Laurel outlook., 1949-11-09
K|WAN|ANS' PROGRAM
VIEWS SCHOOL NEEO


tween, Laurel school district z
faces a serious building problem
which must be met soon with one
or more new structures, if the
communities obligations to its
children are to be creditably
discharged, Supt. Fred w. Graft
of the local school system told the
Laurel kiwanis club members
Wednesday evening at their week
ly dinner meeting. Some of the
wherewithall is in sight, but other
sources are yet to be tapped by
the state Legislature and by the
peoples approval of a proposed
constitutional amendment coming
before them at the next general
election. The amendment would
increase the bonding limit from
the present 3 per cent to 5 per
cent, enough to permit the Laurel
district to satisfy immediate and
some future needs for schoolroom
space. The superintendent told
the Kiwanians they could help by
working and voting for passage OF
the amendment.
In his three-part address Graft
began with schools and methods as
he had known them in his youth,
followed by a recital of local school
history during his tenure of sew
eral years in office. He closed
with suggested means for reliev-
ing the space shortage. In addi-
ton there is need also for those
modern facilities and services that
have become part of both element
airy and secondary schools.
Compared to a few generations
ago, children enjoy attending
school more now than they did
then. Perhaps the change of at
titude results from improvement
in the textbooks, better graduation
Of the work, enrichment of the
curriculum, and the recent addi-
of visual education and vo-
cational guidance. These, and his
assertion that educators are not
az selective as they were once,
were discussed by the speaker.
There has been a considerable
in the local school picture
the years the superintendent
las served here, though the need
or space has never abated. The
has consisted mostly of
and better residence prop
installation of permanent
ivic improvements, and gains in
Industrial employment. |
Five years ago the district could /,
AVE been bonded for less than ,
10000. Although the districts !
wn gradually increasing bonding :
,aluation took a sudden squirt in !
he past year by addition of sew :
surrounding districts, even
100000 is not enough; it would ,
ave to be at least $3OO,O 900. The .
chool population the past year {
cached LOO, the first time it has ,
Exceeded 1000. =
Architects drawings for a pro- b;
osed new building to accommo- Z
at the growing number of chill ?
rem, for which the districts added 6
No. 7 would pay their share, :
ere exhibited by the speaker. !
conformed to the present :
lea of building a central admin
itrative unit surrounded by school 7
and other units, perhaps in !
case by as many as 20,
S a one-story mass.
In addition to legislation that
light be enacted for removing tax
ipport from small districts to
areas, with the state as a
hole contributing o school \
loney, the speaker saw the pos "
of federal aid to school S
throughout the nation. n
requesting the club members b
nd guests to aid the proposals p
II spreading the support load II
nd for increasing Of the bonding
rivilege. il
Pres. j.. Willard Baldwin called c,
II a report from Al Shaffer on Il
le clubs magic show to be pre- Il
.nted Nov. Is. Baldwin announc- b
le club will have ladies' night h
ov. % and that the Kiwanis L
school in Butte will be
ov. 90 and q. DR.. w. A. Nc. I
ormick introduced Charles Lily,
anager of the meat department
: the Laurel Safeway store, as a
w member. The Key club rep
sentative, introduced by Wesley
reeberg, was Wesley Henley. 81
ev. Clarence Spellman was the W
Jest Of B. b. Hageman. H
Z. Lee Hamlet, president-elect p
I'd present program chairman, in S
oduced local school faculty MEM g
.rs, Leon Foote, Arthur Smith, Il
erwin Bowen, j. G. Macdonald CO
nd Pierre Roberts. In introduce b.
IL Graft as the speaker, Hamlet h
no is also a teacher, observed
lat the club was thus noting p
merican Education Week. Fl