Southwestern High School - Shield Yearbook (Shelbyville, IN)

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Wtfh Dreams -- Plans -- And Then, The consolidated school of the district operated under the dir- ection of the county superintendent of schools until June 1, 1958. Under the new plan, the new district operates and maintains elementary schools in each township, and a new high school was erected to serve the entire area. Planning the erection of the new high school began in May, 1956, when a non-profit corporation of stockholders was estab- lished and incorporated under Indiana law, to be known as the Southwestern Building Corporation. One hundred thirty-seven people bought shares at 3310. 00 per share. 'I'his money was used for the necessary expensesof printing the bonds, advertising, post- age, etc. On July 1, 1956, a board of directors was chosen from the stockholders of the Building Corporation. Those directors are Rus- sell Cherry, Presidentg Kenneth Gorrell, Vice-Presidentg Warren Comstock, Secretary: Paul McCain, Treasurer: and Paul Main, Floyd Jackman, Carl Sampson, Carl Kabrich, and Wellbourne Snepp. Wilbur F. Pell of Shelbyville was retained as attorney for the corporation and W. Erb Hanson of Connersville was employed as architect to design the new building. Since all preliminary requirements had been met and ful- filled, the Board met on August 1, 1956, to elect officers and appoint a supervising principal and board attomey. Elected as president of the board was William E. Drake, with Lester Dine chosen as secretary and William E. Hill, treasurer. Dale S. Rafferty was appointed board attomey. Chosen as members of a board of finance were Carroll W. Muck, president, and Paul Eberhart, secretary. The board appointed Charles Wetzel, Flat Rock elementary and high school principal, as supervising princi- pal of the new school district. The 20 classroom building provides for grades 7 to 12 inclusive and includes, besides regular classrooms for academic subjects, farm shop, industrial shop, arts and craft room, home economics department, two commer- cial rooms, science rooms for physics and chemistry, combination library and studyg music department with three practice rooms, uniform, wardrobe and instrument rooms, cafeteria which seats 250 students, combination gym- nasium and auditorium with stage fthe gym will seat 2500 for basketball gamesj, two physical education rooms, and two locker rooms, athletic director's office, equipment storage room, concession space in gym below bleach- ers, stage dressing room, and stage equipment and storage roomg administrative offices, health deparunent, book store, and boiler room making a total of 80 rooms in the building. The 20 acre site on which the building was constructed was purchased from Frank Cortelyou, Wayne Yarling, and Mrs. Marjorie Waltz with money from a cumulative building fund from Washington Township. January 29, 1958 On September 4, 1957, surveying began for JUIY, 1958 the new building, and on September 8, ground was broken. On September 26, 1957, at a meeting of the district school board, the name 'Southwest- em' was chosen for the new high school from a- mong several other names which had been sub- mitted to the board previously. Construction of the new, ultra-modern, ed- ucational plant moved along rapidly despite the drawbacks of weather, slow delivery of supplies, and many other unforeseen handicaps.

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Long Before Opening Doy The action taken on that day creat- ed a new consolidated school system that began operation August 1, 1956. The final resolution, as adopted, stated that the consolidated school board should be composed ofsix members con- sisting ofthe duly elected trustee of each township and a member from each town- ship to be elected at the first general election in each township after the con- solidation became effective. To fill the interim between August 1, 1956, and January 1, 1957, when such elected members would assume office, each trustee was to appoint one member from his advisory board to serve on the con- solidated school board. Those appointed members were Mr. Otis Wasson, Washington Township, Mr. Carroll Muck, Hendricks Township, and Mr. Paul Eberhart, Jackson Township. The elected members who took of- fice January 1, 1957, were Kenneth Cortelyou, Jackson, Thomas Swinford, Washington, and Floyd Jackman, Hend- ricks. The new district was named the Southwestern Consolidated School Dis- trict of Shelby County, and as of Aug- ust 1, 1956, all school township assets and liabilities of the three townships were assumed by the new corporation. fi ,coz Directors of Holding Company Seated: James Matchett, Attorney, Russell Cherry, Kenneth Gor rell, Warren Comstock, Paul McCain. Standing: Carl Sampson, Wellbourne Snepp, Carroll Muck, Carl Kabrich, Paul Main. School Board January 1, 1957 - January 1, 1959 Lester Dine, Charleswetzel, Supervis- ing Principal, Floyd Jackman, William Drake, Thomas Swinford,William Hill, Kenneth Cortelyou,

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August, 1958 After the plans for the new building were completed, contractswere awarded for con- structing and equipping the proposed new high school. Directors of the school building corpor- ation were charged with financing and con- structing the new school, and they in turn were to lease the new educational facility to the district school corporation for a 30 year period. At the termination of30 years, when all bonds will have matured and have been paid, ownership ofthe entire facility will go to the district school corporation. Contracts were eventually awarded in three categories, namely: I. General construction, awarded to I. Bush and Sons of Louisville. II. Heating, plumbing, Ventilating, and sewage work, awarded to Burton Plumb- ing and Heating, Rochester, Indiana. III. Electrical work awarded to the Harbstreit Engineering Company, Inc. , Bed- ford, Indiana. November, 1958 i,i- ,.,--P The Southwestern Consolidated School Dis- trict met on January 10, 1958, and divorced it- self from the county school system, selected a district superintendent, and decided to meer state standards with a first class commission for the high school. The board decided to offer four different curricula in the high school. These four are college entrance or academic, agricul- ture, vocational home economics, and business or commercial. Mr. Charles Wetzel was chosen as superintendent and began his new work in this carries out the policies and directives of the board and works in co-operation with the office of the county superintendent of schools in the operation ofall educational facilitieswithin thethree-tovvn- ship district. Grass was growing in gym when school began. All three bids were the lowest in their respective categories. In addition to these contracts other costs involved in the overall project were equipment for class rooms, black topped driveways and parking area, architectural and engineering fees, attorney fees, interest on bonds, insurance of building during construction, and other contingencies After the lease between the building corporation and district school corporation was executed bonds were sold collectively to four firms The City Securities Corporation Indianapolis Bond and Share Corporation Raffensperger Hughes and Company, Inc all of Indianapolis and Cruttenden Podesta and Company of Chicago These bonds bear the maximum rate of 5011: per year and are payable overatotal period of 30 years Mr Robert W Wade, former principal at Mt Auburn was chosen as principal The new building, although not quite completed, was ready for occupancy at the beginning of the 1958-1959 school year. By December 1, the gym was completed, and all functions of the new school were in operation. Total cost of Southwestem High School was approximately Sl, 190, OOO. The dedication of the new building was held March 15, 1959, with an 'Open House' and program. Reality -- Construction ofHce on June 1. In this new post, Mr. Wetzel