The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1921-09-15
CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS Give
HOPE OF REDUCING TAXATION
Chairman w. w. wood Of School
District Number 4 Presents Plan
For Relief of Taxpayers and
lIcttcrment OF Educational
Facilities

Dear Sir:- read with much In
terest recent article in your paper
in regard to the passing OF the
country school. II seems to me that
the matter should not be allowed to
rest with that article, but should be
taken up and thoroughly discussed
by the newspapers and the people of
the county. The leading educators
OF the United States have long been
of the opinion that our public school
system could be handled at a less
cost, and better results obtained.
This IL done by uniting the small
districts with the larger ones, and
transporting the pupils to the COM
mon centers OF education. Such q
plan gives the country pupil every
advantage that the city student en-
Joys. The same number Of pupils
can be handled with fewer buildings
and a less number of teachers.
This tends toward economy. and at
the same time gives larger. better
equipped and more enthusiastic
schools, and better educational re-
suits are obtained. II Is not a new
idea in education although Oregon
has been slow to adopt Il. The mid
die Western states are rapidly
adopting this system. Good roads
and the automobile have annihilated
distance until Il II comparatively
easy matter to transport children a
distance OF ten miles TO school.
Even the auto In not necessary for
moderate distances In the more
populous communities. We have an
excellent example In the splendid
union school at Fruitland, Idaho,
where the children are transported
by means OF covered wagons.
There In no good reason why NAL
heur County should not install such
systems. and thereby make a dis
tinct advance In modern education
nj lines, and save the taxpayers
many n dollar. The towns OF On
tario. Vale. Nyssa and Jordan VAL
ley would make good educational
centers. Let the small districts
around those towns join the most
convenient city district. and haul
the children back and forth TO the
city schools. Ontario could easily
handle the Cairo district. and the
districts on Dead OK Flat. Vale
could handle the students who at
tend the White Settlement school.
as we'll as other adjoining districts.
Valley View could transport To
either Nyssa or Ontario, and thereby
save the coat OF building new
school house.
As chairman of Dist No. 8. I have
been ask by great many citizens
In outside districts why the Ontario
Board did not inaugurate cam
paign for such consolidation. We
have always been ready and willing
to receive tho surrounding districts.
but have felt that the demand
should come from within those dis
trlcta. when such plans are pro-
posed by a city board they are apt
10 be misunderstood. Many will
think that we are merely trying 10
get them into the city district for
the purpose OF saddling them with
additional tax burdens. This In an
erroneous idea. but the subject will
require considerable discussion and
thought before some OF the people
can get away from that notion. II
stands TO reason that four or five
strong, central districts could be run
cheaper and better than three time
that number OF small. isolated dis
triets. am firmly OF the opinion
that by adopting such a system OF
union schools we could reduce the
cost OF education In Malheur County
by nearly one-third. besides produe-
Ing better results Surely this sub
feet is worthy OF careful investiga-
tion and consideration.
In conclusion let me say few
words about school and other taxes.
II will soon be time TO vote on school
budgets, and there Is grave danger
OF making a mistake. The public
knows that taxes are abnormally
high, and ARE anxious 10 swat the
cause II they can find a. Without
giving the matter very deep
thought. they are inclined TO select
any subject OF taxation which is
seen. and down ID. Unfortunately
this happens 10 be the school tax.
For this reason many good citi-
zen is carrying a ballot up his
sleeve with which TO knife the
school budget this fall.
Now In my opinion the real trou- |
BILE does not rise out or school taxes. /
Those are about the only taxes for
which we are getting real value re-
,eiyed. The real trouble Is. that
during the last eight years we have |
voted to give away large sums OF |
money for purposes that are not |
We have voted for /
very conceivable law and proposi-
ion that required expense and tax
Ition. We have had the erroneous
dea that anything which the state
lad to pay would be-paid from some
magical sources outside OF the peo-
lie who really constitute the state.
This of course cannot be done, and
low we are busy trying TO foot the
ills. Swarms OF petty and obnox-
Gus office holders are travelling
round over the state trying to en-
Orce all manner OF foolish laws that