Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1921-03-04
PEOPLES FORUM

| utISlBllcu Ntlt UNANIMOUSLY S'-
lected as candidates TO fill the
vacancies ON the school board.
While asking the support of
the voters we believe it to be
right for us to state our position
relative to questions at present,
agitating the minds of those in
terested in school affairs within
the district.
We are opposed to the con-
solidation of our school district
with either Vashon or Burton be-
cause we find since being obliged
to send our children to school to
those places that our local educa-
tional expenses are nearly doubl-
ed, while the advantages offered
are little, if any, better than those
which were provided by our own
local school.
We believe that the majority
| { the people Of this district is
behind us III the demand for a
grade school at Center, as we
feel assured the vote on election
day will prove. In this connec-
ton it will be remembered that
an overwhelming vote against
consolidation was given at an
election held last year.
The local school, after being
allowed to get out of repair and
into disreputable condition of
filth, owing to the neglect of the
Board, was condemned by the
county authorities and the i'm
preston given out by officers of
the Board that no repair what
ever of the building could be made
to remedy the defects and satisfy
the inspector. Under such mis-
representation of the facts the
voters last year, believing it to
be the only course open to them,
decided, by a large majority to
build new school house. 1t was
surely proof of the sincerity of
their desire for local school,
that they should be willing to
saddle themselves with an esti-
mated expenditure of at least
$12,000.00.
The subsequent bond election
failed to carry by the necessary
two thirds majority vote, chiefly
because false impressions were
circulated by its opponents, as to
the kind-and character of the
building which could be obtain
ed for the sum to be raised, and
that such sum was quite made
quate for the erection of almost
any kind of a completed school
structure.
Subsequent inquiry, at the
proper quarters, has now led us
to believe that the school at Cen
ter can be repaired and made
good at comparatively small cost,
| and it is our intention if elected
to work out a plan having this
end in view.
Together we pay considerably
nUnr 6GDnn M sc
common with the other tax pay
ers of the district have noted a
large increase over last year,
ours amounting to $500 of an
increase or speaking roughly 1870
One of the reasons is that our
district educational expenses
nearly doubled, as before stated,
when We We're compelled to
change our educational method,
on account Of the condemnation
of our school building. But even
with this greatly increased ex-
Ipenditure we find the transpor-
tation system completely made
quate, This is admitted by the
county superintendent, as report
ed in one of your news notes of
your issue of February IS, which
Ipurports an interview between
Iour local member, Mrs. Z. c.
Allison and the aforesaid official.
The remedy suggested by him is
the hiring of more bus service
which of course means added cost
to the large sum already being
paid for transportation. It is
difficult to see how adequate
transportation can be given, for
the grade pupils of the Center
School District, at a cost of less
than $4,000 per month and the
whole of this sum will have to
be paid from local taxation. Com
pare this with an expenditure of
about 100000 per month for the
upkeep of a local school, in which
we were assisted by state and