Metropolis High School - Illohmet Yearbook (Metropolis, IL)

Page 11 text:

SPHINX OF 1923 JVletrofcolis Community High School METROPOLIS School District No. 35 had provided high school accommodations for its young people for 40 years, but in doing so it had accumulated a debt of $180,000, an average of $4,500 a year. District No. 35 was composed of less than two square miles of territory and its assessed valuation was only $1,894,666. Its tax rate for years had been to the limit of the law ($2.75), with no prospect for any reduction and growing deeper and deeper in debt every year. People who wished to maintain our schools at their traditional standard of excellence decided to organize a Community High School District which would contain enough property to run creditablv the high schools. The countv superintendent of schools solicited the aid of the Metropolis News, the Republican-Herald and the Metropolis Gazette, all ot which papers valiantly fought for the organization of the new district. On June 16th. 1924. E. E. Stephens and W. E. Speckman carried the petitions for the required signatures to call an election for the organization of the district. The petition was filed with the county superintendent of schools, Luther L. Evers that day and taken to Anna that night by him and Walter Speckman. to be endorsed by Judge A. E. Sommers, judge of the circuit court of this district. Judge Sommers received the petition at 10:30 p. m., and immediately set July 7th as the (late to hear arguments for and against the organization of the district. Judge W. L. Krone volunteered his services for the defense of the district. The Weight of the evidence being in favor of the organization Judge Sommers approved the district and ordered an election for that purpose which was held on July 19th, 1924. The people overwhelmingly voted for the district. The election for members of the Board of Education was held on August 2nd. From a list of fourteen candidates, W. W. Williams, Odis Oakes. Otis Cummins, Levi C. Miller and Charles Williamson were selected as the first board of education for the new district which the county superintendent had numbered twenty. District Twenty had an area of 20 square miles with an assessed valuation of $2,601,638 and a tax rate of only $1.25. It means to give every young person in the community an opportunity to receive a good high school education.

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SPHINX OF 1925 BO ART) OF EDUCATION W. W. ILLIAMS-------------------------------------President LUTHER L. EVERS—County Superintendent of Schools Clerk LEVI C. MILLER, GDIS OAKES, CHAS. WILLIAMSON, OTIS CUMMINS CHAS. A. McGINNIS, Superintendent. ROSE E. CUTTING, Principal

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 SPHINX OF 1925 STAFF OF SPHINX OF '25