Grafton High School - Re Echo Yearbook (Grafton, WV)

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History of the New High School The need of a new High School Building has been felt in this community for some time past. Only after a great many years of persistent trial, however, has a building become a realization, and not merely a plan in the minds of some of our citizens or on the architect's paper. An election held in nineteen hundred and nine for the purpose of providing bonds for a new High School Building was defeated bv the voters. During the campaign in nineteen hundred and nine the school system of the whole city was attacked by many citizens As a result of these attacks, the Board of Kdu cation appointed a committee, composed of some of the best school men in the State, to make a survey of the Grafton Schools and advise what was needed to make the school system more efficient. The survey was made in nineteen hundred and thirteen. The report, given the Board of Education, stated that the most urgent need of the city was a new High School Building. The matter was dropped, however, until December of the same year, when a move was set on foot by the Grafton Alumni Association, in which they adopted a resolution requesting the Board of Education to call a High School Bond Election, and pledged their hearty support. On February nineteenth, nineteen hundred ami fourteen, the Board called for a bond election providing for ninety-live thousand dollars to be used in the construction of ,i new building. This election was to he he HI on March seventeenth. On March twelfth the Board decided to give the matter more consideration and postponed the election until the ninth of June. On April twenty-first, nineteen hundred and fourteen. Frank I.. Packard, of Columbus. Ohio, was en gaged as the architect for the building. On the ninth of June the election was held. In the meantime the Board called for fifteen thousand dollars more, making a total of $110,000. The election resulted favorably for the issuing of Bonds. Almost immediately after the election, bids were opened for the sale of the bonds. When the bids had all been received and the bonds sold, the purchaser refused to accept them for certain legal technicalities A friendly -nit w.i- held and the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia authorized the sale of the bonds anew. Bids were then again received and the bonds immediately sold. In two weeks the money was in the hands of the Sheriff. I he work of the building began immediately. In a comparatively short time the building was finished The new High School is one of the latest types of -chools and is one of the best equipped in the Stat« The students should be and are very proud of the privilege of attending school in such a building. The Alumni Association and many other citizen-who helped them are to be congratulated on haring given their support and assistance in bringing such a line structure into existence. They can rest assured that the best possible care will be taken of it by the grateful students. PAUL MALONE.