Pekin High School - Pekinian Yearbook (Pekin, IL)

Page 19 text:

□ □ □ □ THE PEKINIAN, 192 5 □ □ □ □ istorp of efein Community 2)igf) cf)ool I. E. Wilson FIRST CASE The first Pekin Community High School District was organized in June, 1919 with the following Board of Education: H. J. Rust, F. C. Gale, W. G. Fair. A. Van Horne, D. F. Velde. The School Districts included in the Pekin Community High School District were 70, 71, 77, 82. 97. 98, 101, 102, 108, in Tazewell County and Districts 40 and 44 in Peoria County. The city of Pekin and District Number 108 were organized in 1869 by special act of the legislature and their territories made coterminous. Hence, no school tax could be levied and collected against the property of the city of Pekin except for the city schools. Consequently the Community High School District was defeated in the Supreme Court of Illinois. In the mean time, Pekin was successful in removing the special charter and went under the general law. Within thirty days, another petition had been circulated for a community high school. SECOND CASE The next Community High School District was formed, voted on and carried. This included the same territory as the first district, but about this time the Community High School law was attacked in the state with the result that the law was defeated in the supreme court. Hence our second attempt was lost, and the high school reverted to the city High School Board of Education again. The legislation enacted a new law immediately after the defeat of this one. THIRD CASE A third petition was circulated and election was held. The district in the third petition was the same as for the two previous ones, with the exception of the two districts across the river in Peoria County. These two districts were omitted. The present district contains forty-eight sections. The Community High School law has been tested and pronounced valid by the supreme court of Illinois. The High School remained under supervision of the City Superintendent of Public Schools and the grade children continued to take manual training and domestic science in the high school building. In June 1919 the high school became independent of the grade system and the city superintendent no longer had supervision over the high school. In September 1919 the high school was placed under the supervision of the principal and associate principal. The boys of the city grade system continued taking manual training in the present high school building until February 1924, and the girls of the grade school used the domestic science department until June, 1924. In September 1919, the high school opened with 21 teachers and 268 students. School opened the second semester, 1924-1925 with an enrollment of 564 pupils and 27 teachers. FIFTEEN

Page 18 text:

FOURTEEN

Page 20 text:

□ □ □ □ THE PEKINIAN, 192 5 □ □ □ □ SI XTEEN