Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-09-14
FOR BETTER school.
Why Abilene Should Have New and
Better Schools

Statistics are sometimes dry ma
terial. Presented in the right light
on a live subject such as the public
school system, they become intense
! ly interesting and instructive. The
school statistics Of Abilene reveal a
school population of approximately
| twelve hundred. If we add to this
| number the teachers and members
of the board of education and allied
! interests, we have a total of over
| twelve hundred people who are di-
| rectly interested in and affected by
! our public school system. 1t will
| thus be seen that over twenty-five
per cent of the total population Is
| composed of those engaged wholly,
| or in part, in school work. This
makes 1t obviously the largest bust
| ness and biggest asset of the choice
things in Abilene It's interests, its
conduct and its results far outweigh
in Importance any other industry.
| The school system is a crucible in
! which is begun and finished the
| citizens who will take the places in
after life of the present generation.
| 1t is the one public institution in
which everyone is interested. Its
chief business being the education
of the child, it follows that all OBJ
| stacles must be removed from the
path of progress. The physical,
ethical and intellectual development
| are the result of numerous influ-
| ences OF which the most potent are
the home and the school. Every
| citizen in the community should in
sist that nothing less than the best
| be done for the workshop of the
| citizens of tomorrow. We are on the
| threshold of bigger, better and
broader things in our educational
system. Our school system Is under
going reorganization. If the citizens
Of Abilene so will it, they may vote
bonds that will produce a high
school second to none in Dickinson
or any other, county. The moral i'm
petus that will result from such a
| building cannot be measured in
cold figures. 1t will be a magnet
that will draw people from all over
the county to make their homes. 1t
will enable us to broaden and deep
en- the educational system and to
acquire the mosst efficient and COM
petent teachers.
1t is poor economy to erect any
public building to cover present
needs only. If we wish to build
wisely, we must build for the fu-
ture. All friends of the bonds are
called upon to make a special eff
fort between now and october 6 to
give information on this subject
that will result in the advancement
of Abilene in population, in wealth
and social and moral uplifht.
The present bonded Indebtedness
of the Abilene school district is
SAT, 100000. The laws governing a
city of the second class restrict bond
voting to two and one-quarter per
cent of the authorized valuation of
the territory. Total bonds therefore
permitted under the present law of
this district aggregate $1S7,00O.00.
Deduct from this the $47,00 out
standing and it leaves a bond priv
ilege of $9O.OOO.OO.
Assuming that the present vote
may be carried to successful issue,
bonds for 100000 at rate of four
and one-half per cent. will make an
annual interest charge of $4050.
The assessed valuation is above six
million dollars and it will be found
by calculation that .00O65 addition
al on your taxes will provide for the
annual interest payment. Expressed
in other terms, 1t means that If you
are the owner of property of the
assessed valuation of one thousand
dollars it will cost you sixty-five
cents additional per year for your
share of the interest. This is so light
you will not notice it. All the wealth
represented in the assessed valua-
ton has been created within the
district. Is it not fair and right that
part of this should be distributed
for the benefit of the present and
future generation?