Abilene weekly reflector., 1912-12-26

Z.
At q meeting of the Commercial
club here sometime ago Prof. Stacey
OF the Abilene schools was asked to
prepare a statement in a concise way
setting forth the high school situa-
zion ii Dickinson county. Prof.
stacey has prepared this statement
which Is as follows:
As there seems to be considerable
misapprehension concerning the real
meaning and purpose Of the move
ment to reorganize high school sup
port in Dickinson county, it may be
worth while to attempt a clear and
impartial statement Of what 1t act
ually stands for.
At present, and for the past twen-
ty odd years of it's existence, the
county high school is, and has been,
supported by taxation levied on the
county at large, country, village, and
city alike. There are about $42,-
100000 Of taxable property IN the
entire county, OF which abcnt Sill
100000 ara found II the towns
maintaining high schools cf their
own. over one-fourth OF the pt0p--
estv III the sou w. Bherefore, is aI1s
ed twice for high school support;
once to maintain the home school,
and once more to maintain the coun-
ty high school. yfs
Ten years and more ago high
school education was in more or
less undeveloped state, compared
with what 1t is today. and little
complaint was heard Of this unequal
distribution of taxation, but now the
high school education is covering .
much wider field, the burden is be-
coming correspondingly heavier, and
the small towns feel it severely. It
is becoming question Of being able
to provide adequately for their own
schools.
Furthermore, the location OF the
county high school is unfortunate.
It goes without saying that any
school designed to serve any con-
siderable portion of territory should
be centrally located in that terri
tory. Our county high school is on
the extreme eastern edge OF the
county, and is practically inaccessi-
BILE for the majority Of the students
Of the county. Any. analysis Of the
enrolment Of the county nigh school
BY townships will inevitably show
this. Nearly sixty per cent OF the
enrolment of the school for 1911
10 gave Chapman as the post office
address OF the 3 upils. In name. the
school is a Dickinson county high |
school, but in practice and in possi- |
biIity it is only an eastern central
Dickinson county high school. Par
ents Of pupils in distant parts OF
the county prefer to pay tuition in
the neighboring city high schools to
enduring anxiety, the risk, and the
expense incurred in attendance at
the. county high school.
Summarizing, the two chief OBJ
jections to our present high school
system are: "a That it is unfair
ana unequal in the distribution Of
It's burden. (2) That 1t fails to meet
properly the need for which It was
devised. Amy system open to at
tack from these two points is GER
Eainly in need Of revision, and the
friends Of the county high school are
invited to join In harmonious at
lempt at reorganization. Their sug-
ysstlons win be gladly received.
In any attempt at readjustment
II this question. these things should
Be regarded as fundamental:
f1) The county high school at
Chapman should be preserved, un-
and uninjured. People who
have been eoniuring up visions Of
N empty and an abandoned school
should please remember this.
(s) It's management should re-
main IN the hands Of the same body
Is nov.