Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-12-04
SATURDAY, DECEMBER \. 1913.
SOME FACTS ABOUT TIE CITY
SCHOOL BOND ISSUE.

The fact that the city OF Brownsville
can Issue bonds To the amount Of $1,000 900.
with which to construct "A high school and
two ward school buildings, and Vet require
the collection of 20 cents less than the
tax allowed by law to be collected for pub
lie school purposes. il doubtless Y surprise
to most Of oar citizens. Under the state
law, every school district Is authorized to
collect % cents on the hundred dollars
valuation for free school purposes. The
Brownsville school board announces that.
with the bond issue provided for. the total
tax To be assessed for the present school
year probably will be not over 80 cents.
The school tax collected during the year
1913 was ~ - cents ~ the 500. Thus
by the addition at not over 2 l-2 cents on
the Sl0O more than was collected IN 1913
the city will provide for maintenance wi
the schools and also for tine erection Of
the three school buildings needed
With this fact kept III view. 1t ~ not tn
be doubted that our property owners will
vote unanimously for the bond Issue. at
the election Ia ID held on Saturday WI next
week.
With The enforcement e the compulsory
school attendance law, which becomes cf-
fective next September. ID IN plainly evident
that the present school buildings. already
crowded to the utmost extent. viii b. alb
s~olutelv inadequate for even half of the
children that will be- iu attendance.
The Herald really di-lke- to call the
attention Of it, readers to thc very dis
creditable conditions under which our pub
lie schools are conducted today. on ac-
count Of the distressing lack ot room. \
city is gauged BY the outside world very
largely By its educational facilities. a city
which is obliged 10 apologize for i'm school
buildings. and which allows hundreds ot
it, school children tu attend cla~~c- con
Quoted in common frame ~hack@. such an
are now in use for 4 considerable proper
ton Of the primary and rammar grades
Of our public schools will never attract
homeseeker Of refinement and ntclli-
cence. Yet. it j. \ very poor advertise
ment for the town to tell OF these existing
school conditions here. We regret deeply
that it Is necessary. But VIC rejoice IN the
fact that the school board has given the
citizens an opportunity to remedy this sad
state Of affairs by tins election for 4 school
bond issue.
That every citizen 81 Brownsville with
n proper spirit OF pride will vote for the
bond issue is undoubtedly true. No one
even thinks of questioning the necessity
for the erection "a the proposed schools.
II there be any person who may be op-
posed to the measure. however. lct him ~
and take a look az the ~haek~-real -hack~
that d%isfgurc the grounds Of our public
school. and then VT the diminutiyc and en-
tirely inadequate and unsuitable quarters
in which our high school Is q tenant. and
he will be convinced that the greatest
necessity confronting Brownsville today i
that Of providing adequate buildings for
IFS public schools
If there were needed amy other argu-
ment TO convince our citizens Of the fact
that the school buildings asked for are
absolutely necessary. % II enough 10 refer
10 the fact that the state board of cduca-
ton. after an official examination Of our
public schools, severely criticised the ex-
tremely inadequate buildings. and wrote
TO our school board refusing "a give further
credits To our schools until proper build
ings are provided. T. not this alone
enough to make every citizen Of Browns
vile hang his head in shame? We are
sure that this disgraceful charge will never
again be made against Brownsville bv the
state board Of education. for this town Is
going to build schools which would be a