The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-03-17
UNNECESSARY BURDEN
Movement Started to Do Away With
Rural High School District No. 1 as
Unnecessary and Expensive.
Means that Rural Board VIII be
Asked to Resign or Show Reason
For Further Existence.

Criticism should be constructive,
not destructive, and idle comment
should not be made. But there is an
undercurrent of feeling in this COM
munity which has found vent in fre-
quent expression from our leading
taxpayers, that something is wrong
in maintaining two big school en-
terDrises with an attendance of only
331 for the two schools.
School taxes have been more here
than any place in the county, and
perhaps in the state, under similar
conditions.
To show the amount of the
tax on the average property, we have
for instance, tax receipt for 1915
for Meridian property of a valuation
made by the assessor of $2,355. The
tax was 1914, divided as follows:
state and county, $24.97; Meridian
village, $23.55; rural high school,
$14.13; school district No SO,
$16.49. This combination makes an
unusually heavy school tax, more
county or village. This also in
year when there is no increase in
attendance or equipment.
The school population of District
No. 33 for all ages Is $40, with an
attendance of 256 in the grades and
about rs in the rural high school.
There is a movement on foot. to
take action before the high school
board meets in a few weeks to hire
teachers for the next year, to dis
solve the rural high school district
and to have the rural board resign
unless they can justify their further
existence. This to be done at pub
lie meeting which it is planned to
call in a few days.
Five years ago the rural high
school district was organized with all
the country districts surrounding
Meridian in the consolidation, and it
was planned to take care of all the
scholars over the 8th grade. These
districts, however, after a trial in
which they found that taxes were
higher, dropped out, leaving only
No. Is, small country district
south of us, and No. 33 (Meridian)
in the rural high school district.
Now after these, districts are out,
other towns, our rural high school
still continues an equipment and
corps of teachers that could take
care of three times the number in at
tendance, and THIS is THE PRIN-
CIPAL REASON FOR OUR BIG
SCHOOL TAX.
Do you realize that notwithstand-
ing our fond hopes when the rural
high was organized, there are prac-
tically bakers dozen more in the
high school than IL years ago?
The rural high district asked No.
33 to build them S35, 1000 building,
which was done. Many enterprising
citizens have no regret for this struc-
ure, which is credit to the town
and some day will be used to its full
capacity, but under a different sys-
TEN.
This building is now given rent free
to the rural high school district.
What do we get for the money we
spend2 For the rs scholars we have
six teachers and another employed
half the time. We could send these
75 children to neighboring town,
paying their trolley fare and tuition
and save money. The scholars are
lost in the big building, being so few
II,
have idle hours on their hands. 1t
is said the building could accommo-
date every scholar, little and big, in
the district.
To help pay the cost of these teach
ers there is a special rural school
state aid of 5000 per teacher per
year, but you see this will little
more than pay for one teacher.
In return for this, however, we
must maintain three special depart
ments, manual training, domestic
science and agriculture. We went
right along keeping up farm DEM
onstration work for several years,
that the law did not require. and un-
til Supt. Gould got q legal opinion
that the work was unnecessary Farm
boys in this vicinity need laboratory
work only, having plenty of the prac-
tice at home.
The three departments mentioned
have a place in an up-to-date school
and they can be combined in high
school work as proposed, at less
cost. This can be done by getting
teachers who will conform to ouI
surroundings, i. e., those who will be
able to teach the grades as we'll as
the higher studies.
The present movement seeks to dc
away with the rural high school en-
tireiy, that is, to combine the two
schools under the management of the
directors of district No. 33, and al
lowing the country district, No.15
to get out entirely. BY this plan Il
would be possible to do away with
three teachers, at salary of $500
each, or S270O. janitor at $500
and clerk at $500, making total es-
timated saving of $4,000, and give
the same high school advantages as
now.
The seventh and eight grades viii
be consolidated anyway, and are tc
be made a part of the high school
course. A superintendent could have