The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-07-14
Peterson School Bill Passed
By Legislature in June
Hits Local Board.
GOV. BLAINE SIGNS BILL
Ken0sha School Board viii Be
Cut in Half by Provision of
Peterson Bill.

The Peterson bill, revolutionizing the
school systems of Wisconsin, which
was passed by the legislature during
the latter part of June and to which
Governor Blaine attached his sigma
ture yesterday, has a direct bearing on
the school system of Kenosha and will
greatly revolutionize that body. At
torney Lewis Powell has just returned
from Madison where he was in confer
ence with several important officials
of the state educational system and the
information brought back to Kenosha
by Mr.. Powell is both pertinent and
timely to the school system Of Kenosha.
Cuts School Board in Half.
Instead Of having eighteen members
on the school board as at present, IN
der the Peterson bill, there will only
be permitted nine. Under the present
system of election, two members of the
school board are allowed for each
ward. There isn't any election of
school board members at large as is
provided under the new bill. Under
the provision of the Peterson bill, one
school board member would be given
for each political ward in a city but
the members would be elected at
large and would not necessarily be
from separate wards.
Changes Financial Aspect.
The most important provision of the
bill, however, is the manner in which
the financial end of the school systems
of the state would be handled In
former times the school board has
been dependent on the whims and
idiosyncrasies of a city council that
has not in all cases been in touch with
the true condition Of the. school sys-
TENS of the state. In some cases the
city council has been working at cross
ends with the school board with the
result that the best conditions in the
public schools have not been forthcom-
ing Under the new bill, however, the
school board will have the power Of
levying a school tax of one and one
half per cent of the property valua-
ton The school board then makes
its recommendations to the city coun-
Gil who must by law raise the money in
the regular manner prescribed by law,
This bill will be referred to the people
in the April election of next year.
GIerum Is Pleased.
President Jay Glerum of the school
board when informed of the passage
and signing. of the bill, expressed sa-
tsfaction over the action Of the legis-
lature and the governor and stated that
the bill had several good points.
"For one thing, the bill is good one
in that it places the school board re-
sponsible for the financial end of the
school system The city council is not
conversant with the needs of the school
system and it is not right to neglect
the appropriation for the school board
which has the building up of the school
system at heart. 1t is the same propo-
sition of the school board trying to
prune appropriations on needed bridges
over which the city council has juris-
diction, when the school board is not
conversant with the needs Of the city
in the bridge line. The cutting of the
number of the school board members is
also a desirable feature. This would
give the school board greater fexibili-
ty and would be much easier to get ac-