American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-03-11
BARBER & JONES', Publishers
WHAT ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS?

NSHe"'S' 80" "N $50 ."H S'"uNo ~ WIN ~ W
veopment companys office, the little white frame build
ing which, until a short time ago stood just south of the
Fall Greek Mercantile company. There were an even
dozen in these grades and not a boy among them. Later
this grade was moved to the basement of the Presbyterian
parsonage, just east Of the Hotel Grand.
On September Is, 1908, just six years ago, school opened
with five teachers, with the ninth and tenth grades in the
M. E. church, adjoining the school house grounds. A little
later the present school building was completed and occu-
pied. With the enrolment at that time it seemed that it
would take years to fill the building.
In September, 1909, school opened with eight teachers,
and an enrolment of 1853. Of these 100 were in the grades
and Is in the high school. In 1910, four years before the
opening of school last September, the enrolment in the
town school was 179, with 26 at Igo and l8 at the Horse
In the four years from the opening of school in 1910 to
the opening Of the present term, September, 1914, the av-
erage yearly increase in enrolment has been 81 per cent,
a gain OF almost one-third each year. The high school
growth has been slow, because a foundation had to be laid.
One grade a year was added to the course until the full
four year course was reached. The first year there were
only the eighth grade graduates to draw from to make up
the ninth. The following year school was again recruited
from the eighth grade, the ninth grade advancing to the
tenth, and so on until the full course was added. With the
addition of manual training, domestic science, business
courses and the sciences the high school doubled its en-
rollment this year, increasing from 30 to 60 because the
school here was made as efficient or as attractive as any
high school anywhere. With the school building crowded
beyond its capacity now, and two outside rooms now in use,
what Willie the condition next year and the year following
that? :
1t cost in excess of $4,000 to complete the eight upper
rooms of the present school building. With the basement
rooms completed and the expenditures on the ground and
the equipment the cost is right around $4,000.
AT the same ratio of cost, a $1,000 building, which the
News contends is ample, would consist Of not more than
three rooms and heating plant, and if opened tomorrow,
would be filled to overflowing, and still not give the schools
the conveniences they need. Neither would it relieve the
condition in the eastern part of the district.
The school board has taken the action it has to avoid
the imposing OF a burden upon the people. The board has
the power to levy a Is mill tax, whenever necessity exists,
and to use the money for any necessary purpose. 1t ex-I
pended $1,000 last year for d wall to the east of the school
grounds, and expended a third as much on the wall that
fL down. People did not object to the expenditure al
though they may have regretted the necessity for it.
BY levying the limit, under the law, Is mills, the board
can raise upward of $4,000 this year and next in excess
a building without a bond issue, but such a levy would inn
pose a real burden. People do not want the high school
abandoned; they do not want their little ones crowded
into basement rooms with insufficient ventilation and
light and they do not want burdensome taxes imposed. The
board has taken the only possible steps to avoid any of
these undesirable conditions.
Objection has been raised to the new site selected, on
account OF its nearness to the railroad. The site was a
compromise. and the only one the board would unite upon
The building site will be within a few feet of the exact dis
lance from the railroad as is the present building. While
TINS may be an undesirable condition it is one which no
scnool board from the very first has considered as being
OF Importance. The removal Of the high school to the new
building, If authorized, has also called forth adverse COM
ment, TO the effect that it was to benefit one locality to the
oetriment OF another. The Press does not consider this
matter to be of the slightest Importance. If the present
building is used for high school purposes, all of It will be-
needed Tor the high school, and the building will need to
undergo extensive remodeling to make it what it should
: Inc Fress cannot see that it makes the slightest diff
ference whether from 125 to $50 eighth grade and high
1school students, which the school promises to have next
year, are taught in the new building or whether from 800
TO 4V OF the grade children are taught there, It is a cer-
tainty that the present attendance does not Justify the
uiv,dlng OF all the grades, with two teachers for each. The
ntte folks from one side of town or the other must cross
~ Tracks ana the same is true of the larger ones. Which
IL snall be is only a matter of individual preference accord
ing 70 each famllys situation. u