Shields High School - Patriot Yearbook (Seymour, IN)

Page 20 text:

BOflRD OF EDUCflDOIN Clark B. Davis President R. J. Barbour Treasurer Edward Massman Secretary 5MOJr HIGH SCHOOL KATE F. ANDREWS. AY the eighteenth will stand in the calendar of Shields High School as one of her red letter days, for on that date a decision was made that will affect her future growth and usefulness. Within the last few ve»™» aitnough there has ueeu very little increase in the entire school enumeration, the number of students in both Junior and Senior High 1 Schools has increased about 75 per cent in the one and over 100 per cent in the other; and today we have in both departments an enrollment of about five hundred and fifty. Under these conditions of growth, it inevitably happened that our build- ing, erected when we numbered little over one hundred and fifty in the Senior High School, became too small for the increasing numbers, and it was felt by all of those closely associated with the school and knowning well all condi- tions that there must be built an addition that would enable us to have more adequate housing facilities.

Page 19 text:

Kate Ferris Andrews Principal of Shields High School

Page 21 text:

The Board of Education, alive to the needs of the Schools of Seymour, decided to put up two buildings. One to take the place of the present Laurel School ; the other an addition to the Shields, which should furnish not only delightful rooms for the six lower grades now housed with the high schools in the Shields building, but an auditorium and gymnasium now greatly needed. After the Board had made its decision to enlarge the Shields school and had gone through all necessary preliminaries, as to contracts and so forth, the bond issue was approved by the council and all seemed to be moving smoothly when a bomb was thrown in the form of a protest. As this neces- sitated a hearing before the State Tax Board, there was a slight delay in pro- ceedings. However, a speedy hearing was given, the bonds were sold at an unusually high premium subject to the approval of the Tax Board and on May the eighteenth the bond issue was legalized. Now all is ready and before many days have passed, the first shovelful of dirt will have been dug and our much needed addition will have been com- menced. Our dream is that by next year instead of holding classes in the hall, office, and gymnasium, all of the teachers may have well-lighted, adequately equipped recitation rooms. This new building will join by a connecting corridor the present High School at the southwest corner; with a frontage of 178 feet it will extend west 71 feet. On the first floor will be a standard gymnasium, 70 by 40 feet, at the west end of which is a stage and on the other three sides seats above which is a balcony. This room can be used not only for work in physical culture, but for basketball and all in-door athletics. In the front part of this floor will be office rooms; and by the stage will be dressing rooms and lavatories. Built of brick like that of the present structure and of the same style the two buildings will have a unity of effect and appeal strongly from the standpoint of architectural beauty. It is estimated that the cost for the com- pleted building will be $71,553. We understand that a building does not make a school; the fine teacher, the eager student, and a splendid spirit of co-operation are the first essentials. These we do have and the high place that Shields High School holds in the educational world is testimony to this. But a larger building adapted to our increased numbers ; needed equipment for more effective instruction ; additional room that will enable us to put into our school courses of study and even of play that could not be introduced before, because of lack of space ; all of these factors will add to the effectiveness of the High School of Seymour as an influence in upbuilding the citizenship of Seymour. None realize this more than the teachers and students and all appreciate the active interest and wise effort of the superintendent and Board, and the enlightened and altruistic attitude on the part of the council and citizens that have made possible these greater educational opportunities for the children of Seymour.