Semi-weekly herald., 1908-11-02

tive estimate. the ordinary yearly ex-
pense of a school the size of the Du-
range high school, is $10,S50. The
valuation of La Plata county for 1907
is $5,205,335. The two mill tax would
bring in sl0,410, which 10 d deficiency
of $440 to uegin with. 1t must also
be remembered that "as no provision
has been made by the county high
school law to divert any portion of the
general funds from the different school
districts to the benefit of the high
school, It must be assumed that the
legislature intended the tax provided
for in the act TO meet the expenses of
supporting the county high school" &"
(Annotated School Laws, page 154)
For instance, persons attending the
county high school will not draw state
and county funds from the quarterly
and semi-annual appointments as a
separate amount for the benefit of the
high school Their names are to be
included in the various districts where
they reside, said districts drawing the
per capita amount for their names
The high school is expected to be en-
tirely supported by direct taxes" Can
notated School Laws, page 1881
The sum of money s1O,S50, mention
ed above does not include the build
ing but is merely the running expense,
books and apparatus, teachers, etc,
for the space of a year. Would the
people of Durango want to see poor
er high school take the place of that
they now have? Surely the movement
should be toward better conditions,
forward not retrograde. We cannot
make bricks without straw, nor run
first grade school on third grade
funds.
The advocates of the county high
school admit that to build a new
county high school would not pay, but
support the merging of the Durango
high school in the county high school
In that case there is nothing gained
in the county at large, except the
time saved by having building ready
to use, since District No would have
to be paid for the building, and the
county would have heavy expense in
any case.
!, One argument that was advanced the
other day was that there would be so
many more pupils in attendance from
the country when there was no tuition
{ that there would be more funds to use.
That is mistake made through the
persons ignorance of the law. There
is no apportionment and therefcre no
per capita for pupils attending the
county high school, as we pointed out
above. 1t does not matter how many
pupils there are in attendance-the
school is supported by a direct tax
and has no general fund.
! Take for granted that Durango is
to be merged into the county high
school. We have a city system with
a superintendent at its head, cen.
tralized form of school management
i If you please, which has proved very
Il efficient, and which all cities of any
size adopt. After the Durango high
school becomes the county high school
the Durango school system will com
prise the first eight grades-that is
district No. will be practically
country school district. The city su.
! perintendent would have charge of the
| grades below the high school and no
more. The county high school has its
own board, and If they were willing
for such superintendent to act as
| principal of the county high school
which he could not do ON account
of the amount of work, 1t is not likely
that the above-named superintendent
! position would be easy, since he might
be accused of discrimination in favor
of Durango. The county high school
range school system similar to that
the Rush bill caused in Denver some
time ago. Since this is the largest and
most important town this side of Pue-
biO SuANiJ VIC htcu dS ilut Il system
of schools as we can possibly get. |
In fact, under the conditions outlined |
1t is doubtful whether a superintend- |
ent could be found who would be Will. |
ing to take charge of such a system. |
II there were no other buildings in the |
town beside the high school building
it would be simple, since then no su.
perintendent would be needed, but
such condition does not exist here
Durango pays about one-half of the
taxes of the county, but would have
but one member on the county high
school board. and possibly not even
one. Consequently Durango, though
bearing half the expense of the school
and furnishing two-thirds of the Nh.
pills would not have proportional rep.
resentation and might even have no
voice in its management.
Another bad feature is the fact
that the board is composed of persons