Evening star., 1924-01-21
SCHOOL BOND ISSUE
PLAN FOR COUNTY
Montgomery to Ask Legislature to
Authorize Substan-
tial Sum.
NEEDS TO BE LISTED
0vercrowding Plea of Citizens at
Many Hearings.
Special Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ROCKVILLE. Md, January 2i-
The legislature now in session at
Annapolis will be asked to Authorize
n substantial bond issue for public
school purposes in Montgomery
county
Dr. George l.. Edmonds, who repre-
Scnts the county in the house of dele
gates, and is A member of the county
board of education, will prepare a bill
and introduce it in the lower house
Just as soon as the public school Of
uCialS of the county definitely de-
termlne the amount of money
actually needed
Prof. Edwin w. Broome, county su-
perintendent of schools; DIR. George
r. Lewis, superintendent of school
property, and DIR. Edmonds, who com
pose committee appointed for the
purpose, are now giving the matter
their careful attention, and are ex-
pected to report to the educational
board at an early date approximately V
Nhat II viii cost TO erect new build
Ings that are urgently needed. en-
large and repair others and provide
equipment, cite.
Urged by Citizens.
Delegations of prominent citizens
have, from time to time been appear
ing before the board of educatiosl in
the interest of better school facilities
tor their respective localities They
have, II is said, simply empha size d
"hdt the members OF the board al
ready knew. namely. that many of
the schools are greatly oVercroWded
and generally inadequate and un-
satisfactory. and in some sections, cS-
peclally i'll that part. of the county
hOruCrlng on the District of Column
bia, such conditions are steadily and
fNas E...f,., 4
rfhcialS are understood to feel that
the time has now arrived when the
expenditure of Il large sum of money
s"r the purposes indicated cannot be
longer delayed. and that u bond issue
- the only practicable method of
raising the necessary funds
The taxable basis of the county is
apprnxim"tely Si5,0O0.000 and the
steady influx of new citizens is rapid
ly swelling it. The county'S bonded
Indebtedness is something over $780,
900 and only about oue-fourth Of this
was incurred because of the public
schools. This Indebtedness in view
OF the county's great and rapidly in
mere drop in the bucket" and ex-
plains why investors SO eagerly
Gobble up the county bonds whenever
placed on the market. 1t is con-
tended that the Indebtedness of the
county could be doubled or even
trebled, without proving !: hardship
on the taxpayers.
Buildings at Bethesda, uoodside
aud henSIngton are said to be over
crowded and inadequate. The school
oiilcIalS are understood to feel that
q new and modern building at
Bethesda is absolutely necessary
and that it is equally urgent that the
buildings at WoodSide and kensing-
ton be very considerably enlarged
and modernizcd. The population of
these localities is growing by leaps
and bounds.
There is said TO he much conres-
tion at the Wheaton school and n
new building in that locality is said
70 be regarded as urgent The school
authorities arc understood to be con-
SiderinG the feasibility of closing the
schools at Lay Hill and Aspen and
erecting, somewhere near Wheaton.
a modern building for the children
81 the three neighborhoods. That
this will be done, is regarded as
highly probable IL the educational
board has its way.
Conditions at the Gaithersbure and
PoolesVIIlc schools are represented as
FAR from satisfactory. More room is
said TO be badly needed at each place
and the school board is understood
TO be anxious to provide it.
n number of the colored schools
OF the county are also said to be en-
tircly inadequate.