Hungry Horse news., 1955-04-08
After Election Thoughts

It seems 50 easy to write paragraph after para
graph OF editorials for an issue OF newspaper pub
1shed just after election Really what counts Is
how voters marked their ballots.
First OF all District and Whitefish in their
school elections Saturday had unusually large turn
out Of voters, and then the three city elections
Monday saw the same situation.
Democracy seems more effective when most OF
the eligible voters 60 to the polls.
HIGH SCHOOL LAND PURCHASE
The four mill levy for just one year to raise
$16326 to buy 1874 acres Of land in the Hoerner
addition for new Columbia Falls high school
carried by decisive majority OF 400 to 129.
The biggest mistake we as citizens make
is to get over anxious for high school build
ing. Likely it is not subject for PTA topics yet.
Enthusiasm created would burn out long before
plant should be started.
We believe and so did the voters that it was
necessary to buy sufficient land while it was still
without homes and available at a reasonable price.
Fortunately there is seven room addition to
the grade school being erected, and some system
OF moving few high school classes into the grade
school buildings is being considered.
To start construction of that new high school
when the enrolment goes up so or even 100 should
be considered short sightedness.
II we can hold off until such a time as the
growth pattern Of the district and community can
better be determined then more effective planning
is possible. This is an indefinite comment, but we
In the meantime we should be alert to the good
and bad Of new high school plants such as the
Whitefish building and that coming in MiSSoula.
Let's aim high, and not be over eager yet just be-
cause the land purchase question passed with so
large majority. We wonder if that new school
shouldn't have an indoor swimming pool.
MARTIN CITY BOND ISSUE
It is to the credit of Martin City that they
waged fine campaign for the $4,000 bond issue
to build four-room addition to their school, Likely
-
bond issues for other community schools had
been on the ballot.
The Martin City bond issue lost with 225 in
favor and 3o7 against. The turnout Of 532 regis
tered taxpaying voters well over the 474 needed
as 10 per cent Of eligible voters question is to
fail at the polls, it should not do so because OF
disinterest.
There remains the problem Of some consider
able part Of Martin City wanting all their eight
grades to remain in the community.
School boards of course, follow the advice of
citizens. However legally it is not the parents who
determine what school schools in the district that
children under is shall attend. This is determine
ton of duly elected school board and Martin City
has the board whom they and Hungry
Horse just favored at the polls.
we were member of the district schoo
board we would have parents of Martin City chill
dren who will be in the seventh and eighth grades
express written preference to where the majorit.
wanted their children to attend school,
Coram parents elected to keep their seventh
and eighth graders in Coram. If Martin City parents
think this way, then the school board has certain
responsibility to provide classroom space there. In
cidentally if we lived in Martin City, we think W
would want youngster to attend grade schoo
in he home town.
Where taxpayers in Martin City have their sa.
on such questions is the balloting on a bond issu
for new school addition, and for board mem
bers. We question their legal or moral right t
make any further determination of where childre
will attend school, Furthermore the largest tax