Edison High School - Edisonian Yearbook (Lake Station, IN)

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Mary E. Mason and Mr. Paul Steele we re added to the faculty, and the East Gary School had added Home Economics and In- dustrial Arts. The 7th and 8th grades were returned to the Central Building in the fall of 1935-34 and the first Senior class in the history of the school very proudly laid down tradi- tion for future graduating classes. Mr. Virgil Bailey succeeded Mr. A. E. Steele as principal in 1933-34, and per- haps the most important thing that happened during the year was the addition of Mr. Reeder Stroube to the faculty as science teacher and coach of girl ' s physical education and basketball. Mr. Stroube succeeded Mr. Bailey as principal of the high school in 1935-36 and has served in that capacity since. Miss Hazel Hartley joined the faculty in the middle of the year 1934-35, while Mr. Doyle D. Baliff, Josephine Chapman, and Hilda Woollard were also new members. Mr. Baliff became the coach the next year and has done much to give Edison a favorable position in athletics in this part of the state. Miss Hartley has developed the commercial de- partment until at present it is almost double its size in 1934-35. The commercial department does excellent work and many girls and a few boys have received valuable training in this field. Alfred Schara, dynamic toacher of shop and coach of track joined the East Gary faculty at the second semester of 1935-36; Elizabeth Mills v as also a faculty mem- ber in that year, and Miss Carol Nuss succeeded Miss Woollard, and Miss Chrystelle Hoar became music superivisor. Miss Viola C. Englehardt came in 1937-58. Mr. Wenger did much to im- prove the English department and did especially fine work in public speaking and dramatics. Harold F. Weber, Louise Pemberton and Bruce Brubaker became members in 1938-39. Mr. Weber has done some fine work in the wood shop, and Miss Pemberton’s work in Art has been outstanding. The progress of band work in East Gary has been remarkable under the able guidance of Mr. Brubaker, who had to start without even the nucleus of a band when he came. The band has been very solidly supported by the community through the Band Boosters organization. Miss Dorcas Anderson and Miss Thelma Carr came to East Gary in 1939-40, Miss Carr’s work in girl’s physical education has been very good. In 1940-41 a school library was organized and Mrs. Dana Brown became our first Librarian. Mrs. Brown was not new to the East Gary system, but was transferred to Edison from Columbus school where for many years she had been a success- ful teacher. Miss Evelyn Leberer is our most recent addition to the faculty, having succeeded Miss Car r who resigned to accept a position in Niles, Michigan. The progress of some of our departments has been gradual but very sure. The policy of the Board of Trustees has had to be one of conservation because of lack of finance. How- ever, the woodshop is now in very good shape, having several

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very fine wood working machines. The science department has some very good equipment which has been added from time to time; this department should have more room and further equipment. The commercial department is in good condition and now has 22 good machines against the original 10 used- machines which constituted its first equipment. Many valuable reforonce books have been added to the school library which started with practically nothing in 1928. The use of the lengthened period was started in 1933 and the first supervised study was begun in that year. This is a decided improvement ovor the short recitation period. The burden of financing the schools weighs less heavily on the local community now than it did before the high school was established. In 1927 the assessed valuation of property in East Gary was ;„ 2 , 745 , 495 . 00 as against $2, 112, 000.00 in 1940; the tax rate in East Gary ii 1927 was : ;1 ,3.10 per 100.00 of assessed valuations and in 1940 it was $1.84. This re- duction in tax rate and assessed valuation has been accompa- nied by an increase in school enrollment from 630 in 1927 to more than 900 in 1940-41. The change in method of school finance in the stato, whereby the state contributes to the support of the local schools, has helped make this possible. Another factor which has aided greatly is the fact that the per capita cost of education of the high school student has been reduced during this time from 174.78 per year in 1931- 32 to $88.59 per year in 1939-40, The high school building was built in 1931-32 at a cost of more than $60,000.00 for building and equipment, all of which has been paid except $3000.00. The School Board, how- ever, had accumulated a cash reserve at tho time of con- structing the building almost sufficient to pay for it. This cash reserve which the Board was accumulat ing partly account- ed for the extremely high tax rate in 1927. The subject offoring of the school has been increased until there are four separate curricula for wi ich the high school student may qualify. The increased offering cf subject matter makes it possible to serve better tho needs of the local community. It is the hope of tho school officials that our school will be able to continue increasing the offering until every boy and girl in the community can find something in which he is especially interested. Including the seniors of 1941 we have had approximately three-hundred graduates of the high school. It is especial- ly gratifying to know we have more students each year who are qualifying for and attending institutions of higher learning.