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Page 9 text:
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people who held the dream of a new school for their children, its meaning— Mountains of the Sky had special significance. In the last few years these same travellers have watched this hope become reality. Some have stopped at gas stations and restaurants to ask, Where are the families who will send their children to such a big school? Perhaps the gas station attendant could tell them that some nine hundred prospective students are drawn from about a thousand square miles. This area includes the townships of Shandaken, Olive and part of Wood- stock, Lexington, Marbletown and Hurley. The task of transportation alone, over seven hundred miles of road in Ulster and a small section of Greene County, is no mean feat for a community. The spark?—a community’s faith in the future of this great democracy, expressed through its desire to give its children and youth the best that education can offer.
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Page 10 text:
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For some time a number of the twenty-five one and two room school houses were al- most empty. Brown Station had one pupil; Brodhead, three; Highmount, five. In con- trast, Olive Bridge and Samsonville were overcrowded with 36 pupils in each. With the opening of the central school in the fall of 1952, their activities became history. The contribution of the one room school house has been significant. It has turned out a steady stream of good citizens to contribute their skills and talents toward making this country great. With the strides in modern education, however, it is now clear that the central school can best bring to the service of the most, the finest in education precepts and personnel. The natural doubts and hesitations that accompany any change came with the first suggestion of the proposed Onteora Central School. Nevertheless, the civic minded and the public spirited saw that individual concerns had to be sacrificed for the benefit of the majority. A very small group of such men and women were fully convinced that the future would be far better for the community's next generation and those to come, if the best in school facilities could be made available. They visited their neighbors over picket fences, while shopping, at social gatherings and public meetings; wherever people came together the problems and virtues of centralization were discussed. District Superin- tendent of Schools Reginald Bennett gave unstintingly of his time and thought as he was called on to answer questions in fire halls and meeting houses in the three towns, or at conferences in Albany and Kingston. Some of the trustees of the one room school houses worked in this same way to support the central school. It is the belief of those closest to centralization that the biggest single factor in bringing it about was the discussion among neighbors, over the years forming an everwidening circle, until their united faith and strength actually laid the foundation of the beautiful and practical Onteora Central School nestling in the valley on the Onteora Trail. The 4th Supervisory District of Ulster County was designated as a potential area for centralization by the Rapp Committee, a joint legislative body set up to create a master plan for centralization in New York State. The resultant Onteora Central District, al- though smaller, is essentially the one proposed by this group. The Commissioner of Education finally set May 21, 1948 for the vote. A large majority favored centralization, and on that same night a board of education was elected con- sisting of 9 members, 3 from each major township. On April 14, 1950, the first bond issue for $1,850,000, and on February 13, 1951, the second one for $300,000, were voted and passed. Preceding each voting there were many meetings, which ultimately gave the people a clearer picture of the problems involved in this large project. The Board of Education, with their district superintendent and their new supervising principal, John Moehle, then concentrated on finding and securing the best location for the new school. The present site was chosen because it is the most central for all the area involved. The added advantage of 35 acres of ground allows for adequate play- ground, sport and gardening facilities. Since this centrally located site is in one of its smallest hamlets every student who attends has to be transported, whereas in most central schools at least a large percentage of the population walks to school. The task of transportation, complicated by mountainous terrain and large area, is being ac- complished by the use of the finest transportation available, through district owned and private carriers. Involved are 11 large buses, and 27 feeder buses supplied by 17 contractors.
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