Graham guardian., 1913-08-22
THE HIGH SCHOOL
Shall 1t Be Consolidation or
Shall Stafford Go 1t
Alone


ton district for nearly fifteen years
| think have perfect right tt
: express an opinion upon matters af
fecting the education of the children
of this vicinity.
The figures submit herewith are
taken from the official records OF
the office of the county school su,
perintendent, and there is no mis-.
take or misrepresentation therein as
to the financial standing of the SAT.
ford and Layton school districts.
The questions confronting the
parents of the children of said dis
tricts has resolved itself into two
proposition, to wit: Do we want
/ consolidation Uf the two districts
and thereby opening the way for a
high school which we can have in
two or three years? Or, do we
want a special tax levy in the Stafford
district to enlarged our Stafford
public school building, and for the
purchase of more school grounds.
One of these propositions must
materialize, if we expect to keep
pace with the increase and better
ment of our public schools.
The Layton district lost its house
by fire and Stafford needs and must
have more room to accommodate
the children of the district. Stafford
expects and soon will get the county
seat; it also needs and can get
high school.
The Stafford district has assessable
property to the amount of about
$500, 900, while the Layton district
has about 100000. This would
give, if the two districts were con-
solidated. about $I,0O0,000 of as.
sessable property, and if bonds are
issued to the amount of two per
cent of the assessed valuation of
property, it would make bond is
sue of about $4,000.
The interest on the bonds at per
cent would amount to $1400 per
year, while the increase in taxes
would not be more than two mills
on'the dollar. Long before these
bonds mature the district will have
received from the sale of the grazing
school lands of the state more funds
than will be necessary to meet the
bonds.
A large school system can be
operated cheaper per capita than a
small one, having in view the same
efficiency. We maintain a better
school and one that will be credit
to the whole community with one
large district, that we can with two
small ones. The high school would
be controlled by the same superin-
tendent and by the same board of
trustees as the grammar grades. A
high school district having bound
aries contiguous with the common
school district can be managed more
economically than can an entirely |
separate high school district. Under
the present law, the county and |
state will supply funds for the
ninth and tenth grades, and con-
Quoting the high school along with
the grammar grades, we can take
advantage of this fact. With con-
solidation, utilizing county and state
funds for maintaining all grades up
to and including the tenth, we would
have but two grades to maintain by
special tax. If we consolidate four
districts for high school purposes
alone, we must bond The district
not only to build the high school
building, but we must pay the whole
expense of maintaining the high
school by special tax.
Under consolidation, we would be
able to maintain manual training and
domestic science departments, as
well as an "up-to-date" high school,
by employing from two to three addi-
tional teachers and the expense
would be small. The expense of
high school would run into
several thousand dollars a year.
Four teachers would cost approxi-
100000 each year. The
other expenses of maintenance would
make the sum reach
S5000.00 per year. By consolida-
tion, we could maintain just as good |
or even better school at an expense
that would not exceed $4,000. 90 in
addition to the necessary expenses
Of conducting the grammar grades.
The most advanced and "up-to-date"
school men, now advocate conduct
ing the high school in connection
with the grammar grades. Let us
make start along with the pro-
cession, not twenty years behind.
The figures submitted show that
Layton has on hand in round num-
bers 100000 cash. Stafford has no
cash on hand, but has outstanding
warrants to the amount of about
10000, and has bonded indebt-
edness of 100000. Here then is a
difference in favor of Layton of
S4000.00. At the end of the next
fiscal year, taking the probable ap.
portionments, this will be increased
another 100000, so that by June,
1914, Layton will have an advantage
Of approximately $5000.00.