Perry High School - Maroon Spotlight Yearbook (Perry, OK)

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7Ze'ae Zane Pang Sedona' 74646044 For the sake of the educational history of Perry it is felt that a record should be made of the momentous years of the present administration. These nine years 1937-46 have been a period of stress and strain and yet years of school progress, The first five years were depression years while the last four were those of war and beginning peace. TI-IE DEPRESSION YEARS It was during the depression period that an extensive building program was launched and completed for both the white and colored schools. The details of which will be found in the latter part of the history. The transportation area of approximately one hun- dred ninety square miles adjacent to Perry was organ- ized and eight busses placed in operation to transport white and .colored students to the Perry schools be- tween the years of 1938-40. The high standard of North Central Association was maintained in these extreme lean years of meager salaries by the faculty donating their services for two weeks in 1938-39 and one week in 1939-40. Various measures were introduced to cut costs of books, lunches, and admission fees to pupils. The fee system for textbooks was introduced and is now used almost exclusively. The hot lunch program originally set up in the old grade building with meager equipment was maintained by contributions, parental help and W.P.A. canning projects and supervised without cost by Mrs. Henry S. Iohnston. Ir has .now developed into a modern program with modern equipment and four paid workers. Admissions for pupils to various school events were reduced to approximately eight cents per event by the introduction of the Activity Tickets. A new type of report card was designed by teacher committees after one year's study. The result was the present Progress Report Card which is designed to show the progress of the individual as measured by his own ability and effort rather than a comparison of the ability and effort of members of his class. TI-IE WAR YEARS The war years not only found our schools in serious financial difficulties with an extreme scarcity of teachers, but it also brought many additional problems. The school gave willing service when called on to issue ration books, to sell stamps and war bonds, to collect scrap iron, paper, old clothes, etc. The battle for com- petent teachers was perhaps the greatest concern of schools and Perry was no exception. Fortunately our schools lowered their standard of teachers very little. The serious problems were the teachers' overload and low salaries. The 1945 State Legislature eased the over- load per teacher very materially, and raised salaries to a considerable degree, but they are yet too low. THE BEGINNING or PEACE The beginning of peace found our schools again ready to advance. Two completely new departments were recently added, Religious Education and Distribu- tive Education. The introduction of Religious Education in the Perry Schools follows a modern trend. Only the Senior High School is now included in the program, but it is hoped that the program can soon be enlarged. Ap- proximately 92'7v of the entire Senior High School at- tend classes of forty minutes each, once a week. The pastors of the city handle these classes. Distributive Education is that field of business edu- cation which deals not only with serving the consuming public, but the training of youth in the various occu- pations available to him. I-le gets special training in school and on-the-job in his chosen field with school credit granted for such training. The Perry Schools were among the first in the state to accept the responsibility for On-The-Iob- Training for veterans. Material progress has been made by the recent voting of 548,000.00 in bonds for a new Vocational Agriculture building, many major repairs, and three new busses. fThe 587,000.00 bond issue for the High School building was paid off in 1943. The 347,000.00 bond issue for the auditorium and gymnasium will be paid off in 1947.5 THE BUILDING PROGRAM In 1937 the building needs of our schools were so serious that it threatened further school progress. The Board of Education was further plagued by the fact that two bond issues were not paid out, one for 387,000.00 for the High School building, and another for 547,000.00 for the gymnasium and auditorium. The problem was further aggravated by the fact that the valuation of the district had taken a drastic drop, and 'therefore it was possible to vote only a small bond issue. The chief hope for the white schools was, to build one project at a time. By voting the annual building levy of five mills a little over 355,000.00 per year could be raised. This money with government funds under the W.P.A. was used to initiate and com- plete several major projects. The following is the list of the projects: The manual arts building, 1937, total cost 514,000.00 with approxi- mately 35,000.00 Board of E d u c a tio n funds, and 559,000.00 government funds, the Band Building, 1939, total cost l,SI0,000.00, Board of Education funds 154,ooo.00, the government 1S6,o00.00g the Grade Build- ing 1941-42, total cost approximately 575,000.00, Board of Education funds .l532,000.00, the government funds 543,000.00Q the Garage l5I4,000.00, 1941-42, Board of Education 55,500.oo, the government 358,500.00 The Blaine Schools fcoloredj conditions were de- plorable. The following is a list of their buildings: The first project, six class rooms, 1937-38, cost 35IS,O00.00, Board of Education funds S54,5o0.oo, govern- ment funds under W.P.A. l5I0,500.00, Gymnasium, Auditorium, 1938-39, 5I5,000.00, Board of Education YflS6,o00.oo, the government 359,000.00Q the shop build- ing, 1940-41, jFI0,000.00, Board of Education, l54,500.00, government 355,500.00 The accomplishments of the past nine years no doubt have come about by business-like and cooperative efforts of our board of education and superintendent of schools.

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gamdofg gf, wc X096 CW DR. C. H. COOKE President Q in Q M, Q5-Q 4, 63? 1 w .7 .ig 'TY VY IOHN SAMUELSON W. A. BOX LESTER BARGE Mem ber Mem ber Treasurer 1 GEORGE E. SPRABERRY B.S., M.S.

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7 r r f-fr' .- - ' MISS MARIE UNZICKER B.S. Commerce P P . 7w4fa B,S., MS. Assistiuzt to Superintendent Mathematic: Science Wrestling Coach MISS ETHEL KNOX B.S.. M.A. Library English l MR. BYARD ANDERSON BA.. M.S. Distributiue Education Scierue n 15 MR. SPUDDS WIDENER Vocational Agriculture MR- A- L- EBER50'-E MR. GLENN TOWNSEND 35- Bs., EAM. , Industrial Arts English M155 RUTH TABER Miss BESSIE BARKER 11.11. as., Ms. English I ,VHome Economic: I Spud' MR. HAROLD DANIELS .Q...wQ.---vu if - bf R' L Athletic Coach History MR. A. L. B.S., M .S . Mathematic: MR. FLOYD PRATT A .Bn M .A . Social Studia