The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1922-03-17
THE BOND ISSUE FOR SCHOOLS

In u supplementary statement to
their annual budget one year ago, the
Board Of Education set forth IN some
detail the urgent needs for additional
school buildings IN some sections of
the county, the repair and lcmodcling
of Other. and the improvement and l"-
placing OF worn out equipment in many
places. At that time 1t was suggested
that sufficient funds could not be put
in the annual lcvicS of the next lew
years to meet the imperative needs fol
additional buildings and Improvements
to school property.
The present Legislature has, with
the approval Of the Board OF fduca-
ton and the County Parent Teacher
Association, recently passed bill an,
thuIillug the County Commissioner
to issue Bonds 10 the amount of $3.50,
900 IN order that the cost Of these i'm
provcmrnts may be- spread over tn"
next twenty years, thus making the
burden easter on the taxpayer. Ac-
cord,ng to this bill, the approval Of
the voters AT the next general election
b. nccc sLIy before any bonds can b"
issued.
The bill provides that Sl2, 800 o. these
bonds shall hrcomr due and payable on
January 1T Of each year and must be
paid at that time The amount there
for" to be- put in the tax levy each
year h. Sl2,jUO plus the interest ON tn"
amount Of bond- out tandlng. II all
the bonds we're sold in on" year (Which
j. very mplobablrJ the greatest posi-
Bile cost to the county in any on" y"d
would be- S2j, 900. II the total amolnl
we're spent IN three years, "a g. nov Ia"
opinion o. the two County Boards a. to
what should b" done, the whole amount
would be- reduced ~ thrc" yearly pay
mcnts ni $50 800 before the last OF the
i.-ue sold, thereby reducing N" N
t,rcst to that extent.
II will be readily seen that tn"
amount levied to reti" the Issue VIII
bond are retired.
The annual report, Of the Board OF
Education show that iui tn" past ~
years the amount paid for new build
IngS and Improvements has averaged
about &l0UOO per ycaI. In 1921 the
amount spent for this purpose was
S27,OOJ In 1922 SlS,SlI was levied
for these purposes. The amounts IN
creased for III" year. 1921 and 1922
because of the enormous increase IN
cost of building, and the absolute ne
ccs=ity OF taking car" Of plumbing and
heating IN tn" two largest schools Of
the county and to provide extra quar-
GERS for the increase in High School
pupils.
The public well knows that part
o. the money #pcnt in the last three
years has gone for temporary make
shifts in the shape Of what We usually
call portable buildings The Board
Of Education was compelled to spend
this money in this way because Of
ovcrcrowdcd conditions and b"caus"
the amounts that could BE- levied in
any one year were not sufficient to
build any one Of the necessary per.
manent buildings. At the present tim"
five Of the larger schools Of the county
nave pupils housed in these temporary
building In at least five other pla-
ces. thee Of which are colored schools,
.chool i. being held in veIy poorly con
structcd rented buildings or cOlOrcd
churches.
The high school enrolment is in
crcasing rapidly, total enrolment of
222 in 1915 to $50 in 1921. Present
indications are that over 900 will be
enrolled next year il housing space can
be provided. The average daily at.
tendance IN all schools in 1921 was
ils5 a. against $500 in 1900, even tho
our total number of children Of school
age in the county decreased between
these dates. This means 500 more
children 10 be taken care Of daily than