74TH CONGRESS 1st Session } SENATE { REPORT No. 420 COOPERATION WITH PUBLIC-SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN GLACIER COUNTY, MONT. MARCH 13 (calendar day, APRIL 4), 1935.-Ordered to be printed Mr. WHEELER, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 1522] The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1522) to provide funds for cooperation with public-school districts in Glacier County, Mont., in the improvement and extension of school buildings to be available to both Indian and white children, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it do pass without amendment. This is in accord with the present Indian education policy of cooperating wherever feasible, with local public-school authorities in the schooling of Indian children. Public schools in Glacier County, Mont., have been overcrowded for some time. Last year 700 Indian children were attending these schools. This year, the number has been increased to 810, largely because of the closing of the Cut Bank boarding school which had a capacity of 141 pupils. The school was closed at the end of June 1934. With the closing of the boarding school, Indian children in the locality are chiefly dependent upon the local public schools. The enrollment is predominately Indian, there being reported about 70 percent Indian children enrolled. Last year there were nearly 200 Indian children in the locality out of school. Our plans include placing these children also in the public school, which will increase the difficulty as to buildings and equipment. The school districts of Glacier County are handicapped in any program of buildings or improvements because of the large proportion of nontaxable Indian land, which is estimated to amount to 80 percent. Improvement and extension of the high-school building in district no. 9, which is estimated to cost $60,000; and improvement and extension of school buildings in other districts estimated to cost $40,000, will provide schooling for the Indian children near their homes. This is considered the best arrangement for the children and the most economical way of meeting the cost of their education. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs and other officials of the Bureau of Indian Affairs personally appeared before the committee and manifested their approval of this legislation. The Secretary of the Interior personally favors this proposed legislation, but he states that the Director of the Budget advises that it would not be in accord with the financial program of the President. The Secretary of the Interior's letter dated March 28, 1935, is appended hereto and made a part of this report as follows: Hon. ELMER THOMAS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Chairman Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is with further reference to your request of January 31 for report on S. 1522, which would authorize an appropriation of funds for improvement of public schools in Glacier County, Mont." Glacier County comprises the larger part of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and within this territory there are about 1,200 Indian children of school age. Until last June there was an Indian boarding school at Cut Bank with a capacity of 141 pupils. With the close of this school a large proportion of the school population is dependent on public schools in this county. There is one Federal day school at Heart Butte. Last year approximately 700 Indian children were reported attending public school. This year tuition has been authorized for 810. The number out of school is not available at this time, but last year nearly 200 children were reported not attending any school. The only high school is at Browning which is in school district no. 9. In the schools of this district, both high and grade, approximately 70 percent are Indians. A large percentage of the land in district 9, and in fact in Glacier County, is nontaxable Indian land. This has been estimated to be as high as 80 percent, but exact figures are not available. With the closing of the Cut Bank boarding school there were about 22 additional high-school pupils to attend in Browning and about 80 more have had to be provided for largely in the Browning schools and others within the rural schools of the district. The schools in Browning are already overcrowded. In order that the Browning High School may meet the demands to be imposed upon it by additional Indian attendance, further construction of classroom space and facilities seems clearly necessary. A home-economics course for the girls constitutes an important part of the program. The bill would afford no further financial assistance for any of the other schools within district 9, but in Glacier County there are five other districts numbered 1, 7, 8, 15, and 50, conducting elementary schools which should all offer eight grades, although not able to do so at this time. Other schools are also needed in these districts in order to bring elementary education within reach of the larger part of the Indian children of the county, including those who were in the boarding school last year. A very large proportion of the pupils in these rural schools are Indian. In furtherance of its program to provide adequate school facilities for all Indian children of the jurisdiction and anticipating the closing of the Cut Bank school, it has been tentatively within the plans of the Indian Office to allocate moneys for aid of the school districts of the county if and when authority and moneys therefor could be secured. It is appropriate to say that these school districts, the officials and citizens thereof, have always extended their full cooperation and have shown a real interest in the education of the Indians of their communities. While I personally favor enactment of S. 1522, the Acting Director of the Bureau of the Budget, under date of March 18, 1935, advised that the proposed legislation would not be in accord with the financial program of the President. Sincerely yours, HAROLD L. ICKES, Secretary. 74TH CONGRESS 1st Session } SENATE { REPORT No. 421 TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR COOPERATION WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 23, POLSON, MONT., IN THE IMPROVEMENT AND EXTENSION OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO BE AVAILABLE TO BOTH INDIAN AND WHITE CHILDREN MARCH 13 (calendar day, APRIL 4), 1935.