The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-06-16
Arguments FOR 4
COUNTY AIeh SCHOOL

CUuuII Hill yChuul
This week Tm dieressing from The
DISCUSSION OF the 1s33-1S3S high school
budget. taking up instead lGrs. n. II
Considine's article in the Powder Esivel
county Examiner Of June wherein she
sets forth the opini \ or the B-Divide
Community club relative to the coun'
" high school Questicm.
In the outset I wish to congratulate
the worthy and progressive people
composing this eommunity organise
tion-toc bad We have % few such
organizations In the county.
viii take up the article at some
length ~ II raises some questions that
are In the minds Of many people and
should be discussed fully aud frankly
Honest discussion 10 ccaductve OF
good. Although these people have
reached conclusions differing from
those advocated by me believe that
people banded together for good %
are they. are opsn-minded and will
accept that which proves to be for
the well-being OF cur county and her
people.
agree with the writer that It 10
speaking we'll for the futare Of our
cunty when in little gathering Of
neishhors higher education 10 20 en-.
'thusiastically hoped for aud 90 strong
~ supported a. it was In this little
gathering.
Now az to waiting . few years be-
fore attempting = county high school.
Can We AFFORD t? Last year there
were thtrty-eight grade graduates in
eur couAty. I'm informed by tho
county superintendent that there will
be ~ many this year-there being
twenty-five 20 far and August exam-
tnations to come. Granted that we
had no district high school. couid We
conscientiously say to these sixty pu-
pills "Your schooling 10 completed 10
Tar ~ your county 10 concerned."
Fortunately. we have . district high
school receiving Oast year for the first
time) countrywide support, which pro-
vfded standard high school instruc-
tic0 for thirteen Of last years eighth
Grade graduates: 1t likewise efficient
" serving ten sophomores. two juniors
and one senior.
We thus see that we have q high
school (it's yours ana mine, we SUP.
port ft): 20 we cannot wait fer It, Il
10 here and We will either say BY our
votes August % that We win make Of
1t an institution that 10 ample for
aa our GraAe graduates every year,
taking them through the four years
Of accredited high school work. or we
Will repudiate the work that has been
done for these pupils and fail to prop
erly provide for the education Of our
youth. When I say repudiate the work
done. I desire to tell you what that
work IL. We will be accredited next
month by the state board Of educa.
ton for three years of standard high
school work and next year our grad
uates win be fully admitted to the
State University Of Montana without
Can we afford not to es-
tabltsh county high school? Isn't this
the scrt OF investment that we want
to make for our boys and girls:
We now arrive At the topic upon
which we meet on common ground
the financial handicap Of district
schools generally. Let Us look into
this matter for few moments.
We all feel the stress Of this situa- |
ton. but we the ind 'vidual districts or
rather individuals Of the several dis
tricts. must meet 1t. certainly 10
not advocate the high school rather |
than the grade schools but we must |
have both n order to do our duty to |
posterity.
I'm q school trustee and I have in |
with other trustees the dis I
trict problem to face and have look
ed into the situation somewhat.
I'm sure that School District No. SO
In which some Of cur good neighbors
Of Kruger and B-Dtv.de .eside, will
have no objection to my using their
a. an example Of some school
district situations in this and other
counties.
Their district mo. IS, had last year
= full and true valuation Of $sos.s3o,
or assessed valuation Of $62.lS7. Its
total levy was mills. which IL al
taxes were paid would yield Sass. It's
school revenue from district levy, /
e33e.S2. District So has sixteen census |
pupils who drew county. state and |
Of &349.e7. To this may be added gas |
and oil revenue, 3l4.1s. making a tota!
revenue from all sources to run this |
school one year OF $6S7.37.
am willing to admit that taxes |
are hard to pay during hard times but |
We can not expect to produce adequate |
revenues on inadequate levies. I be.
liece in the strictest economy In pub. |
lie affairs. but you can not pay 81
500 month (she 10 worth it) |
for . school year Of nine months Ito
say nothing Of text books and sup |
plies) with the money yielded tc this |
district from . 7-ntu levy-@eS7.37.i |
In fact. you can not run 1t to exceed |
nix months, ~ was done.
coucede and content that there |
are some districts In this county that |
could not maintain nine mcnths' school |
without . prohibitive levy-the'r val |
uations are too small. But when We
the vslve Of learning-the
Of giving the normal child
his due-A graAe year. without raw |
Ing terms cut shcrt BY lack Of reve- |
nue.. I believe that some Of our short
terms could BE- lengthened without IN.
due burdens 70 those districts.
In Powder River oounty We have
f1A2ll. Two nNh00l dintPicta nth nO