Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-02-23
FACTS ABOUT WILLOW RIVER
5e III SCHOOL

FACTS ABOUT WILLOW RIVER
.Her ia SCHOOL
| Editor Askov American:
The writer, who wrote the letter,
Willow River High School VS.. What?"
and did not sign his name on Feb 9Th
Is no doubt a dreamer and does not
understand what this lis all about and
wrote a letter and found that his
statements were so distant from the
truth that he rather not let the read
ers know who he is. Well, anony-
nous letters have no effect anyway.
Another letter, written Feb. 16
same paper, signed A. E. Gustafson,
explaining state aid to consolidated
schools is quite amusing and mis-
leading.
He says in paragraph three, please
note that whatever this school district
receives through state aids has moth
ing to do with local taxes, but comes
as gift from State of Minnesota
whose founders had vision of the
educational advancement of its pee
Pile.
| Does Mr.. GustafsOn think that this
same aid will be taken away from
this district if we go into the unor-
ganized district. If so he is very
much mistaken. The intention is TO
increase this aid by making the
change from consolidated district to
the unorganized district which was
clearly explained by the two speakers
February 4th meeting at the school
house. He also says that no loyal
citizen would harbOr the thought of
disseminating our high school at VIII
low River. OF course not Nobody
ever said that the high school will De
discontinued. Only Mr.. Gustafson,
and if he believes that, he is again
badly mistaken, and to prove it, did
we discontinue the high school at
Bruno? OF course not, they have a
bigger high school at Bruno now than
they had under the consolidated sys-
tenn and they reduced their taxes 80
per cent by making the change. He
says our high school enrolment has
grown from 80 in 1929 to 17S this
year. Yes, in 1929 we had one high
school teacher, today we have six
high school teachers. and our school
tax rate in 1929 was SOL. in 1882
school tax rate is 97.5. And we paid
off several thousand dollars of bonds
since 1929, the interest is less, so why
this increase in taxes each year? In
1881 we had nearly as big enrolment
in our high school as we have this
year and the tax rate went up the
highest that year
superintendent of our school, Perry,
in 1881 brought this idea to the school
board-taking in outside high school
pupils to our school and thereby
building up our school and, get more
state aid. But the school board fired
Perry without reason Maybe his
plan did not pay out.
However, if this plan of taking in
outside pupils is at least self sutsain-
ing, there is no reason why we can't
take them into our school when in
the unOrganized district We will
have the same school same territory
only under a different name, and
|
doing it at Bruno and other places.
| can't see why it can't be done here.
The big noise is about dividing a
jack pot that does not exist and never
VIII. The state does not intend TO
give any school any more money than
Its law allows to take care of each
pupil and since the state is short, the
money is prorated to all schools, and
each school receives less than the law
prescribes per pupil. So don't get all
roped up in this money question |
am only afraid that our school tax
rate will again jump up another sew
eral mills in 1888 unless we make the
change to unOrganized district. The
rest of the district in the unOrganized
territory are all on cash basis, ex-
cepting their bonds, and we have
them also. Each district has to take
care of its own bonds, so why the big
scare. And he says yet there are a
few misinfOrmed citizens who would
insist that we join the semi-bankrupt
schools now already in the morgan
; lied territory. What do you mean by
IHIS statement. L sure uOn KNOW
, of anybody who would be so ill in.
, formed in regard to this matter and
, make the statements you make anG
: try to show the taxpayers of this dis
, trict their way out of muddle that
we have been in for the past nine OIL
: ten years.
T This, | think. is a matter for the
: taxpayers to solve and not Mr.. Gustaf
{ son who just moved in and pays nc
p taxes in this district and only has {
: theory and slight understanding o.
+ the situation here i'm this district.
I Did you know that this school dis
trict lost $4,000 through the neglec
e of our school board, of which the pub
r lie examiner made report in 1925
~ which l will explain later if neces
1, sary.
: There are only III freeholder vot
8 ers out of 337 voters in this distric
e and that's why we lost home rule ant