The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-27
NEEDS OF SCHOOLS
 OUTLINED BY THE
 BOARD EDUCATION
Condition of Schools of City Deplorable, Is Statement, and Buildings and Im-
 prOvements Needed

That the the board of edu- cation is helpless to cope with the school building condition of the city, and that unless the approaching bond election IS voted on favorable, the prog ress of the public schools will be seriously handicapped, Is the opinion of the board, given out in the following statement made to the citizens of Birm- ingham which is explanatory.
 Three years ago. the board of edu- cation outlined and published a com plete building programme, and on the basis of that programme. submitted to the people the proposition to issue two million dollars in four and one half per cent bonds which should be devoted exclusively to the purchase of sites and the erection of new buildings to replace those that had been condemned as inadequate and unsafe, and to build additional units to those that were deemed substantial but too small
 The plans of the board of education were at that time, thoroughly explain ed to the people and the issue was car ried by an overwhelming majority. With the assurance of the support of the citizenship of Birmingham, the board of education employed the ser vices of MT. w. B. Ittner of St. Louis, as supervising architect, to ensure the proper standardization of buildings and their equipment. MT. Ittner is recog- nized throughout the country as a specialist in school architecture.
 The board also selected several com petent local architects who proceeded at once to prepare plans and specifi- cations for the most needed, buildings, under the instruction and supervision of the supervising architect. The city commissioners purchased with the surplus in the redemption fund of the city approximately $250,000 of this is sue, which sum was used for the pur- chase of several of the new sites re- uuired and for the erection of some or the smaller buildings and additions immediately needed. The remainder of the issue was found to be unstable, on account of the low rate of interest.
 In the meantime, another emergency arose The disastrous fire of February 12 1918, caused the total destruction of the buildings and equipment of the Central High school. To make suitable temporary provision for the 2,00o young men and women thus rendered shelterless was a severe task. The board decided to erect temporary cot tages adjoining the Hillman Hospital at a cost approximating $50,000. These cottages annexed to the old Medical College building. together with the Pau Hayne school building and several structures in the neighborhood, rented for the purpose, have served as tenn porary but unsatisfactory home for this great school up to the present time.
 HIGH SCHOOL FIRE
 In April 1918, few months after the Central High school fire, the people, by A large majority vote, authorized the issuance of a million dollars in five per cent bonds for the erection of school building, one to replace the Central High school and one to be located al Woodlawn. This issue was to be re- deemed in twenty five years, interest and principal to be paid from the three mill district school tax, which the peo- ple at the same election authorized to be transferred froR the five-mill in- terest and redemption fund tax of the city to the public school fund.
 In the meantime, the country was de' cIared to be at war with Germany, and all the units of government throughout the country were devoting their energies patriotically to the prosecution Of the war measures outlined by our national authorities. At the request Of the capltai issues committee, the city authorlties postponed the sale of the high school bonds, and for the time being, suspended it's entire building programme. what mas happened since the singing or the arni- stice is familiar to all; the Az per cent bonds were unstable on account of the low interest rate; legal questions regard ine the per cent bonds issue wert raised by the bond buyers, and the litiga ton that followed resulted in the ad- verse decision of the state supreme court inyalidating the authorization of these bonds. as well as that of the 3-mill tax
 SCHOOL BOND ISSUE
 This brief narrative explains the his torv of the school bond issues to date and contains the reasons for referring the whole matter back to the people I. should be very clear that the people are merely asked to vote again upor questions favorably voted upon in previ