A Boomtown School Bursting at the Seams
With 500 pupils enrolled, $24,000 in debt and another classroom already needed, Newport's school board weighs a new building — while the Commercial Club prints 3,000 leaflets to lure the East.
At the meeting of the Commercial Club on Tuesday evening several live topics of interest to the people of Newport were up for discussion. President Berry called on E. S. Appel, president of the board of school district No. 115, for a statement concerning school conditions and the needs of the district. Mr. Appel made a clear statement of the present condition of the district and its anticipated needs.
The total enrollment of the schools at this time is 500, with a daily average attendance of 225. At the beginning of the school year several rooms were badly overcrowded. At the present time they are filled about to capacity. Anticipating that the town will continue its present rate of growth during the summer, it is expected that at the beginning of the next school year there will be needed at least one more room and one more teacher. The school board and district will therefore shortly be called upon to decide whether it will be better to erect another building, and if so of what capacity, or to rent additional room for a year or so, until the future needs of the town can be better anticipated.
The annual expense of conducting the school is about as follows: salaries of teachers and janitor, $5,268; transportation of pupils, $450; wood, $200; books and supplies, $250; interest on bonds, $385; interest on outstanding warrants, $1,949.50. Total, $8,199.50.
The revenue of the district is as follows: from a special tax of 16 mills on a valuation of $600,000, $6,300; state apportionment, $2,700. Total, $9,000 — which leaves the district ahead only $450.50 to apply on indebtedness.
According to figures furnished by County Treasurer Adams, the total bonded and warrant indebtedness of the district is $24,369.56. The limit to which the district can bond is $31,644.70. Mr. Appel suggested that it would be well to call an election on the matter of bonding to an amount sufficient at least to refund the outstanding warrant indebtedness, as the warrants bear eight per cent interest and bonds could be sold in the neighborhood of five per cent, which would effect a considerable saving in interest.
The Commercial Club has issued 3,000 leaflets containing matter descriptive of Newport and surrounding territory, information concerning railroad rates to this point, etc., which will be ready for distribution this week. This leaflet can be mailed with letters without extra postage and the club urges all residents of the town to make use of them, particularly in writing to eastern points.
“Anticipating that the town will continue its present rate of growth during the summer, it is expected that at the beginning of the next school year there will be needed at least one more room and one more teacher.”
Newport's dilemma in 1909 — a growing enrollment, worn-out buildings and a choice between borrowing now or renting space and hoping — is the same arithmetic school boards run in the 21st century. Note the financing trick that Appel proposed: refunding high-interest warrants with cheaper bonds to shave the interest bill, a maneuver any modern municipal treasurer would recognize.
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