The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-06-24
NECESSITY OF MORE SCHOOL FACILITIES IS BROUGHT
BEFORE PUBLIC; 3 DELEGATIONS VISIT COMMISSIONERS
Accident KitzmIer Oakland Need Additions Present
Buildings; Bloomington In Need of New Building


communities, that the situation now
existing demanded action; that en-
larged buildings or new buildings, ac-
cording to present needs, were abso-
lutely necessary.
Figures obtained from the Office of
the Board of Education showed enroll
ment in the schools under discussion
as follows: Kitzmiller High, 1872; Kitz-
miller Elementary, 1893; several rooms
and an auditorium needed there.
Accident Elementary enrolment
was 262 last year; the high school, 113.
Conditions there were stated by B.
o. Aiken, principal, as being very un-
satisfactory with four standard rooms
and a suitable auditorium needed.
Eighty-nine pupils were enrolled at
Bloomington last year, with prospects
this year of 100. The Bloomington del
egation outlined their needs as four
room building.
In the Oakland Elementary school
last term 466 children were enrolled.
The school was originally constructed
to house about 200 less than that fig
ure. In the High school the enrolment
was 5O7, and every room is crowded.
The Grantsville building, when COM
pleted, will adequately take care of
the enrolment there. Last terms fig
ures were 189 in the High school and
297 in the Elementary.
Crowded conditions in the main were
said to be caused by the consolidation
of schools. Figures obtained from the
annual report of the State Board of
Education, 1934-1935, showed that
598, or 62.2 per cent of high school
pupils were being transported, and
that 1,088, or 27.8 per cent of ele-
mentary pupils were being transport
ed. The number has not decreased.
There are approximately 5000 pupils
attending schools in the county, and
the amount of money spent for school
buildings within the past fifteen years
has been less than $135,000. Garrett
county's school properties are valued
the least of any other county in the
State, according to the State Depart
ment report.
During the past two years there
have been new buildings erected at
Red House and at Vindex; improve
ments made at Loeb Lynn Heights,
Mountain Lake Park and a sewer sys-
tenn installed at Accident, besides
other minor improvements through
out the county. The improvements
thus made, according to those ac-
quainted with the situation, have not
kept pace with the present-day re-
quirements and needs of the commune
ties in which they have been made,
and something to relieve these condi-
tons must soon be done.
Whether it should be done and how
it should be done, must necessarily be
left up to the people, and in order that
some idea may be obtained as to how
residents and taxpayers of the county
regard this situation, there is being
printed in The Republican today a
questionable which readers are asked
to fill in and return to this office.
To raise money by a bond issue
means that law would have to be
passed by the Legislature authorizing
the issue, and this would mean no
funds available for at least two years.
To secure the necessary money by
direct levy laid by the County Com
missioners means that the tax rate
would be $500 or more per 500 of
assessable property for the next two,
three, or four years.
There may be other ways of raising
the money. Interested persons may
have some suggestions concerning the
transportation of school children or
suggestions on other phases of the
school situation. Anyone interested is
invited to fill in the QUESTIONABLE and
return it to The Republican office. A
tabulation will be kept and a record
made of the opinions expressed. In
formation will be given out from time
to time showing the trend of thought
throughout the county.