The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1908-02-26
GRADED SCHOOL
FOR IRVINGTON,

BY this we mean a decent comfortabl,
. school building, suitably located anC
adequate for the accommodation o.
every pupil in the district. with suffi-
cient number of competent teachers tC
divide the school into grades, after the
order of our modern graded schools.
This is the kind of school that is propOs-
ed for 1rvington, and the district OF
which II is part, and we shall soon be
called upon to decide by our vote
whether or not we shall have it.
There is much TO be said in favor of
such proposition. We all realize. no
donbt. that in the matter of school adj
vantages our community is sadly want
ing. In point of educational facilities.
Kentucky's rank is low. as compared
with other states; and as compared with
other towns of its size in the state,
Irvington is unfortunately below the
average, in school advantages. A bad
state of affairs indeed, even when view
ed in its most favorable light but the
fault becomes all the more serious and
inexcusable when we remember that we
could easily correct it if we would.
With nearly one hundred families in our
district, most of whom own their homes
and are in fairly good circumstances,
it would be a comparatively easy task
for us to establish and maintain a first
class school; one that would be an
honor to our town and an inestimable
benefit to the children and young people
of our vicinity.
Such a school would be an advantage
to every man in the district. Surely,
no parent with children to educate, can
fail to appreciate the worth of such an
opportunity. What better can we do
for our children, than give them the
right kind of an education? There was
time when the man or woman who
could read and write and "cipher a lit
tie" could get along fairly we'll in the
world; but that time is forever gone.
The present day demands men and
women who are trained for life's work. !
In all the avenues of business and |
trade, it is the qualified man who is
wanted and chosen, while he who is not,
is encountered with the handicap in |
every contest. Some of us cannot give |
our children more than an education;
surely we will not be content with Civ
ing them less.
But, suppose we have no children to
send, shall we oppose the graded school
for that reason? By no means. Look
at it as a business proposition, and we
can readily see how such an institution
would be of interest, not only to those
who have children to educate, but also
to every other citizen in the district.
For various good reasons people are
changing their location.
Some go from the cities to the smaller
towns for health consideration and bet
ter moral surrounding; others come
from the remote rural districts to our
towns on the railroad, in order to be in
touch with the news Of the day, and to
be in easy reach of church and school.
What stronger inducement could our
town offer to such people than a good
graded school This feature next to
the church, would appeal stronger than
anything else to the better clement
the kind they want. The effect of this
added population would be, to increase
the business in our town and enhance
the value of our adjacent farm land; so
that, in the end, the business man, the
farmer, and the workman of all classes
would receive their proportionate share