Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-05-26
new School
HOMES ARE
NOW NEEDED
Maher Proposes Bond
Issue Totaling
$4,000

An $4,000 bond issue Tor the con-
struction Of two six or eight-room
elementary schools. as we'll as ne
cessary improvements in other
school buildings, was suggested
Monday by John p. Maher. secre-
tary Of the Brownsville Board Of
School Trustees.
A statement issued by Mr.. Maher
.oday explains the need OF more
school buildings TO take a OF the
ever increasing number OF students.
He also pointed out that the
$4,000 bond issue would not in
crease the tax rate or 1880 tax
valuations. and would not disturb
the existing 66-32 ration between
maintenance and bond debt taxes.
Maher Statement
Mr.. Makers statement is as fol-
sows:
For the year Just closed the
State paid the Brownsville District
for 1867 enumerated scholaStics. The
new roll, just approved by Mrs. w.
r. Jones, county superintendent,
names 5525. OF whom 500 are SIX
year olds, never before enumerated.
This merely continues the phenom-
email growth OF the Brownsville
schools in recent years. The actual
enrolled attendance of the Scholas-
tic year 1928 was 2576; Tor the
year l930-3l, 4l57 (both exclusive OF
College Students, an increase oI
1881. or A per cent.
las a result Of this rapid growth,
the schools are continually laced
with the difficult problem of find
ing quarters for new pupils IN the
elementary grades. Since 1928, 10
additional claSS rooms nave been
provided, ten at Washington Park
and six at east Brownsville-v1th
n normal capacity OF 600 pupils.
Since the pupil increase IN that
time was 1881. about 500 have not
yet been provided for. During the
past year this overflow was cared
for in part by overcrowding, but
mainly by teaching ITO OF the
younger pupils by halliday sessions
only. But since Washington PARK
now has 324, and the 4th Ward
School 202 pupils on halliday SEES
sions, all of whom will be with US
next year, besides the Six-year OLD
beginners no more pupils can be &C
commodated from the territory
served by these two schools even
for halliday sessions; and II the
elementary schools are to be NAM
tanned at their present standard. at
least two new six or. eight-room
schools must be built.
Schools Needed
Besides these new elementary
schools so badly needed, n BOARD
Is under the necessity OF making
repairs and betterments at other
units to protect the value OF tax
PAYERS money already expended
These include:
I'D Reroofing the Older portions
OF the old Junior High school oulio.
ing (erected in 1921 and now uSo
as a grammar SCHOOL,
"12C Paving the road which sep
arates the buildings of the central
plant from Tucker field ano tne
other Fairgrounds, and tile oranning
the Fairgrounds in order 70 proven
marking space at the Central pant
and make these Fairgrounds serV-
iceable in wet weather.
"C3D Constructing storm seWe,
and filling big ditch between olo
and new Fairgrounds at WeS1
brownsville school To prevent con-
tinued erosion Of the grounds.
"C41 Filling in and otherwise m
proving grounds OF the WashlnsUo
Park school TO conform IN appeai
ance to beautiful washington paIS'
"C5) Improving the Junior COZ
leQe-High School library, ana 40,
ding necessary book stacks anu
filing cabinets.
"C6l Replacing Cafeteria refri-
geration plant. 49,,
"C7) Providing gas, steam hea'
for the Victoria Ward schooi.
TT has been the invariaole poLcS
of the board since the organi~
ton of the independent district 70
ASK for bond issues only when I'M
n~eratively needed, and as the Ia
.ural increase in BrovnSViile >
values would not care ioi
them without increasing n tax
rate or unit assessed valuations. or
materially changing the tax rauo
as between maintenance OF scnooiS
and interest and sinking iund LOT
the bonded debt. which for some
Years nov. has Appropriated 68
cents OF each tax dollar ior mann
tenance OF schools. and 81 = 70
care for bonded Indebtedness.
six Issues
an consequence. the tax paying
voters Of Brownsville have, from
time to time lin 1916, 1921. 1879,
1926. 1927 and 1929 authorized slA
relatively small bond issues, the
aggregate borrowings being sS7o'-
o00. 90. OF which S54.000.00 have
been repaid. This will leave the
outstanding bonded debt OF .
district-as Of January !. lsSz-
ss2l O0oG co. A careful study OF the
Districts budget problems SHOWS
that this can be increased oy sou
10000 without increasing the tax
rate or 1880 tax valuations. ~
without disturbing the existing oo-Sl
ratio between maintenance ana
iebt taxes.
THE annual carrying charge on
~ ss0.n0OO0 issue Of 5 per cent
oonds is ss.o00.0o. which will be
available next year on a basis OF
last wears taxes:
"u) BY reason Of an annual saw
Ing If si75o.00 in interest effected
Az the board by refunding the 1921
Iss,,e OF az year 6 per cent bonds
with an equivalent issue OF 5 per
cent serial bonds.
aC2) Reduction Of principal OF
outstanding bond issues BY annual
retiremcnt Of maturing serial
bonds. -,
.C3l Application TO TINS cnsree %