The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-06-02
B. D|VIDERS AGAINST
COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL


. great deaf of interest: naturally then
We fell tc discussing the question un-
der consideration. and . gerat variety
Of opinions In regard to It developed.
eo we made 1t point for discussion
at our Community club meeting which
occurred today. and was chosen to
write up for the Examiner IN express
sion Of the community opinion. The
enclosed article 10 the result.
We believe 1t only fair to give q
fair public hearing to all sides Of q
question Of countrywide interest; no
county project can succeed without q
hearty county backing. and we cannot
expect county backing to an undertak.
ing which. even though II be actually
voted in, does not fulnll county de-
sire.
We like the Examiner ana fnd Il
easy to support "our home town pa
per" when 1t stands for high stand
ards. Yours very truly.
MRS. NJ. H. CONsID1NE.
Kruger, Mont. May 2S. 1889.
County High School Dlseussion.
At the B-Divide Community club
meeting at NJ. H. Considine's, Butte
creek. May %, the subject Of a county
high school was discussed informally
It surely speaks we'll for. the future
Of any county when, in little gath
/ ering Of neighbcrs. higher education
is so enthusiastically hoped for. and
SO strongly supported, as 1t was in
this little gathering.
i Mr.. Holt's splendid articles in the
Examiner were read in part and dis
| cussed. those present agreeing with
the writer's spirit. Still. the feel ing
was strongly in favor Of waiting a
few years before attempting county
high school.
People in the poorer districts real
lie 80 strongly how the district
schools are handicapped by lack of
| funds, which. in turn, is due to ecc-
nomic conditions within the districts
The extra tax was not objected to, but
taxation should be put into the dis
ty high school.
We all heartily agree with Mr.
Holt's fine plea for higher education.
but is not an efficient elementary edu-
cation a necessary foundation for any
higher education? And 10 cur county
elementary educational system efficient
| when more than a hundred school chH-
dren within the county are without
schools? Is it efficient so long as we
are attempting to cover in total of
forty-eight months-eight terms Of six
| months each-work that our educa-
tors have used every practical plan to-
concentrate into seventy-two months.
Yet the latest available state statistics
| show that our Powder River county
schools are averaging only 7.6 months
per year. Anyone needs only a little
inquiry into existing conditions to
know that this is not the fault Of
school boards nor taxpayers. In fact
so anxious>are they to educate their
children. several districts have gone
| into debt to an extent which. in pri-
vate business. they would consider un-
businesslike.
| So, while those present expressed
themselves as hoping for a county
high school sometime in the future.
they all felt that it would be better
just now to bend every effort toward
raising the standard CT our district
schools. Also, in the line Of discus
sion. the belief in great economy in
both state and county financial affairs
was expressed. calling for retrench-
ment, rather than supporting what
under different economic conditions
might be a progressive policy.
Although the community represent
ed il a small part Of the county. ge-
graphically speaking. still it IL prob
ably typical Of large part of the
county. Surely the meeting represent.
ed almcst all types of those interested
in school work-a school tacher and q
board member: families having chill
dren In the district schools. and cider
folk with much experience to back
their judgment; four families with
members ready for high school, and q