Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-21
CITY SCHOOLS
CROWDED; MORE
ROOMS NEEDED
Continued From Page one.)


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building would cost between 1920, 900 and
$500, 900 and nine such structures would
cost from $2,SS0,OO0 to $3,600000. To
this would have to be added the cost Of
additional teachers, janitors, upkeep, etc,
incidental to the maintenance of the new
schools.
TWO MILLIONS
MORE IN BONDS.
The limit Of bonded Indebtedness of
the school city has been almost reached,
margin of only 100000 remaining;
| then there are old, obsolete, dilapidated,
fire trap buildings to be replaced, en-
largements to be made etc, on other
buildings, so it is easy to see Just why
the problem of housing all the children
of the city becomes almost a hopeless
task.
| And yet something must be done The
| matter cannot be permitted to &c by
default, despite the insistence of a con.
siderable body of taxpayers that all
building of any nature whatsoever be
stopped entirely until building costs fall
to a level approved by themselves. APP
parently these persons seem to have for
gotten that the real object of the public
school system is ito educate and not
merely try to conduct its business on
! the smallest and cheapest scale pos
sible
Many of these individuals boast Of the
rapid growth of indianapolis: they speak
IN glowing terms of It's expanding indus
tries and steadily increasing population,
and in almost the same breath they at
tempt to counteract this growth and de-
velopmentl by advocating a policy of
penury in regard to the schools. This
| nj
checked expenditures Of money should
be advocated. As a plain matter of fact,
there is such a great demand for school
money at this time that the board should
exercise the utmost economy in expendi-
lures. Frills and furbelows should be
cut to a minimum until the school chill
dren Of the city are all housed but the
citizens Of indianapolis should remember
that the public schools are intended to
give schooling; that schooling costs
money; that a growing city has a grow
ing number of school children to take
care Of and that the only way this can
be done is to build school buildings and
hire teachers.
PORTABLE SCHOOLS
ARE SUGGESTED,
If present building costs are too high
then porta bles might be provided, or
other temporary arrangements made TO
care Tor the pupils untl such a time as
permanent buildings can be erected
That however, is a matter Of business
policy to be decided by the board. But
under no conditions may the board sit
down quietly, fold its hands and allow
any body Of taxpayers to induce 1t to
stop even for minute the fight TO
house all the half day classes IN Indi-
annapolis. Under the most favorable
conditions this would be a titanic task
and under present conditions IL looms
up as almost a hopeless one.
Friends Of the public schools insist
that previous boards are largely respon-
slble for the condition that now exists.
They point out that for years past Indl-
annapolis school boards have lacked the
courage calmly TO face the wrath OF in
fuenttal taxpayers and establish
school levy Of the size needed.
The present levy for school purposes in
indianapolis is 50 cents as against an
average OF about s1.O0 for the other
cities Of Indiana. As large as this dis
crepancy is, II is, as a matter Of fact,
far greater than appears on the surface,
for the 50 cent levy for Indianapolis in
cludes all expenses Of the public library
system. while this IS not the case IN the
S109 for the rest Of Indiana.
Many persons feel that the local school
board should have the courage 20 set the
levy at a point sufficiently high to
enable school work IN indianapolis to be
carried on 10 the very best possible ad-
vantage. With this might be coupled
the elimination of certain expenditures by
the board that have brought down upon
that body a great amount Of criticism and
has caused a large part of the general
distrust that even the most devoted ad-
herents OF the board admit exist among
indianapolis citizens.