The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-02-03
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1888
SCHOOL BUILDINGS ARE
BECOMING BIG PROBLEM

DLCOMIINO DIO 1RObLEM-
The problem of adequate school
buildings in Garrett county is getting
to be quite big one, and people are
really in earnest in their demands for
relief along this line and will remain
so until something definite is accom-
plished.
Delegations from various communi-
ties have been before the Board of
County Commissioners asking for
help.
Bloomington has no school building
at all and wants one. 1t should have it.
Buildings at Kitzmiller are entirely
inadequate. People of Kitzmiller want
a new elementary building and should
have it.
Accident school is crowded and the
people there want improvements.
Their wants are justified.
Oakland elementary school, con-
structed to accommodate $50 children,
now has almost 500 enrolled, and the
crowded conditions are almost intol-
cradle to both teachers and pupils.
The same conditions exists in Oak
land high school where about 500 stu
dents are enrolled.
The problem of sanitary arrange
wants IN hath Of +boro coLoo1c - =,
serious one, menacing the health of
the young people attending them. Fa-
cilities are far too inadequate as well
as out Of date.
In proposed budget for capital
outlay for school, F. E. Rathbun,
County Superintendent of Education,
which was submitted to the Board of
County Commissioners, asked for the
sum of $17789O,9O, to purchase land
for Bloomington, Oakland high and
Oakland elementary, for new build
ings at Accident, Kitzmiller, Oakland
high and Oakland elementary; new
equipment at Grantsville, Loeb Lynn
Heights, Mountain Lake Park and re-
conditioning Of various schools in ru-
raj sections of the county.
Of course he didn't get that amount
and probably didn't expect it, but it
represents the needs of the county
at the present time. 1t is our belief
that the figures submitted are far too
low. The sum of $250,000 or 100000
is needed to provide adequate school
buildings in this county. The only
building large enough today to accom-
modate the pupils is the new building
at Grantsville, and as far as is known
Friendsville and Kempton have no
complaints. But other places are de-
manding some action.
The program of consolidation of
schools and the transportation of pu-
pills by bus have crowded the centrally
located communities out of all pro-
portion to their ability to accommo-
date properly.
There are only two possible ways
to settle this much vexed question of
raising the money for schools. One is
by direct taxation and the other is
by bond issue. 4
The Commissioners have gone as
far as they could by direct levy with
out mandate from the people, and
people generally vote against a bond
issue, just from force of habit and
possibly conviction. .
A heavy taxpayer just the other day
made the statement that if he were a
Commissioner his name would go
down iii history, because he'd levy S.
on each 500 of assessable property
and build this county some decent
schools. -
Of course it would never do to levy
any such sum on the people of the
county, but he has the right idea. Gar
rett county cannot feel proud of its
school buildings, but it can well feel
ashamed.
1t is going to be up to the people to
remedyithis situation in some manner.
Parents. of children who attend these
schools must help. In fact, everybody
must help.
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