Dupo Community High School - El Tigre Yearbook (Dupo, IL)

Page 10 text:

An election was called for March 26, 1921, to vote on whether or not to issue i13l00,000 worth of bonds whose That day, an overwhelming majority cast in favor of the organiza- tion of the Dupo Community High School District, the tabulation being l6l votes for and-a mere 22 against. The district was duly organized and comprised approximately 25 square miles, with a valuation of about S3,000,000. An election to select members of the first Board of Education of Community High School District No. T95 was called on June TO. Elect- ed were H. W. Schwartz, president, Fred G. Fischer, secretary, L. J. Parrin, J. A. Wiselogel, and J. D. Schellhardt. Fortune smiled on the local area when large industries were estab- lished to the south of East St. Louis, and the founders of the school dis- trict exhibited great wisdom in incorporating the area which now in- cludes Sauget and ,Cahokia into the district. That wisdom paid off when D.C.H.S. remained as one of the best in the state and aloof from financial distress which had struck nine out of ten school districts in the state because of the post-war rise in operating costs. The rapidly growing grade school and high school soon crowded the eight-room building, erected in 1915, and it was deemed neces- sary to make further provision for housing the high school. iggwrt ,.,, 4 f' ' Esther Dyroff Barrett Class of l9l9 proceeds were to make possible the purchase of a site and erection ofa new building. It was then that the infant dis- trict received its first set-back, for the voters rejected the proposition, 527 against and 352 for. Hilda Dyroff Dodson Class of T919 lngenuity was called upon, and the board caused the erection of a four-room portable building for the high school, which opened in Septem- ber with an enrollment of 45 pupils and four teachers. The district faced its second major test in l 922, when quo warranto pro- ceedings were filed against it. However, this resulted in the court's decision that the district had been legally organized. Then an election in August, on the question of abandoning the district, failed of sufficient majority, and the district remained intact. Wildy resigned at the close of the T922 term, and his position was filled the next year by Williard G. Wright. However, when the board unani- mously decided that a fully-accredited, four-year high school should be established, Mr. R. K. Purl then filled the position as principal for the l923- 24 year. Owing to the already crowded portable buildings and the opportunity to purchase a suitable site, a legal adviser was employed, and plans were made and an election was called for the approval of the site and for erec- tion of a permanent building.

Page 9 text:

i'No more teachers, no more books . . the Dupo Grade School children shouted with tradi- tional glee as they faced their sum- mer vacation one afternoon in May, l9l5. The last day of school held no significance for the members of the eighth grade class for it marked the end of formal education. There was no high school, and entrance into college meant a stiff examination for which few were qualified - to say nothing of the cost which few could afford. This was the situation that warm evening in June when the Board of Education convened for its regular session. Times had changed, and now more and more education was being required for the better iobs in which teenage boys and girls could gain greater advancement. Tiger Tales l 9 l 9- l 969 i 4 F 5 ROW ONE: left to right: Melba Vallowe, Adela Reichert, Ruth Hamilton, Alfred Muskopf, Elizabeth Hume, Isabella Watkins, and Mr. Frank Wildy. SECOND ROW: left to right: Opal Kysor, Grace Cun- ningham, Esther Dyroff, and Adele Kruse. Members of the board, including Principal F. R. Wildy, President H. W. Schwartz, and Secretary F. G. Fischer, resolved that higher classes of learning were essential for the welfare of Dupo's children. Wildy was then authorized to proceed immediately with Dupo's first two-year high school. The first classes of Dupo High School were held in a room on the second floor of the old part of the Dupo Grade School. The high school and seventh grade shared this room, which contained twenty-five seats and a stage built ' CICFOSS One COFFISF. When classes began the next year, the board's enthusiasm was not completely shared by Dupo's citizens, for only fourteen students enrolled in the newly established high school. In l9l 7, the third year's work was added, and Dupo High School neared the Board's goal of a full-fledged, full- accredited intermediate school. ln two more years, the enrollment had grown to thirty-one, and the Board of Educa- tion was proud of the fledging high school they had nourished. On Moy 29, l9l 9, Dupo's first two graduates received their diplomas from Mr. Arthur Goley, School Board Presi- dent. lt became apparent at this time that the high school was too limited in its facilities. Yielding to the demands of progress, the board decided that establishment of a community-wide high school district would provide the correct answer to the financial problems. Such a district would make it possible to raise more funds, serve more people and pupils, have a better building, and offer a larger variety of courses. lt was a great day - then May l5, l92O, when a petition signed by 56 legal voters was presented to the county superintendent of schools, W. A. Hough, and an election was called for June 5, l92O. 5

Page 11 text:

The election, held June 20, 1925, resulted in a vote of 441 for 155 against. The site selected by the board consisted of 8.91 acres, well situat- ed, just outside the city limits of Dupo, fronting on State Highway No. 3. The site was purchased at a cost of 51,000 an acre. When school opened in September, there was an enrollment of 66. The portable building was seriously overcrowded. ln order to meet the needs temporarily, an additional room had to be built. The time had arrived when a new, larger, permanent building should be provided. Upon petition of over 300 legal voters, another election was called on December 12, 1925, and a S125,000 bond issue for building purposes carried, 452 to 112. Plans were immediately put into effect. When school opened in September, 1926, part of the pupils were l housed in the new building and the remainder in the old one. However, by , , , , October 1, all were in the new structure, with an enrollment of 102. Frank Wildy, First Principal of DCHS On November 12, 1926, the dedicatory program was held. Dupo prac- tically declared a holiday the day the keys to the new building were pres- ented to the Board of Education. Secretary Schellhardt prophesied in his speech at the dedicatory services that school enrollment would have out- stripped facilities by 1931 or 1932. That prediction was well-founded for by 1931 , it was necessary to prepare plans for a vocational building to supplement the original plant. A bond issue election again was called and approval was given. The structure was completed that same year. In 1935, after 13 years as principal, Purl resigned. Charles Allen, well-known in educational circles throughout the state, accepted the position. Allen served the school until 1939, and Assistant Principal John P. Minier became acting principal. A special election was held the year before at which the voters reiected a proposal for a new field house and a swim pool. The field house was considered too elaborate, although a similar structure since has been added - minus the pool. ln the meantime, enrollment in recent years had grown by leaps and bounds. Again facilities became too crowded, and for the third time in its 20-odd years of existence, the highschool district again faced an essential building program. The result was todays fine gym- nasium. That building was completed in 1941. Allen returned for another year as head of the faculty, but again resigned, and in 1943, A. C. Daughtery was employed by the district. The school continued its growth with enrollment being 690 in 9 through 12. ln 1945, a bus garage was added with storage space for seven buses, a washroom, and a repair shop. In 1949, an athletic field was built with provision for night football and a quarter mile cinder track with a 220-yard straightway. Permanent bleachers are on each side of the field. Later a field house was built with two large dressing rooms, a storage room, public toilets, and a concession stand. ' R. K. Purl, Principal of DCHS for 25 Years