Oak Ridge defends its high school

Last week's blog dealt with a rural school consolidation plan put forward by the Cape Girardeau County Board of Education in 1948. It essentially combined around 80 school districts into three large districts. Each of those would be served by a single high school in the towns of Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Delta.

But Cape County had a fourth high school already in operation: Oak Ridge High School, established in 1874. The board's plan was to close that school and bus its pupils to Jackson High. It was pointed out that if Oak Ridge was allowed to continue, it would be educating fewer than 100 pupils. The county board noted that the state board would probably not approve a high school serving so few students.

Several months after the plan was first publicized, Oak Ridge residents gathered to mount a defense of their school.

Published Feb. 26, 1949, in the Southeast Missourian:

Oak Ridge established the first high school in Southeast Missouri in 1874. The original school was torn down in 1923 and replaced by a two-story brick structure. That school burned in 1932 and the building seen here was constructed. (G.D. Fronabarger ~ Southeast Missourian archive)

OAK RIDGE TO DEFENSE OF SCHOOL

OLDEST HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRICT TO BE LOST IN REORGANIZATION

A public meeting will be held next Friday to discuss the proposed school reorganization plan for Cape County, particularly as it may affect the Oak Ridge area. In this plan, proposing three major high school districts in the county, with centers located at Cape Girardeau, Delta and Jackson, residents of this area see the end to Southeast Missouri's oldest high school.

Oak Ridge had he first high school in the entire district, established in 1874, and now in its 75th year — and some claim that it is the first such high school west of the Mississippi River.

Oak Ridge High School pupils, if the proposed redistricting is accepted by the school districts in a future election, will attend the high school at Jackson, while pupils from a number of local rural districts will be transported to Oak Ridge and their schools closed.

Would keep school

There is considerable feeling about the matter here. For sentimental reasons Oak Ridge doesn't want to give up its high school, and there are many who maintain that a self-supporting high school district with a valuation of around $1,500,000 could be established with Oak Ridge as the center. The impression is that the community is not going to give up its high school without a contest to retain it.

After all, declared Supt. Marshall Fulbright, Oak Ridge could be made an educational shrine for the district by perpetuating the high school and, he maintains, a district school could be organized in this section of the county of sufficient valuation to support such a school.

Started in 1874

The Oak Ridge High School opened its doors Nov. 4, 1874. Many prosperous farmers joined with other residents in incorporating a private high school. Among the early patrons and supporters were: Dr. C.M. Hatler, the community physician; W.T. Wilson, Merchant; C.C. Clippard, miller and farmer; Elam Russell, member of the Legislature; Nathan Frissell, civil engineer; J.M. Seibert, sheriff and collector; C.M. Pepper, county clerk; R.B. Oliver, prosecuting attorney; Ashley Coker, publisher of the Cash Book at Jackson; Ruddle Byrd, landowner, and Robert Drum, merchant at Sedgewickville. The first frame building contained four rooms, and later a wing of one room was added at the rear. During the first term, about 100 pupils attended, the records show. The principal was hired at $100 per month and collected tuition from all the pupils. There was one full-time assistant and one part-time assistant.

As late as 1879 there were several preparatory church schools in the county and the Normal School had been established at Cape Girardeau, but Oak Ridge still had the only high school in the area.

Third building

The original school building was used until the end of the school year in 1923, when it was torn down and a two-story brick building was erected. This building burned during an electric storm in 1932, and the present one-story building was erected at a cost of $15,000. Lumber from the old frame building was used to erect, with donated labor, the gymnasium in 1925. It was also used as a community center. This building was later torn down.

Among the early teachers at Oak Ridge was George Cheney, son of the first president of the old Normal School. Starting back in 1874, the school's superintendents in succession were:

D.T. Stanley, N.B. Henry, A.B. McNeely, W.T. Carrington, later state school superintendent, H.S. McLary, Harvey VanAmburg, T.M. Wilson, J.W. Malone, G.H. Gashweiler, C.A. Macom, B.F. Lusk, C.A. Macom (second term), D.A. Drum, H. Tarpley, E.R. Graham, V.V. Randol, C.A. Macom (third term), John McWillims, Ella Sadler, C.A. Macom (fourth term), Fred C. Heck, J.E. Howard, J.A. Hibbard, L.K. McGee, T.D. Bennick, G.W. Signer, E.R. Adams, J.E. Harris, Seringo Kinder, Olga Runnels, B.L. Schubel. R.E. Ford, H.E. Brown, J.W. McCullough, Marshal Fulbright, P.J. Mason, H.H. Stevenson, C.L. McLain, R.H. Henson, O.W. Summers, R.E. Ford (second term), Mrs. Thelma Lamont, Mrs. L. Bowman, and the present superintendent, Mr. Fulbright.

The meeting, while billed as a "defense" of the school, turned out to be polite exchange, with county board president A.C. Magill providing answers to all the questions posed by area residents.

Published March 4, 1949, in the Southeast Missourian:

OAK RIDGE TOLD ABOUT DISTRICTING

MANY ATTEND MEET WHEN SCHOOLS' FUTURE IS FULLY DISCUSSED

An attentive, interested crowd of 133 school patrons from Oak Ridge and adjoining districts heard Prof. A.C. Magill explain the county school reorganization plan at the Oak Ridge school Thursday night, with particular emphasis on the situation in their home community, site of the oldest high school in the sector — some say west of the Mississippi River.

