The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-08-29
FOR The INFORMATION OF THE PUBLIC

ton directed at the school situation
of Carroll county, it il due the pub
lie that the facts and only facts
should be given by the gentlemen
who are appointed to administer the
school affairs.
4. The County Commissioners ac-
cepted a budget Of $138,664.16 to be
levied for school purposes for 1918
1919. AS the taxable basis was $685.
600 100000 if you multiply that sum
by 50 cents you will get approximate
" that amount. Hence the school
tax rate was 50 cents for that year,
out of a total tax rate of 81 cents
assessed on the County.
2. For 1919-192O the Board OF
Education has been granted S144,5
90 on which to administer the
schools, which is at the rate OF %
cents, an increase Of cents, out OF
a total tax rate OF 1.23 cents as
sessed on the County.
3. The County tax levy is at the
rate of $1.23 or Al cents higher than
last year. Now as the County Com
missioners refused to take over the
school board debt of 100000 1t
follows that the increased tax is not
to be blamed upon the School Ad-
ministration.
A. Where did the school debt come
from? In 1916 the Board Inherited
a debt of $17,196.15' on account of the
Mt Airy building and unsettled mat
ters pertaining thereto. The new
law which went into force that same
year caused various additional items
of expense not foreseen when the
budget was made out for that year:
(a) The attendance was increased
by nearly 900 children over the
previous year This required ad-
ditional teaching service and furni-
ture to the extent of 100000.
CD As Taneytown was made an
approved high school by the State
Board it was necessary to make en-
fragments to the extent of 100000,
s3SOO.0O of which was not in the
budget.
(c) School conditions were so
congested and had been for many
years that it was found necessary
to build a school at Deep Run which
cost $3500.00 also not provided for
in the budget.
5. That a new school building vas
needed at Hampstead there was TO
doubt $24 100000 was allowed in the
budget for the purpose, but at a
joint meeting of the two Boards tie
plans and costs were placed before
the Boards and the fact pointed out
that with wartime prices it would
cost not less than $30.000.00, md
probably much more The Presid mt
of the Board of County Commission
ers with the consent Of the others
then and there authorized the BOl:d
Of Education to go ahead with the
construction and the County Com
mfSsioners promised to see it
through On the strength Of this
gentlamens agreement the Board IF
Education went ahead with the work.
Now when the bill is presented they
repudiate their word and agreement
and leave the Board of Education
with a loan of $35,000.0O to meef.
6. In March 1919 before we were
aware that We could not rely upon
the word of the majority of the
members of the Board of Coul "
Commissioners, we sent a COMMITTEE
composed of Commissioner Feeser and
Superintendent Unger to arrange
for the funds to begin the construc-
ton of the Myers building. Again
we were told to borrow the money
and go ahead and when the levy
came in they would meet our OBJ
legations The agreement was that
they would furnish us $20,000.00 a
year to build these necessary new
buildings. When in June we asked
for the $20,O0O.00 i'll the budget it
was cut to $16,OOOO0, after the plans
had been accepted and the material
bought and the work three months
under way.
T. We Immediately stopped work
on the Myers building and presented
the bill for the expenses so far in
Cured; they have refused to honor
the account.
s. During the past years a sum
of money amounting to nearly
$4SOO0O has been held back from the
amounts allowed in the budget by
the County Commissioners to pay for
bonds issued in 1900 and accrued in
terest This with the items men
toned above account for the School
debt. While Mt. Airy items were
paid off by us it caused deficits in
met by contracting the loans.
g.. 1t has been charged that
Hampstead is too large. 1t will have
3 unused rooms this coming year but
by the time all the high school
classes are organized it will be en-
tirely occupied The Mt. Airy build
ing which was built in 1915 is al
ready too small and will soon need
enlargements-
10. 1t is charged the Hampstead
building cost too much. In Hanover
Pa. there is a new building about
the same size which was completed
before the war and cost $S5,000.0O
TIL Hampstead building cost $51, 000.-
90, and was built in war times. The
wonder is that we were able to get
it up as cheaply as we have. Tt is
also charged that it is not completed
It will not require an expenditure OF
more than 100000 to complete it.
H. In Sykesville there is
room building but an enrolment OF
children large enough to fill rooms
and when all the classes of the high
school are organized in another veal
3 more rooms will be needed
- In Union Bridge the sanitary
conditions are SO unfit that the State
Board of Health has refused to per
NIT us to open the school unless the
same is remedied by the construction
of new chemical toilet buildings
properly equipped. As the BOARD
was not given the necessary $1500.0(
it cannot proceed with the construc.
v ton, as will be shown in the state
ment below. The school population