The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-03-09

mas made marked advance III oui
state during recent years. Any bulld-
ing plan that would lend itself to adj
vance on this line would seem to your
school officials step ahead in the
right direction.
Yours very cordially,
WM. B. WOODBURY..
rhe Independent Reporter:
You have been good enough to ask
re 10 tell you my views on the high
school situation. which is to come up
1t town meeting on Monday. ! regret
exceedingly that | shall be unable to
attend the meeting, because | believe
that this is by far the most important
matter that confronts Skowhegan
this year, and therefore every citizen
Of the town should be on hand to help
by his vote and voice to settle it IN
he most satisfactory manner. No one
viii dispute the proposition that the
Iest school facilities possible are the
greatest asset for the well being OF
community.
The school board and the superin-
nndent Of schools invited the citizens
o meet in the Municipal Court Room
week ago Saturday to discuss the
reeds of the high school and ways
nd means to improve conditions. Mr..
. l.. Savage explained with intelli-
,enee and in detail solution which
10 had arrived at after considerable
mdy. Everyone should feel appre-
iation of the labor and interest that
lr Savage has given to this matter,
lis solution, in brief, is to build an
alition in permanent form to the
resent building, joining onto the adj
'ition that Mr. Goulds committee
,ult some six years ago. He esti-
mates that his addition can be built
qell within the $42.00000 which is
vlilable. The Board of Selectmen
dvised the citizens meeting that the
own owed within SAP 100000 of the
p,al amount that the laws of Maine
flowed town to owe, and Therefore
My that amount could be borrowed
t this time. The meeting considered
Nr. Savages plan and voted to re
uest the Selectmen to appoint com
liltee of fifteen to consider the whole
tuation and recommend solution to
he Committee of Twenty, which
'ould in turn report with proper rec
concentrations of its own to the Town
Meeting for final action. At this writ
NIX no definite conclusions have been
riyed at by the Committee.
believe that a large Majority of
the citizens believe that our town has
outgrown our present high schoo'
milding and grounds, and that If
koWhegan. is to keep pace with other
owns and cities of like size, arrange
!cnts must be made for a new high
.hool building ON a lot large enough
, accommodate the athletic exercises
n sports which are now rccog-
,i2ed part of high school activities
other words. If our financial condi-
on would permit. we believe that
ext Mondays town meeting would
ote unanimously to raise money by
bond issue for the erection OF
modern high school building, and the
urchase of a lot large enough fol
aSehall and football. This building
ould be designed to accommodate al
east twice as many pupils as are now
II
> designed that harmonious additions
ould he made to it in thirty years II
here was demand for more room
The present building would then be
valuable for the grades below the
rventh and eighth grades, which be-
ing in the high school building and
re commonly referred to nowadays
the Junior High School. For il
must he remembered that our grade
school buildings are now overcrowd
u. though not to the extent OF the
Ugh school. The Island is the ideal
situation for grade pupils, because
Dung children should not be com
,elled to cross two bridges to a school
m the south side and children on the
South side should not be compelled TO
20 over to the North side. The ae-
QUESTION of the Coburn and Levi w,
Weston properties on the Island will
,ycntually provide splendid play
rounds for grade pupils, but not
arge enough for high school students
Such a proposition is of course out
n the question this year, and Will be
lut of the question for the next seven
IT eight years. But | have confidence
Skowhegan. and | believe that our
own is going to weather the financial
burden OF the war just as state and
nation are doing We are going to pay
rs we go in the future and liquidate
1ur Indebtedness, and before we know
IT, viii he able to make the high school
investment thai we all know is newt
able
Now then. I think we should all
nanse and consider whether it is ad-
visable To add another patch to the
haekside of the present building and
repeat the utterly ridiculous error Of
six years ago. Experts advise that
the addition proposed cannot be built
r0r S42.00000. but even If it could,
does the town want to borrow the last
lone dollar that the State law will
allow. and spend It. on something
which not only will leave us six years
from now Just where we are today,
hut actually does not adequately salts
fy the most urgent requirements of
the year 1922 There may be some
people in town. too, who, even in these
days OF economic stress. would object
from an architectural standpoint to