Laurel Valley High School - Laurel Yearbook (New Florence, PA)

Page 10 text:

A Jointure is Born On the first Monday of July, 1952, the twenty-five architects of our Laurel Valley Locomotive added their signatures to the blueprint of a new school system. That significant day will be remembered as the birthday of the joint agreement for the boroughs of Bolivar, New Florence, and Seward, and the townships of Fairfield, and St. Clair. The purpose of this agreement, as is the purpose of all joint agreements of small school districts, is to provide better educational opportunities for all pupils concerned. In our five districts aboard the Laurel Valley Locomotive, 1,088 students travel with a competent crew of forty teachers through the land of knowledge. When our train designers, the five school boards of Laurel Valley, visualized a progressive and unified school system for area students, many questions were asked. “What about the increased cost?' many citizens inquired. Now we all realize that jointures are more expensive for the same reason that a powerful, streamlined diesel costs more than an antiquated little steam engine. During the 1952- 53 Laurel Valley train journey, the blueprint of our school system has been the jointure plan. In this setup each of the five separate school boards is a member of the joint board. A high spot in our train trip is the inspection of the prospective site for our future Junior-Senior high school. The joint board has elected Sorber and Hoone as architects and holds an option on the Chido property on Route 711. During the planning, formation, and journey of our progressive Laurel Locomotive, we often heard our engineers say, “The only reason for schools is for the education of our children--the future citizens! ” If this is an axiom, the Laurel Valley Joint School System can only go forward.

Page 12 text:

Board of Education SEATED: STANDING: Absentees: Left to right: Mrs. Oliver Henderson, Edward J. Bouldin, (principal,) Mrs Florence Kerr, Mr. Anderson, (non-member,) Mr. Johnston, (non-member,) John Donahue, Harry Mears, Alice Hendricks, (non-member.) John Machak, Robert Brown. Ernest Zeigler, Harry Hepner. Graeson Henderson, Robert Mcllwain. (non-member,) Patsy Corvi, G. C. Gressman (non-member,) John Beck (supervising principal,) Anthony Stephien. John Conrad, Anthony Carosella, Edward Shomo, Neil Galbraith, Robert Howard, Karl McCreery, Raymond Hartman, Paul Hamill. Albert Murphy, G. D. Sigmund, R. M. Spory, Clement Rolling, Lloyd Boring, Herman Werder. Working in conjunction with the supervising principal, Mr John Beck, and the high school principal, Mr. Edward Bouldin, is the Board of Education, the administrative body of our school. As the whistle of the Laurel Valley Locomotive sounds at this station stop, we become aware of the importance of this group of citizens on whose shoulders fall many problems. These men are intrusted with the policies of the school system, the selection of teachers, and the budget for the operation of the school. Their careful judgment and progressiveness are displayed in Laurel Valley’s present improvements and accomplishments. There are twenty-five members on the joint board. The membership is as follows: Bolivar Borough--Robert Brown, Fatsy Corvi, A. G. Henderson, Mrs. Oliver Henderson, H. A. Mears; New Florence Borough--H. P. Hepner, John Machak, G. D. Sigmund, R. M. Spory, Ernest Zeigler; Seward Independent--John Donahue, Anthony Carosella, Mrs. Florence Kerr, Clement Rolling, Anthony J. Stephien; St. Clair Township--Lloyd Boring, John Conrad, Neil Galbraith, Robert Howard, Herman Werder; Fairfield Township--Paul Hamill, Raymond Hartman, Karl McCreery, Edwin Shomo, Albert Murphy. As the Class of 1953 prepares to leave the school train, they give their sincere thanks to this Board for their kindly interest in the welfare of the entire student body. OFFICERS: John Donahue.........................President Edwin Shomo.................... Vice-President Harry Mears..........................Secretary Mary E. Horrell (non-member). . . .Treasurer