The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-14
ELECTION IS
ORDERED TO
SUBMIT PLAN
Purchase New Building
Site as Key of Big
Program.

called Oct. Is to vote upon proposal
to increase the tax levy for school
purposes from 2.75 to 4 cents on
500 valuation-the maximum al
loved under legislation enacted last
year. Collection of this levy under
the cent tax will bring approxim
ately S535 900 into Rock Island
school district treasury annually.
The board last night gave for
NAL approval, too, to the purchase
of the tract of land, 4l0-feet wide,
extending from Ninth to Twelfth
avenue, east of Twenty-ifth street,
for approximately $4,000. Options
have been held on the land several
months and the deal closed a few
days ago. Fred Reimers and W. Il.
Bailey owned the property.
Authorization of the maximum
tax and purchase of this site are
preliminary steps in the launch
ing of a 10-year school extension
program the board members have
had under consideration more than
year.
A high school plant, antiquated
several years ago, operated now in
face of discouraging handicaps in
every way, with prospect OF rec
ord breaking incoming classes in
the next few years and grade school
buildings filed TO overtiowing al
most as rapidly as they are finished
! have been problems Of the school
board n the last few years.
Operating expenses which have
increased almost 100 per cent i'll
four years; building costs soaring
out of proportion and necessity OF
new equipment and departments
TO meet the march of education
have dealt sorry havoc with a fixed
operating revenue that presented a
financial problem long before the
war-period deprecated the value OF
the dollar
Favor Unit Control.
Illinois school laws, until the
: amendments last year, were high
ly favorable to the rural districts,
permitting organization of dual
control groups which authorized
the levy of a 2.75 mill tax for MAIN
tenance of grade schools and an
other tax of ? mills for high school
operation. The unit control-the
system under which the Rock Is
land city school district like ma
jority Of other municipal schools,
was organized - granted a maxi
mum levy of only 2.75 mills for
both grade and high schools.
Last year this gave the Rock Is
land school authorities $S75,000 for
operation of its schools and the re-
trement of its bonded Indebtedness.
After meeting these primary obliga-
tons there was no reserve fund
ana 1t required strictest economy
even to keep the present plant in
efficient operation.
Development of the school pro-
gram is now dependent upon action
OF the people at the special cleo
ton Oct. Is.
The boards gfaeral plan is to
make the new site the high school
center and establish the present
nigh school plant as a junior high
school with probably department.
d grades in the same building.
Inc manual arts building will be
continued in that work with de-
paftmental school classes occupy
ing it
The new site will contain area
not only for the high school build
ing but an athletic field as well and
VIII be an integral part of the city
planners scheme.
Overcrowding Begins.
The present high school build
ing was opened in 1902. In the
iast 10 years overcrowding gradual
y began until every possible space
: now utilized. The gymnasium is
Inadequate for demands upon 1t;
he are not sufficient classrooms
lof the teaching personnel and
many members of the faculty go
nom room to room to conduct
ctasses; the auditorium is so small
eaat this year it has been necessary
70 introduce an alternating plan
tor assembly announcements. Con-
u.lons throughout the grade
schools are little better and the
grammar departments are turning
out each year constantly increasing
groups.
immediate building of new
scnoois is the only solution to the
problem. Revenues must be IN
creased, board officials say, and
satnorization to impose the 4-cent
"a is the only avenue through