Williams news., 1922-07-28
OPEN FORUM

MT. Editor:
 In the last issue of your pa per Mrs. Sine in her article on the high school question made the following statement con- corning the Tucson schools: = Tucson is building a high school to cost six hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This building is being erected on LONE city block. No play ground is provided"
 wrote letter to c. E.. Rose, Superintendent City Schools, Tucson and asked the follow ing questions and received the following answers:
 1. How many high school buildings has your district? Answer: one.
 g. About what is the value of each building? Answer: Old building, poor. S75O.OOO bonds issued for new building.
 3. About how much ground has each building? Answer: New building, nearly eight acres
 4. How much ground would you buy for $1OO,OOO build ing if it cost $50 per acre if 75 per cent of the students were less than one half mile from the building and the other 25 per cent less than three quar- ters mile from the building, in case the ground is good level ground? Answer: Ten to fifteen acres for building, athletic field, etc.
 You will note from the above that instead of one city block in Tucson the new school will have nearly eight acres. The high school enrolment of. Tucson is 639, and the school bonds S75O,OOO. At this rate Williams could easily afford the $1OO,OOO for high school.
 l quote the following from the Coconino Sun of July 21, 1922:
 Work on F1agstaff's new high school building will begin at once. w. P. Agren of Phoe- nix was on Monday awarded the contract, which exclusive of plumbing, wiring and light ing fixtures and painting, amounts to SIPS, 500. The total cost exclusive of site, will be about S2OO,OOO.
 The fifteen acre school ground at Flagstaff cost $15,- 900, and the estimate to put this rough ground in shape for use is $1O,OOO additional.
 Contract price of the new high school at Jerome is $751; OOo.
 The grounds cost $21, ,OOO ad- d1t1onal. The enrolment of the Jerome high school is 76.
 Mrs. Sine states: "Bisbee high school is about half the size of the one in Douelas." I wrote the superintendent ot schools at Bisbee. and obtained the following facts:
 Bisbee has a senior hioh school building worth S1SO.OOO and three junior high schools that cost a total of $14O.OOO. The enrolment of the Bisbee high school is 3O7. Superin- tendent of schools at .Bisbee advocates ten acres as sufficient for high school ground.
 If Flagstaff has fifteen acres at a cost of $25, 900, Jerome grounds that cost S21. 900 Tucson eight acres. Peoria 10 acres that cost S7,OOO, Scotts- dale ten acres that cost S6.OOO. why should Williams build a nigh school on one half city block which would cost. prob ably. as much. as S5.OOO when we have good level ten acre site offered without cost? The architect tells me that it would cost Is per cent more to build on the half block mentioned on the hill than it will cost on the land l offer free to the school Why pay Is per cent more for the building without a play ground and also additional for the ground on which the build ing is placed?
 We are going to vote on this high school question just as soon as we can get papers in shape so there will be no doubt in selling the bonds. So if any taxpayer has a different