Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-04-01
GREER TALKS0N THE
EXTRA SCHOOL LEVY
Explains Question to Be Voted on BY
Electors of Plentywood School Dis
trict No. 20.

tIlCt 1NO. <Vs
In an address delivered before the
Parent-Teachers Association last Fri
day evening, Attorney t. w. Greer
discussed the extra School levy to be
voted upon by the electors next Sat-
urday. After referring to the talks
made by Mr.. Christianson and Mr.
Helgeson, Mr.. Greer continued:
''In the first place there seems to
be some misunderstanding as to just
what this twenty mill levy means.
Some seem to think that it means
that we will be asked to pay twenty
mills more in school taxes than we
have paid this year, and other past
years.
The Levy Explained
This is mistake, caused, | believe,
By the phraseology, twenty mills adj
ditional levy which leads people to
think that it is twenty mills in ad-
dition to what we have heretofore
paid. The fact is that there is a
normal levy of ten mills, which may
be made by the board for operative
purposes, without vote Of the cleo
tors. Any levy in addition to this
must be submitted to a vote of the
tax paying, freeholding electors Of
the district, and receive a majority
Of the votes cast on the question.
Each year the question has been sub
mitted, and we have voted for several
years past for levy Of fifteen mills
additional. That is we have voted
for total operative levy to conduct
our schools in the sum of 25 mills.
This year our schools are larger than
they have ever been before. We will
have to have at least two additional
teachers, and some additional equip
ment next year because we will have
more pupils in the High School, and
much larger Seventh and Eighth
Grade. The Board has in years past
had the advantages of collections of
delinquent taxes, but | believe it is
fair to assume that practically all de-
linquent taxes which will be paid
have been now collected, so we are
confronted with the necessity of en-
ploying more teachers, and educating
more pupils, and unless we increase
the levy, doing so with less money
The Board have not been guilty of
any extravaganza in past years. How
they have conducted our schools on a
twenty-five mill levy, and kept them
to the present high standard, is a
mystery. Last year they were con-
fronted with the necessity of reduc-
ing teachers salaries in order to save
expenses. They did so, and still man
aged to retain a corps of teachers
who are excelled by none. How they
managed to do so speaks well not
only for their business ability, but
for the loyalty, and sincere desire to
be of service, of the teaching staff
and | want to at this time, congratu-
late both the Board and the District
on having teachers of this caliber.
Our school stands at the head of the
list of the High Schools in North
eastern Montana. We are members
of both the Northwestern and the
High School Association, which means
that we have maintained that stand
ard of efficiency and excellency which
entities us to recognition throughout
the country, as a first grade High
School. We must not permit our
standards to be lowered, or do any
thing which would jeopardize our
right to recognition in these associa-
tions.
Only Five Mills More
"The levy which is asked for this
year is levy of twenty mills, in ad-
dition to the normal ten mill levy.
That is to say that if the twenty mill
additional levy carries, we will pay a
total of thirty mills for school opera
tive purposes this year, instead of
twenty-five mills as we paid last
year. 1t makes difference of only
five mills between the last years
levy, and this years. If we should
vote this levy down, it would mean
that our schools would have to close.
None Of us want that, and it is just
as surely fact that we cannot con-
duct our schools without money, as it
is fact that we cannot conduct any
other business without money. If we
vote the twenty mill levy down we
have left only the ten mills normal
levy, and we all know that the school
would not be run on that. The diff
ference in payment of any one tax
payer is nominal. / doubt if any Of
US would realize there was a differ
ence if our attention was not called
to it, between the fifteen mill levy Of
last year, and the twenty mill levy
of this year. Take for instance a
taxpayer owning property having an
actual value of $10,000.00 within the
Plentywood School District, and as
sessed at that amount (and a $4,000
valuation will include most all of us).
While the actual and assessed value
of the property is $10,000.l0, we pay
taxes under our classification system
on about 100000, and the total diff
ference in the amount of taxes which
would be paid by this taxpayer, if the
twenty mill levy passed, or if it was
defeated, would be $4,000, that is on
a $10,000.00 actual valuation, the
twenty mill levy would only make
$4,000 difference in taxes paid, wheth
er it was passed, or whether it was
defeated and IL would onlv make a