The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1921-12-08
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
GET ATTENTION
Designation of Nation Wide Education
Week ArOuscs Interest in
School Matters
oAKEs SYSTEM SHOWS GROWTH
Thirty-Three Years Bring Great Many
Changes in Local Conditions

Thirty-Three Years Bring Great Many
Changes in Local Conditions
| This week has been designated as
nationwide Education week." in
which the newspapers, magazines and
other agencies of information are de-
voting considerable attention to the
educational problems Of the country.
In the good old days when kings were
supreme and their word was law, only
the ruling classes were educated. The
less the common people knew, the bet
ter, for the easier they could be bossed
around. In a democratic government
like ours, where each citizen has
voice through the ballot, it becomes
of the greatest Importance that each
citizen is as intelligent as possible
That is why the u S. has the greatest
public school system that the world
has ever known. The life of our gov
ernment depends upon the work of the
public school,
While we as Americans realize to
some extent the Importance of our
schools, there is some doubt as to
whether we appreciate it fully enough.
Judging in terms of dollars and cents
there would be grave doubt, for we
spend for tobacco each year several
times as much as we spend for all our
school systems put together.
\ In North Dakota the public schools
have always ranked high. The state
has always maintained good schools
and the people have been liberal in the
support of schools. And in most re-
spects Oakes ranks high among the
cities of the state educationally. Its
citizens are interested in it's schools,
they back all school activities Loyalty,
and they tax themselves as heavily as
the law allows to maintain the schools
at the highest possible standard.
We people in Oakes do not need an
Education week" to stir us up to boost
and back the public schools We just
naturally do it anyway. It's part of
the Oakes spirit But while our fell
low citizens over all the U. S. are
interesting themselves in education
this week, we want to get in line. We
present to our readers some items that
may be of greater or less interest in
connection with our school system.
One of the first things done by the
original settlers of Oakes was to open
a school, The first school was held
while Oakes was still part of the
Climax district. In June, 1888, tenn
porary board was organized and the
Oakes special district was formed; r.
S. Angel being president, H. E. Bly,
secretary and A. B. Bunce, B. B. Rod
die and ]. G. Linn the other members.
Later E. Boehmler was appointed as
sixth member of the temporary
board
At the first meeting after the board
was organized, it was decided to hold
an election to vote on a $4,000 bond
issue to "build school house as large
as the money will build, finishing the
outside and as much of the inside as
may be required for immediate use."
The bond issue carried, 1875. The
matter of floating the bonds was plac-
ed in the hands of T. F. Marshall,
whose name appears most frequently
in connection with the problems of
financing the new district, and who
later served many years on the board
of education.
After the bond issue had carried,
the site for the new building had to be
obtained. T. F. Marshall made a
proposition that the owners Of Nc
Carthy's and Washburn's additions
would donate a quarter of block for
q site anywhere in either addition ex-
cept on Union street, and if that were
not sufficient space he agreed to sell
the district the balance Of the half
block at 25R off the list price. Other
propositions were made, but this was
accepted, the board choosing the south
half of the present school block.
Temporary quarters were secured
for school the first year, there being
two teachers employed.
After much deliberation the plans
for the school were accepted and sub
mitted for bids. The bids ranged from
IS, $50 down to 1886, which was sue
cessful. The contractors began the
building, but evidently something went
wrong, for when the structure was
only partially done they collected what
money they could from the district
under the terms of their contract and
left the job for their bondsmen to fin
ish. To enclose the building and fin
ish off the two downstairs rooms cost
over $4,700 before it was all done.
This is the main part of the present
building.
The records show that 1873 desks
were purchased as part of the equip
ment Of the building, which was ex-
pected to provide generously for fu-
ture growth. Now the high school
alone requires considerably more desks
than that. Many Of the citizens felt
that the board had exercised poor
judgment in erecting such large