The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-10-01
New Building Needed.

l IC FCOplC vi MnllO w IAl IlNSC tIIS
opportunity on October 10, of decid-
ing whether their children are to re-
ceive the best educational advantages
possible. or whether they are to be
denied them. The present school
building and equipment are nearly
worn out, and are inadequate to the
needs of All up-to-date school system,
which should be Malta's pride. At
present the local schools are known
by most of the best educators in
Montana to be among the poorest in
the state.
This condition is neither due the
board of education nor the teaching
staff. The board has tried to the
best of it's ability with the small
finds at it's command, to give Malta
the best schools under such condi-
tions that it could. Lack of money
defeated many of their plans for the
advancement of the school. AS to
the teachers. Malta has been excep-
tionally fortunate in having such
a competent force at such small sal
aries. The salaries are all from $40
to $40 less than in other towns Of the
same size in Montana. Without prop
er school-room equipment, no teach
er can do rs efficient work, as when
the proper tools are at hand. Even
under the present conditions the
teaching staff is getting good re-
suits. Why not give them the best
environments possible for the good of
Malta's future citizens?
The local building is not Fl ire. proof,
is practically tilatab]e, is very
poorly lighted and heated. In fact,
it is up to scarcely any of the states
requirements for such buildings. The
board of education has tried to remedy
these deficiencies; but the construc-
tion of the building is so old-fashion-
ed, that it cannot be done. The cheap
est way and best way would be to
build a new modern fre-proof sJruc-
ture which will supply the equipment
which the present school now lacks.
The school enrolment is another
serious problem for the board. A
new small building was provided at
the beginning of this year for the
primary; but even with this addi-
tional space, the seating capacity is
only for two hundred, and the en-
rollment has already reached that
mark. Within the next two months
probably so more pupils will enter
school; and somehow they must be
crowded in. Next year the increase
will undoubtedly be much greater,
and provision must be made before
that time. The large number of pn-
badly ventilated and unsanitary
building will make even this year a
hard one to get through for teachers
and pupils, and the board of educa.
ton.
Until Malta has good buildings and
proper equipment, there can be no
graduate high school which will be
recognized by Montana's higher in
stitutions of learning. Culbetson
had six graduates last year, and NAL
ta has outstripped her sister city in
population in the last two years.
Chinook is not much larger, and has
regular graduating classes. With
county-seat aspirations. Malta has \
very poor school system to boast Of.
1t is not good adver tisement of
Malta to incoming respective set
tiers to be told that Ma lta has the
poorest schools of any town along
the Great Northern line. Neither is
it good for the town that many par
ents, who have their children's fu-
ture good at heart, have to send them
away for ordinary high school train
ing. The money leaves town and
the children should be in their own
home at such ages.
1t is now up to the citizens of Malta
whether we shall have schoo Is which
we can be proud of, or whether we
keep on with our present reputation
for low educational standards. Wo.
men as we'll as men can vote on this
question, and every mother and
father who have their children's
good at heart should be at the polls
on October 10th.