Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1919 — STILL VERY PROBLEMATICAL [ARTICLE]

STILL VERY PROBLEMATICAL

What Will Be Done About Continuing the Schools in Union. At the meeting held in Parr Saturday to discuss the question of borrowing money and continuing the schools at this expiration of the minimum term, The Democrat is Informed, that outside of teachers, haulers and others, financially interested in the continuance of the school, there were not very many actual patrons in attendance, and some of these did not vote on the questions presented. The matter was finally left to the judgment of the trustee, after his consulting attorneys as to whether or not he had a legal right to bind the township by borrowing money to continue the same, and it will probably be known in a day or two what this decision will be. The Democrat is Informed that the school fund is now in debt over $6,000 and that to continue the schools two months longer will mean going in debt almost that much more, which would practically mean the anticipating of all of this year’s revenue from taxes and not leave a dollar on hand to start the schools again next fall. It is said that the actuaP taxpayers of the township are largely in the majority againet continuing the schools beyond the minimum term, white those who pay little or no taxes want them continued. Trustee Harrington wants to do the very best he possibly can for everyone under the circumstances, but he does not like the idea of anticipating a year’s revenue and starting the schools next fall with no money on hand, and at this writing he does not know if he has a legal right to go ahead and borrow money to do so.