Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-02-24
BENTON CITY WANTS 4
CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT
Live Audrain Community Expects to
Vote on Question Shortly-Mat-
ters is Being Agitated.
MEETINGS HELD LAST WEEK



| Mr.. Clayton, Of jefferson City, upon
invitation, was in Benton City last
Friday and Saturday and discussed
the consolidated High School question.
Benton City expects to vote on this
matter shortly, Friday evening he
spoke to the Literary Society in the
evening and Saturday afternoon ad-
dressed meeting Of citizens. A con-
solidated high school would be a splen-
did improvement for Benton City.
This School Satisfies.
Eolia, little town in the southern
part Of Pike county, Missouri, with a
population of S4S, decided in the fall
of 1912 to give the children of that
place the advantage Of some high
school training. One room was built
on to the regular school building and
the first year of high school work was
offered, no students being ready for
the second years work. From that
time on, each year they have added
one more year of high school work 70
their curriculum and now the children
Of Eolia are enjoying the advantage
of a FIRST class high school.
4
The rapid growth Of this school in
such a small town is due to the re-
markable school spirit of all the lead
ing business men and patrons who
have been at all times ready to act on
a good suggestion and to make sacri-
fees to boost the school; to the untir-
ing efforts, the discreet Judgment and
the remarkable ability Of their leader,
Prof. Sterling Thompson Of La Belle,
Missouri, who has been with them
from the beginning. 1t was through
his efforts chiefly that the extraordi-
mary advances were attempted and ac-
complished. And last, the growth Is
due to the advantages of superior
school. The assessed valuation is
large enough so that with small in
lcrease in taxes the amount is suffi-
lcient to do things.
Objections Disappeared.
| A few of the farmers at first object
ed because they were afraid of high
taxes. But in spite Of their fears most
of them lined up right at the polls and
when they voted on the proposition in
the spring of 1914 it carried 147 to 23.
Since they have seen the advantages
Of the superior school facilities and
know how little extra it cost them in
the way of taxes the opposition has
died out entirely with the exception
of two large taxpayers without chill
dren who are opposed to any system
Of free public schools just as strenu-
ously as they are to this school.
The taxes required are rs cents on
the hundred dollars, an increase Of 10
cents on the hundred to most Of the
taxpayers. This supports the full
four year high school, the eight grade
teachers, and the rural schools in ad-
dition. The high school is practically
self-sustaining. That is, the tuition
Of the nonresident pupils added to
the regular state money (about $3.50
per pupil) plus the $500 special state
aid pays the entire expense of the
high school so the high school advan-
tages for their children are costing
them nothing.
The rural schools are kept running
Just as they were before, leaving a
school close for the little ones and
after they have completed the eighth
grades they come to the central high
school free of tuition.
The central building is a modern
structure Of nine rooms besides the
library, laboratories and cloak rooms
IL is heated by steam, has all mod
: ern conveniences, five acres of play
ground including three basket ball
I j
courts, three tennis courts and base
BALI diamond. On the ground is a
/ stable. for the accommodation of the
Z country children who ride or drive I'M
over 20 horses are kept in this barn
One of the arguments used against
this school was that it was a schems
) of the town people to work the farm
-Iers for. new. school building. "A
; glance at the present enrolment viii
5 discredit this. Over half the pupils
] enrolled are from the country and th'
> per cent of country children entering
high school is continually increasing
OF the 2S pupils in the freshman class
0 this year, 1S are from the country
r The country boys and girls of thi'
9 community have been given opportun
tiles equal to those Of the boys ant
!. girls living in our larger towns.
AS for the ability of country boy
and girls as compared with those liv
ing in the larger towns we need onl!
to look up their record. First, thes'
I, Eolia High School students have sue
ceeded in keeping their school i'm
proving each year, moving up on'
! class each year and now standing al
a first-class high school approved BY
the State Department of Education
In the three debates which they have
had with the adjoining first-class higf
schools located in towns from 1000 K
5000 inhabitants, they have won two
Of them and lost one.
: The Eolia people are all of one
voice when it comes to proclaimine
their central high school as the real
solution of the country problem. Il
has been given fair trial and proven
a success in every way.
THOS. M. HARPER.
Special Field Representative the
Journal of Agriculture.
See purdy's LIQUID Smoke and but