St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-02-20
ASCHOOL DlSTRICTFOR
OPEL0USAS, SAYS
THOMPSON
opelousas, Feb. 18th. Oa.

0FeA9AS@c1 RUDs 4UHMs DJa
Editor st. Landry Ciarion-Fol
some time past the question Of bro.
Yiding the means for the erection b
. suitable public school building d
Opeiousas has been discussed on Tho
streets, at the meetings Of The Board
OF Aldermen and by the city press.
We all realize that one il pery
much needed. that the present struc-
ture Is inadequate to meet the needs
Of the city, and that something must
pc done soon to relieve the conges.
sion IN some Of the grades Of our
public school. The question Of vot-
ing q special tax for school purposes
IS one Of the means suggested, and
this, / think, meets with almost gem
eral favor. The Board of Aldermen
has under consideration a Or OPPOSITION
which provides for several items Of
public improvements, and among
them is enumerated a provision to in
crease the holding capacities Of
primary school buildings BY the erec-
ton OF two public schools. This is
all right as far as it goes, but it sep
arates too much the question Of
school supervision and abandons the
important idea of having at some
central point 3 large modern building
capable of holding comfortably ali
the children eligible to enter the
school, and deprives the city Of the
opportunity Of having, like other
places of Importance, a school build
ing that will be a credit to the city
and an honor, a valued thing and a
monument to the efforts Of the peo-
pie who have come together and pro-
vided out of their resources an edi-
fee that will redoWn to the benefit
of their ~posterity.
/ realize that the people of the city
are willing. and have been willing
in the past, to make such personal
sacrifices as are and have been neces-
sary for the educational betterment
OF their children. This statement Is
substantiated by the fact that they
have already erected one building and
while we have not the best building,
we have now in successful opera
alton one of the best high schools in
the State. It is recognized as such
by the State Department Of Educa-
ton, and the facility with which it's
graduates enter and successfully pur-
sue the courses in our higher educa-
tional institutions is an at~testation Of
the thoroughness of the work done
here.
But the people Of Opelousas, while
they have provided the grounds, the
buildings, and the equipment Of the
school, are not its only benefciaries.
The people of the territory circum-
to 0pelousas for several miles
around send their children to this
school, and I think il but just and
fair that they should contribute their
share towards paying for the bene-
fits which their children enjoy, and
while we are making provisions for
q new, a larger and more complete
building, that we should ask
our out Of town friends TO help us
provide the facilities requisite for
the education and comfort of their
children.
This can be done in a business
like and legal way, and | do not
think that they will be unresponsiye
to any just demand which may Be
made on them.
My plan would be to create q school
district with the Court House as it's
centre and let it extend North, South,
East and West from that point for
such a distance as might be deter
mined on, say three TO four miles in
each direction, or more If necessary,
and then submit the question Of q
school tax to the people Of
the School District.
| have no way Of ascertaining
definitely what would be the assessed
valuation Of property il 8 district Of
that size, but | think that / can
safely say that a 8 mills tax for 20
years would adequately provide all
the necessary educational adjuncts in
The way Of school buildings and equip
nents in that territory for the next 20
years. 1t would enable as to have
D larger and imposing building in
0pelousas, and would provide such
modern buildings at such
other points in the district as may be
needful. These are suggestions
which / have thrown out for those
interested ID the project to think
over. think the scheme the most
feasible, and | feel sure, il adopted.
that it will be the most equitable
and satisfactory of all heretofore
suggested. / cannot claim that it is
original with me, because | know Of
other places that have adopted this