The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-10-24
ELIZABETH CITY MUST
ISSUE 500, 100000 BONDS
Nothing Less Will Do To Provide Adequate School
Equipment in Response to the City's
Growth Says Prof. Sheep
By RALPH POOL

The people of Elizabeth City
.ust vote a bond issue of at least
nNOOO in the near future, to
meet the growing needs of the
citv schools, and to liquidate out
sanding indebtedness, according
n Suot. S. L. Sheep of the Grad
cd School system Such has been
the growth of the school atten-
dance that while total Of seven
rooms and ten teachers have been
added in the past two years, there
is grave congestion in practical
" all the primary and grammar
Grades. the rooms at present hav-
ing enrollmetns running from 40
to 4S pupils per teacher, approx
matelv 50 per cent more than
each teacher should have.
1r the High School department condi-
1ons are better The faculty now in
cIudes eight academic and two vocation
al teachers and the enrolment is not
oxcpssive. There are about 80 pupils
from the rural districts of Pasquotank'
comden and Currituck counties in the
High school, as compared with some
fifteen in the lower grades, and practl-
caIIv all of the latter come from homes
adjacent to the graded school dlstrlct'
~ +borofore entitled to attend under
the school charter.
Uben a year ago last spring an ado1-
+ionsl tax of 10 cents per $1OO proper
70 valuation vas voted in speclal elec
t;on abont $500 in additional tunos
.-o,+ IN +o the school Golfers, but the
Sobool BOARD found it necessary to e1-
nond annroximately $4,000 on additions
and repairs. Consequently nsteao y,
the outstanding Indebtedness Delng palu
off an additional deficit of S2.5OO was
croa+ad and the general Indebtedness ol
49, scboo1s was inceased by that amount.
Tho School Board, according to Supt'
a,,..D has done everything possible WIN
TN. f,rf,s availabte. and the only sofutleh
to. the present problem is an increase
IN +ba revenue of the school system. SUI
fio;an+ money will be raised under the
no1r nlan of taxation to meet current e1-
,onsas but with the heavy debt incurred
during the past five years, the lntefes'
m the bonds issued at the time the Srau, l.
od Schools system was estaDhsneo' anu
tho interest on the money already o"eu'
still increasing Indebtedness remains'
This with the absolute necessity OF pro-
1iding more school facilities makes 1t I'M
,orative that the citizens OF EnzaDe'n
CITY provide by bonds or oIner "e0'
funds for the erection OF ne" anu up
to-date school building "
modern High SchoolEand to pay OIL 'he
nrosont indebtedness of the Schools.
mart of the outstanding debt was
incurred in the erection of the present
Higb School building, and the purchase
of the Primary School, since the oono
in.na - s4oO0O was $12500 less than
the amount it was necessary TO eApe.1'
ONLY a small part of this has Deen pau
sun+ Sheep declares that the peopie
of tho c;tv must issue bonds III tne
amount of at least $1OO,OOO to Duy d io'
sufficiently large to atIoAu pubic pay
ground which the city must haVe' anu
to aroct a suitable High School Du1ioins'
Other cities of the State are now spenu-
ing much larger amounts on tneir s.
Asheyille. for instance, having
eompleted a new, modern dlgh ocnooA
at cost of $500, 900, while Wlnston-oa-
lam MANS soon to spend $1,25O,OOo upon
SCHOOLS sSOO.OOO of which will be rans-
ed bv taxation, Kinston is about 10
pend s6OO.OOO for better educa1ionh
c7;tias and New Hanover county, !"
which Wilmington is situated, is arrahs
ing for an expenditure OF niole
100000 for school purposes.
Elizabeth City cannot afford to lag
behind tbe other cities of the state LII
educational progress. Practically every
other cf+v has realized the value OF sup
gyised nIay, and has civic play-greun
Mder the direction OF a supervise
Instructor and such PLAYGROUND
virtual necessity here. Ihe Doys
girls Of this city, declares Supt. oneep'
are n9- having a fair show to oe'eiop
physically and morally because tneS
have no legitimate place to play. ihe
City Fathers have even prohlolteo sA"
ing On the steets. The natual actIVi-
tes of childhood cannot safely be ols-
regarded. and if the children are not al
lowed Ultimate outlet for their ener-
gies these will be diverted to evil ways
! We are developing a class OF boys VINO
delghr in window breaking and other
Wise destroying property and annoying
the public. all of which leads to more
OF less climinality.
, The School Board and the Super1n-
ehdent Of tie City Graded Schools have
S"ays been handicapped in their de-
sire to give the best advantages to the
'o'S and girls. or even advantages equal
~ OA'Ne enjoyed by school children else
NAtre. by lack of sufficient funds. The
-" schools have been run at rate per
iApi'a' according to Supt. Sheep, which
,> than that of almost any other
Ooi OF equal size in the State. It is
" tie Deople of Elizabeth City to
c;. with delay for bond issue sufh-
81 % meet the increased needs of the