—Ordered to be printed Mr. WHEELER, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 1524] The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1524) to provide funds for cooperation with public-school districts in Polson, Mont., in the improvement and extension of school buildings to be available to both Indian and white children, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it do pass without amendment. This is in accord with the present Indian education policy of cooperating wherever feasible with local public-school authorities in the schooling of Indian children. There are no Government Indian schools on the Flathead Reservation, Mont., and the children attend the public schools with few exceptions. The schools in district no. 23, Polson, Mont., are badly overcrowded. Last year, there were 100 Indian children and 600 white children attending schools in the district in buildings designed for 550. There are 130 Indian children out of school. In the high school alone there are 33 Indians, and a considerable number of those reported out of school are children who would be in high school if there were space for them and equipment for vocational training in which they are particularly interested. The bill provides $40,000 for improvement and extension of the public-school buildings. The district is hampered in any construction program by the large acreage of Indian-owned nontaxable land which amounts to 36,000 acres, or 50 percent of the area of the district. The bonded indebtedness reaches the limit prescribed by State law and Federal assistance is necessary if there is to be any extension of facili ties to accommodate the children of the district. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs and other officials of the Bureau of Indian Affairs personally appeared before the committee and manifested their approval of this legislation. The Secretary of the Interior personally favors this proposed legislation but he states that the Director of the Budget advises that it would not be in accord with the financial program of the President. The Secretary of the Interior's letter dated March 27, 1935, is appended hereto and made a part of this report, as follows: Hon. ELMER THOMAS, INTERIOR DEPARTMENT, Chairman Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in further reference to your letter of January 31 requesting report on S. 1524 to provide for authorization of funds for cooperation with school district no. 23, Polson, Mont., in the improvement and extension of school buildings to be available to both white and Indian children. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs has received certain information concerning this school district which was presented by Mr. I. E. White, superintendent of schools. From this it appears that at the time of Mr. White's report in May 1934, there were 100 Indian children enrolled in the schools in Polson, of whom approximately 35 were in high school. A larger number would have been in high school were it not for the fact that their equipment for vocational training is very limited and suitable space is not available for instruction of this character. It is represented that the district has reached the limit prescribed by State law for bonded indebtedness; that 30 percent or 36,100 acres of land within the district are Indian-owned and hence not taxable and that the valuation of such nontaxable property is $100,000 as compared with the valuation of $1,800,000 for the taxable real estate. The school buildings were designed for an enrollment of 550 students, whereas a total of 700 have been enrolled, thus overcrowding available classroom space. For these reasons the school district appears to be in need of building additions, the cost of which is estimated to be $40,000. It will be observed that between 14 and 15 percent of the present enrollment consists of Indian pupils. On the other hand the report of the Indian Office for the fiscal year 1934 shows 139 children not in school out of a total of 978 listed as belonging to the Flathead jurisdiction. There are no Government boarding nor day schools for Indians within the jurisdiction. In furtherance of the present policy to assist local public-school districts where a large proportion of the property is Indian and nontaxable in order thus to promote public-school facilities for Indian children who may be dependent thereon, it is believed that this legislation would serve to promote the best interests of the Indians. While I personally favor enactment of S. 1524, the Acting Director of the Bureau of the Budget, under date of March 19, 1935, advises that the proposed legislation would not be in accord with the financial program of the President. Sincerely yours, О HAROLD L. ICKES, 74TH CONGRESS 1st Session } SENATE { REPORT No. 422 JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 28, LAKE AND MISSOULA COUNTIES, MONT., FOR EXTENSION OF PUBLIC-SCHOOL BUILDINGS MARCH 13 (calendar day, APRIL 4), 1935.-Ordered to be printed Mr. WHEELER, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 1525] The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1525) to provide funds for cooperation with public-school buildings in Lake and Missoula Counties, Mont., in the construction of publicschool buildings to be available to both Indian and white children, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it do pass without amendment. This is in accord with the present Indian-education policy of cooperation wherever feasible, with local public-school authorities in the schooling of Indian children. Joint School District No. 28, Lake and Missoula Counties, Mont., conducts schools at three places: Arlee, Ronan, and St. Ignatius. There are no Government Indian schools on the Flathead Reservation and the children are almost wholly dependent on local public schools for their education. The schools in this district are seriously overcrowded. This prevents giving the best type of instruction and makes it impossible to provide shop-work and home-economics instruction for the pupils. This district has an approximate total area of 450,000 acres, of which something over 150,000 are taxable and about 296,000 nontaxable land. The nontaxable area is composed largely of tribal Indian lands, power and reservoir sites, and individual Indian allotments. The bonded indebtedness of the district is practically equal to the limit established by State law so that Federal assistance is essential if there are to be improvements to the school plants. The proposed bill contemplates an expenditure of $40,000 for extension and improvement of public-school buildings at Arlee; $30,000 at Ronan; and $30,000 at St. Ignatius. |