Sierra County advocate., 1915-02-12
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 70, 1915
The Nigh School Question
(BY IDA M. BEALs)

two county papers an article on counT
ty high schools, sort OF Introduction
of the subject to the people OF Sierra
county. Since then have looked for
some expression of opinion on the sub
ject, but as none has appeared. am
presenting such facts and arguments
as have been able to gather, Per-
sonally have not made up my mind
whether 1t Is better to establish a
county high school, or 90 on as we are
doing, sending our children away to
school, largely to the Normal School
and the Agricultural College at Me-
silla Park; but, in general ] tend
rather st ongly to the belief that we
cannot have too many schools, nor too
good ones.
The first question to arise is, would
enough children attend possible high
school to make itworth while? Through
the kindness of the county superinten-
dent / have an estimate of forty as
the number Of our pupils who go to
schools outside of the county. Some
names are doubtless repeated while
some are Of children in other than
high school grades; but on the other
hand. there are some names not count
ed in the number ] happen TO know
of three such in our own district which
were overlooked. Forty then may
be somewhere near right for the num-
Der Of Sierra county pupils doing high
school work outside Of the county.
The next pertinent question is: Sup
posing there were a county high school
here, how many Of this forty would
attend it? The answer can be only
guess. but the possibilities are that
considerable number would continue
In their attendance on outside schools
because of the greater advantages Of
fered by the larger schools; but this
number would be partly offset by those
who would attend a high school at
home, but would never be able for one
~%~AassS VI tiiiCliiNt " ~ 1N1y W S>Hpois
Would a county high school pay2
The forty pupils now in attendance on
outside schools spend at very con-
servative estimate $3.50 each, yearly,
making total Of $4,000. One Of the
objections have met has been that it
would cost as much to send child TO
high school, say, in Hillsboro, rs it
would in Silver City, for inferior ad-
vantages. Perhaps So but at any rate
we should be keeping the money at
home. have observed, too, that with
ii nearby school, mothers will move TO
town with their children for the school
year, thus making great saving
Other children would save by coming
in Monday morning ard going out
Friday night. Still others would stay
with relatives or friends iof nominal
sum.
The expense to the taxpayers of
starting county high school as given
for six counties by fhe State superin-
tendent's report varies from 81 1921. rs
in 0tero county with a Ia mill levy to
sS. .653. 50 in Colfax county with Ia mill
levy.
Then there is the argument of county
pride, county advertisement Do we
want to grow, do we want new settl-
ers TO come among us? tine of the
first questions desirable newcomers
will ask is, ''What are the school fa-
cilities?" On the other hand | am
Iold that the big sto~k companies do
not want new settlers, they want to
hold the ranges unbroSen for the run
1f their STOCK. sierra Is one oi iour
counties in the state that have no
i gh school at all. the others are are
Rio Arriba and Taos. There |
ire more or less good reasons for the
absence Of high schools IN these coun-
les, such as lack of large towns.
for instance, is not large
ro'lrh n nroftahiv msintsin by itself +
hab eaooi. II It were made the
.ts of county hipA school such d
eho8 would b. So fan from ihe north
nd Of The county nat i would ef- !
sctively serve Only che south end,
rawing its pupils from Kingston, !