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Show Bond Election Crucial The outcome of the coming School Bond Election will have a vital impact on the present and future operation of the schools within our County. Before going to the polls, every voter should become well acquainted with the facts surrounding this bond issue. This bond issue will not result in a tax raise if it is passed by the voters. The present tax base would raise this same amount of money over an extended period of time. Bonding merely means that this money will be available for building the needed facilities now instead of waiting for several years for it to accumulate under the present building plan. This is the reason enough money was added to accomplish the building needs of other schools in our district. It would take 10 to 12 years for the necessary money to accumulate at the present rate. The primary purpose for this bond Issue is to get money to acquire new facilities for Pangultch Intermediate school. This is a project that can't wait for the necessary funding to accumulate at the present rate. Our School Board has been told in no uncertain terms that the present facilities of the Intermediate School are not adequate nor do they meet State Safety Standards. This means that new facilities will be provided immediately or we will lose the Intermediate School. A committee composed of members who represented a good economic cross-section of our community spent much time and effort studying tho best way to provide these needed facilities for the Intermediate School and arrived at the conclusion that it would be wiser to build a new building rather than remodel the present building. Loss of the Intermediate School will result In a very significant loss of school re- venue in our district. This loss would affect every school in the district, not just the school in Pangultch. A loss in revenue could mean that every school would have to cut back their present program. Every school could lose all or part of the curriculum Improvements they have made during the past 5 years. Loss of the Intermediate School would mean that grades 7 and 8 would have to move into the High School while 6th grade would go back to the Elementary School. Present high school facilities are not totally adequate for the present number of students attending high school which means that an addition would have to be built onto the present building sufficient to accommodate the extra students and to provide school lunch facilities. No matter which way wc go on this election, we are going to have to build. Loss of the Intermediate School would mean the loss of six teaching positions in our district. The accompanying loss of funds could mean that some of the teacher loss could come from other schools in (continued on back page) SCHOOL BOND "CRUCIAL" (continued from front page) our district This would mean our County could lose six families and six salaries. Loss of this number of teachers would mean a cut-back in our present school program. Classroom load would have to be increased or existing programs would have to be deleted to enable a smaller teaching staff to teach the same number of students. Before you cast your ballot, make sure you know enough about issues involved in this coming bond election to make the wisest possible choice for your schools, your community and your county. Earl Roe |