The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-04-06
THE SCHOOL BOND PROPOSE.
TEON,

sue of the Outlook, requesting some
information for the reason why the
Board of Education changed its pur-
pose by asking for an increased bond
issue.
The inquiry made by the writer is
pertinent, when he asks Nov we
would like to know why $4,000 is
needed for the purpose of erecting
additional and suitable buildings"
1t is and has been the purpose of
the board to present TO the voters of
the city before election the necessity
for this bond issue, providing the cit
liens desired to have suitable build
ing for high school purposes.
Our democratic friend seems to
take exceptions to the action of the
board, for the reason that we did not
first present the matter to the Com
mercial Club, of the proposed change
in the amount we intended to ask
for. The meeting held at the Com
mercial Club room some weeks ago
to discuss the proposition of the
erection of an auditorium and gym
nasium, with two additional recita-
/ ton rooms, was somewhat disap-
pointing to the Board of Education,
on account of attendance, and espe-
1AdllS the ldGt NAdl Dui al lew vi lit
large taxpayers were present. I'M
mediately after the meeting the
board made quite an extensive in
dividual of the patrons of
the school, relative to the proposed
building, as then contemplated. The
general inquiry that was put up to
us, as regards the proposed building
vas this; How long will this pro-
posed building fulfill the demands of
the SCHOOL," and will it give you
the additional class rooms to meet
the full requirements of an up-to-
date high school?~
To the first question we were
obliged to state hat if our high
school increased in enrolment, pro-
/ portionate with the increase in the
] past five years, we undoubtedly
1 would have to ask for additional
1 building within two or three years,
since the proposed building only gave
us two class rooms To the second
we necessarily were obliged to ans
wer, No" The almost universal
opinion expressed, was to build to
meet all the present demands. and
: the prospective requirements for ten
3 or fifteen years at least, and give us
1 a good sized auditorium and gym,
1 and a building hat can be added to
1 at the least expense.
I 1t is and has been the intention
to present this matter fully to the
3 citizens and tax payers, and we eX-
/ pect to call a meeting next week at
! the opera house, to discuss the nee
& essity for the action taken by the
4 Board of Education to call for a
bond issue of $4,000.
Madison has eve had a high
. school building and we believe the
time has come when the necessity
exists for such a building.
The central building was original
Ily built as a six room grade building,
designed to accommodate about 1926
| students. The finishing of of the at
: tic two years ago gave us two addi-
tional rooms. but far from sufficient
: to give little IL any relief with the
Increased enrolment.
Instead of taking care of $50 or
! I275 students, the reasonable capacity
! of the building, considering sanitary
: and healthful conditions that should
= be maintained, we are taking care of
. lover 430 students in this building.
: Madison stands today with the
reputation of having the poorest,
, cheapest, i'll constructed, u~nsanitary
land i"nconvenient building. used for
; high school purposes, of any town in
: the state.
Another article in the Outlook
u says, 1T seems to be the general
. opinion (?) that the proper and most
u economical thing to do would be to
{ let the Normal take are of the high
u school work"
u | cannot believe that the majority
u of u people, as this article intim-
u ates, have so lost their civic pride,
the welfare of their children and the
y upbuilding of the city, as to even in
itimate such a proposition, as the
abolition of our high school.
0 We ought to take great pride in
being honored with the location of
e the State Normal in our midst, rem
k dering to it loyal support anu the
S seeking in every way possible for
its upbuilding.
( In my opinion nothing more in-
o imical or detrimental to the Normal
t interests could be suggested, saying
: nothing as to the effect upon the
e children of our city. than this pro-
4 posal made in the Outlook.
: 1t would be a disgrace to our cit
: izenship to have 1t SEM out over the
: state, hat Madison, with her high
;. school standing in the accredited list,
had become so poverty stricken, par
: simonious and close listed, that she
I was going to dump 500 or 400 of her
r student body upon the state for edu-
5 cation, or drive them to other
: schools.
Such action will not be entertain
ed, so long as | am a member of the
l Board of Education, If l am able to
: prevent it, and | am certain that the
present board feels as strongly as /
do myself on this proposition. | be-
lfeve the proposal of such a scheme,
and | consider it a scheme, is a dis
lcredit o any citizen of our town and
would esteem him an opponent to
the Normal school as well as the high
lschool.
. The Board of Education has had
: under discussion and investigation
g the matter of increased facilities by
: way of additional room for our high
school for over two years. We rec
ognize the fact that our city carries
: a considerable of a bonded debt. and
we have been anxiouS to solve the