The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-06-11
MRS. HOWE COMMENTS
ON SCHOOL ELECTION
Hood River, June 10. 1914.

AAAtOt btdSiNI. III view OF laG COM
ing annual school election and the cues
tions TO be considered at that time,
thought it would be we'll for the legal
voters to know some Of the conditions.
During tie past year we have had
over 30 per cent Of our high school
pupils from outside districts from
which we have received only about half
the cost of running expenses from
those that have paid at all. There are
various excuses for not paying tuition
such as part or all Of family moving
into town for the winter and claiming
to be citizens Of the town. some
worked for their board, while others
said they paid school taxes in their dis.
trict, therefore felt their children had
right to go TO school, and some indl-
Vldual cases were not able to pay.
Portland became alarmed because
they had one per cent of pupils from
outside districts and are making an
effort TO consolidate.
What would they think Of 80 percent?
Hence the move 10 consolidate or
unlonize the high schools of the lower
valley, If not all the county.
Meetings have been held over the
valley discussing the needs of the vari-
Gus schools and plans for union high
school.
Most of the districts, realizing that
they cannot give their pupils the ad.
vantages that they can get at larger
school where there are special teachers,
have taken very kindly to the plan af.
ter it has all been thoroughly explained
to them. Their pupils are not satisfied
to only have the benefits of one teach
er for two or more years of high school
work with no manual training, domes.
tic science and music, besides many
other advantages that come to larger
school.
Transportation seems to be the great
est obstacle to be overcome in connec-
tion with the union plan.
Thus far Barrett district has voted
to send their high school pupils in to
the town school for the coming year
and pay cost, which is found to be $50
per pupil. As there will be about 80
pupils. it will make quite an addition
to our number, also to our income.
Pine Grove has. believe, about de-
cided to do the same thing, if 80 they
will send about 20 pupils.
Some of the other districts are still |
hesitating, but as il is costing them so
much more per pupil than it is Us and |
they are giving them so much less, | |
feel II is only question of time until |
we all get together in one common
school where we can give greater ad- |
vantages for the least money.
These outside pupils are a good stim-
ulant to our school because they are
the boys and girls who are willing to
work and make the most of them
selves, else they would not make the
extra effort to come in.
Our high school building is large
enough to accomodate all these pupils,
with the exception of the manual
training and domestic science rooms. |
In order to successfully carry on these
branches we certainly need more room.
The room we are using for manual
training is crowded with only l8l
benches. which is far too small a num-
ber for our needs. They now have no
place to put their finished or partly fin
ished work while glue is setting or
varnish is drying. This room would
make splendid science room, which
is also needed; they are very crowded
in their present quarters, and il we
could take our cooking and sewing
classes into another building it would
relieve two good class rooms for high
school work. II would also remove the
noise and confusion that these depart
ments create.
Now, If we could have the building
that we have been talking about, it
should be termed an industrial building
with the manual training and the do
mestic science in the basement with
gymnasium and auditorium above.
This would give US ample room to carry
on our high school work for years. 1t
would also give us room to enlarge
these departments.
These are the things we are offering
our pupils, and that is making the out
side pupils wanting to come in.
| would like to see the manual train
ing department open all the year 30
that the boys and girls could form the
habit of work, and be learning some
thing at the same time. AS it is now,
there is nothing for them to do hut be
idle and get into mischief. Also have
certain days and evenings for cooking
and sewing classes. These long Vaca
tions are hard on parents as well as
children, but if these two departments
were open it would help solve the prob
lem. They also help to hold boys and
girls in school during the seventh and
eighth grades. the time when it is so
hard to tide them over and keep them
in school.
But to do this we must have room.
| have tried to state the conditions
as they are and it is for the legal vot-
ers to say whether they will grant US
the use of the money that came from
the sale of the court house site for
building this combination industrial
building. Alma l.. Howe.