan as Sec
retary. Mr.. Sherrieb briefly stated
the nature of the meeting and called
upon Prof. Wiley to outline its pur-
pose. Prof. Wiley did so in clear
and sucoinct way and told of two
plans that could be used in obtaining
the school. The first and the better
plan he thought was to consolidate all
the school districts in the valley In
one district with a,superintendent and
a proper staff ofpofh GERS and teachers
under him, thereby establishing a
thorough system of instruction that
could be obtained i'm no other way.
To do this would require a petition
from the taxpayers of each district to
the county court asking for consoli-
dation and q vote on the question at
the June election. The petition would
require the signatures of five taxpay-
ers from districts of the third class
and fifty from the second class. Dis
tricts which have an enumeration of
less than 200 are rated in the third
class, and over that in the second
class until an enumeration Of 1000 is
reached when the district becomes one
of the first class. Pupils entering the
high school would be taken from the
eighth grade of the primary schools
and complete the rest of the course
in the former, which would consist Of
four more grades. If the outlying
districts in the valley felt that they
did not want to give up control of
their schools to one centralized body
the other plan was to establish a
union high school to which the va
rious districts would contribute their
pro rata share of the school tax for
maintenance. This, however, would
require an act of the legislature. He
also said that if the movement for
county division was successful q
county school could be erected which
would be maintained at the expense Of
the county.
Mr.. Sherrieb then asked SupeIin-
tendent Alderman to speak on the
subject which that gentleman did
most intelligently, answering objec-
tions and putting to rest many of the
fears of the greater expense and also
what was considered the most obiec-
tionable feature of the matter-trans-
portation of pupils.
He said that building such as was
thought of would be adequate for the
needs of Hood River valley could be
built for $40, 600, and cited as case,
Klamath Falls, where such structure
had recently been erected. He showed
how the difficulties of transportation
had been overcome at Newberg and
Prineville, where the system had been
inaugurated andldemonstrated that it's
cost would be less than two mills.
His talk was both business like and
enthusiastic and his answers to OBJ
iections to the point and satisfactory.
To question by Mr.. Staten in con
.x,sHh thu pnhnnl nj khn
proposed new county, he said that If
the taxpayers would vote to establish
the school he would vote for Cascade
County, a statement which was greet
ed with much applause.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Ackerman's
remarks, Mr.. Mason said that he had
come to the meeting with great deal
of pride in his heart for the little
school at Pine Grove, but that it had
been dissipated and he felt that the
larger school should be built, and in
reply to statement of Mr.. Acker-
mans that Hood River would get
little the worst of the deal in the
matter of taxes he took exception and
said that il it did it would be made
up in another direction. However, he
said that he was in favor OF con-
solidation of the districts instead Of
the union high school plan.
Mr.. Neff followed Mr.. Mason, and
in order to show just what the enum-
Grafton and valuation of the school
districts we're produced the following
figures:
Enumeration Valuation
No. Q Frankton, 2l4 SI25, 315
No. Barrett 207 l03, 1lO
No, s OdeII 10 S7,7l5