'THE DESERTED SCHOOL HOUSE'
 
Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, January 16, 1902

From the old school house the children
Take their books and sadly march away.
They go not as on a short vacation,
For they are now going, going for aye;
Going from the walls that from age to age
Have re-echoed voices and footsteps all,
Have listed to scholars and teachers sage,
Have listed to the school bell's joyous call.

Going from the rooms where genius was awakened,
In the boom of some, and gone forth to startle the world;
Where many are wiser and better for having occupied
The rooms over which the banner of knowledge waved unfurled;
And why are they leaving a place so loved,
So dear to the hearts of all?
Leaving because the place next dearest than home,
Has been condemned as dang'rous and ready to fall.
'Tis as taking leave of the loved dead that they
Review the sorrows and joys of the old room,
And though another newer and fairer will be built,
'Twill only seem to the other as a monument or tomb.
-- A Member of the North School.
In another column of the same date:

'SCHOOL HOUSE ABANDONED'
At a special meeting of the School Board held Saturday night, it was decided by a unanimous vote that it was not safe to longer use the North School Building, and school was ordered dismissed for one week in order to give the Board time to secure rooms to use for the balance of this school year. During the past week several new and dangerous cracks in the walls have made their appearance and the Board are certainly justified in refusing to longer use the building for a school house. The past few days many people have visited the school house and after seeing it they are of the unanimous opinion that the building is liable to collapse at any time.

In view of the fact that if a new building is to be built and completed in time for use next fall, the work of tearing the old building down should commence at once as well as preparations made for building a new one, the Board has decided to call a special election at once for the purpose of submitting the question of issuing bonds for the purpose of building a new building. We believe their action will be approved by all our citizens. The District is practically out of debt and the bonds can run for twenty years or more so that the tax will not be noticed by any one. Leon needs a new and modern school building, one which will meet the requirements of our growing city and which will be a credit to the town. It will be folly to build a cheap building which will have to be replaced in a few years.

A modern school building such as we need will cost $25,000 to $30,000 and we believe we voice the sentiment of a big majority of our citizens when we place the cost of a building at this sum, and in erecting such a building the services of a competent architect should be secured to oversee the building and see that it is built according to approved plans and specifications. Let the Board submit the proposition to issue bonds of not less than $25,000, better if it is $30,000, and the people will approve of their action by voting for the bonds. Don't make the mistake other towns have made of building a cheap school house. Call the special election, vote the bonds, build a fine substantial school building and be proud of your town.

NOTE: North School was built in 1877.


Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert, January 31, 2003
 
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