The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1935-06-13
DISTRICT SEEKS.
III. S. GRANT FOR
SCHOOL HOUSE.

Need Provide only 45% OF
Cost Locally; Calls for 40.
Mill Levy; Election to be
Held on July 6
Under President Roosevelt's grant
of $4,8O0,000 900 the local school dis
trict may secure 1870 outright
grant for a new building. Believ-
ing this opportunity of sufficient
Importance to interest the patrons
of the local district, the school board
is presenting the complete facts to
every voter in the district. An cleo
ton has been called for the 9Th of
July to ascertain the wishes of the
taxpayers regarding the PROPOSE
ton. The board is having the fol-
lowing statement sent to every pa
tron in the district. =.s7
This publication is to acquaint
you with the information in regard
to Federal help for building pro-
gram. The federal government is
now offering to give as grants 1870
of the cost of construction projects
which never has to be repaid, leav-
ing it necessary for the local people
to raise $50 of the cost. When this
opportunity presented itself the
school administration called to-
gether several representative citi-
Gems from the various parts of the
district and asked their opinion as
to the advisable action to take. At
ter lengthy discussion a motion was
passed favoring submitting a plan
to raise local funds, to vote of the
people. The feeling was that the
people themselves should have a
chance to decide on such an OPP
portunity.
We believe most of the patrons
know that there is real need for
a new school and more building
space. This coming term will re-
quire two or three grade rooms to
be removed from the present build
ings to be placed in whatever avail
able space that can be rented. With
such problems at hand should we
try and raise the local funds and
gain the federal grant of between
As and so thousands of dollars, or
should we pass it by and find 1t
necessary in the near future to do
the work and pay 1000 locally2
Will this be the last opportunity for
federal help? Should sacrifices be
made to gain adequate and effici-
ent school space? Will the i'm
provement enhance the value of
your property? ALI such questions
any many others should be thoroly
discussed by you and in churches
groups, clubs and lodges, as it is
an issue that will have a bearing
on the community for long time
This brings us to the question OF
raising local funds and at present
we have two avenues of doing
such. They are: bonds and spec
ial levy. The most common means
for raising local funds in the past
has been by the bond method, but
at the last general election in which
initiative "a was passed, the bond
method was practically eliminated
The supreme court held funds for
bond redemption principal and in
terest" must be carried in the cur
rent ten mill levy by school districts
for general purposes, and we now
have an opinion from the attorney
general that bonds would have no
priority over school purposes. So
if school purposes demanded the
full amount bond holders would be
holding a slip of paper. This being
the case neither federal, state or
private investors will bid on bonds,
eliminating that avenue at this
time.
Then, if we turn to the other av-
cnue, that of raising the full amount
ny special levy placed on the dis
trict for the full amount In one
year, which would be approximate
ly a 40-min levy. This presents
itself as a real challenge to the
community, but when we consider
that to the average person in the
community it means approximate
ly $500 additional taxes and that
amount would pay for the whole
project in one year. Let us suppose
the average man could not meet
this all In one year; supposing he
paid half In a two year period,
should we vote in July, the levy will
be placed on the rolls in October,
first half payable in March 1886.
and the last half In November 1886,
and interest on delinquency would
not begin until December, 1886.
So, II he paid half in 1886 and
half in 1887, he would have an In
terest rate on the last half of his
taxes of 1870 for approximately
six months, by making his payment
in two installments, and in this way
we would pay back only approx
mately 1000 of the money borrow
ed and by the bond method which
would be an easier method Of pay
ments over a period of 20 years. we
would actually pay back 1890.
Should we take advantage of it
while we can get such a large fed
eral grant and satisfy our needs
and bring the expenditure Of such
a sum into our community in the
form of labor and material? About
SIS, 10000 alone would be spent In
labor in our community during the
coming winter Under PWA con-