Prof. Magill, president of the Cape County Board of Education which mapped the plan, was introduced by Marshall Fulbright, superintendent of Oak Ridge schools. Delos Seabaugh of Daisy, a member of the county board, also attended.

Prof. Magill explained that this is the fourth consecutive week in which he has been making talks on the proposal, with a discussion in some district practically every night. He emphasized that neither he nor any member of the county board is trying to tell the people how to vote on the reorganization plan, and are not seeking votes either for or against.

Furnishing facts

"We are not trying to persuade anybody one way or the other. We are merely stating the facts, good or bad, and letting the people draw their own conclusions," he declared.

At the outset he observed that he would not discuss the merits of the law, since he and other members of the board had nothing to do with making it and were simply carrying out its provisions.

"I have no personal interest in it," Prof. Magill said, "but feel I have an obligation to present the facts to the people. It's not a propaganda affair at all and we're not trying to sell it. I've lived in Cape Girardeau County for 40 years and find that its people are capable of making up their minds on things."

He added that he and other board members are under no legal obligation to explain the proposal, but feel they have a moral obligation. Neither, he said, do they receive any compensation for the district meetings.

More pupils needed

Turning to the situation at Oak Ridge, Prof. Magill related that the regulations under which the county board operates require that each proposed high school district should have a minimum of 100 pupils and preferably 150. He declared that with reluctance the board abandoned efforts to continue the high school at Oak Ridge when it found that it could not secure 100 pupils.

He cited that the present high school has an enrollment of 50 pupils, 12 from Oak Ridge and 36 from non-resident schools. "We knew a high school with an enrollment of 50 would not be approved, and looked around trying to see if we could find a minimum of 100," Prof. Magill declared. "Every member of the board wanted to maintain the school. But frankly, we couldn't find 100 pupils. We are deeply in sympathy with your position. We have nothing personal, but were forced to our conclusion by restrictions of the law."

He then told how the board had decided it best to use the modern Oak Ridge plant for a community grade school, combining several adjacent schools into one. Admittedly there is a road problem, the board president said, and it would be a part of the duties of the newly elected school board — if reorganization passed — to work with the state Board of Education in solving it. That, he said, was not left for solution to the county board.

Proposed for incorporation in the Oak Ridge grade center would be Oak Ridge, Goshen, Fulbright, Clippard, Shoenebeck, Horrell and Liberty No. 1, Prof. Magill enumerated. They would give an enrollment of 130 to 135 pupils, and require four teachers and possibly five. Included, he said, would be a complete health program, music program and other modern teaching improvements.

Questions asked

Peyton Miller, president of the Oak Ridge school board, asked Prof. Magill how many grade schools would be in the R-3 district. The speaker replied that Daisy, Oak Ridge, Fruitland, Millersville, Gordonville and Burfordville were definitely established.

He explained that the county board couldn't say definitely just which school a child might go to. Some of the rural schools would have to continue, perhaps for several years, until better transportation is worked out. For example, he said, High Hill must operate as it is because it is impossible to get to it by bus to transport children elsewhere. Others will perhaps be in the same situation until various difficulties are settled. He noted that the plan is not for immediate action, but one of long range view.

In reply to another question, Prof. Magill said that the new district board would be bound to establish community schools where the county board set them. He recalled, however, that in some cases the county board had made only temporary assignments and as conditions changed these schools might be incorporated into other schools.

A question was asked regarding the tax rate. Prof. Magill said the district would assume a levy of $1, the maximum allowed by law without a vote of the people. Any additional tax for buildings or operations would have to be approved by a two-thirds majority of voters in District R-3.

It was asked if a district is obligated to transport pupils more than a mile away from a school. Prof. Magill said no, that roads in some sections are such that it couldn't be done. In this case, he declared, they would continue in their present nearby rural schools until transportation could be effected.

In event the proposition loses, the speaker said, the plan would have to be revised and voted again a year later.

Published Jan. 29, 1949:

Professor A.C. Magill's final words at the Oak Ridge meeting were prescient. The plan, brought to a vote March 29, 1949, was overwhelmingly defeated, meaning another vote would come in 1950.

In Oak Ridge, where the town stood to lose its high school if the redistricting was approved, not a single citizen voted for the consolidation scheme.

Published March 30, 1949, in the Southeast Missourian:

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION PLAN IS BEATEN IN ALL COUNTY DISTRICTS

Proposed reorganization of 73 school districts in Cape County into three enlarged districts was administered a sound defeat in each of the projected areas Tuesday when rural residents, with almost complete unanimity, overrode majorities in favor of each of the three urban centers.

The vote in each proposed district was:

R-1 (Cape Girardeau and nine rural districts ) — 413 for and 537 against.

R-2 (Delta and 13 rural districts) — 385 for and 688 against

R-3 (Jackson and 48 rural districts) — 1,283 for and 2,152 against.

Cape Girardeau, Delta and Jackson each approved the redistricting proposals, but were completely overriden by the rural vote.

Only few voted

In what was probably the lightest vote in city history, Cape Girardeau favored reorganization, 349 for to 122 against. Jackson, where an effort was made to get out the vote, went for the proposal, 837 to 132. Delta showed 268 votes for and 4 against.

In proposed District R-1, not a single rural school area favored the proposal. In district $-2, only Delta and Whitewater approved it. In District $-3, outside of Jackson, the proposal was favored by Daisy, Rieman, Millersville, Williams, Helderman and Fruitland. Oak Ridge racked up a 186 to 0 vote against it.

Seven rural districts failed to poll a single vote in favor of the proposal, while in many others from one to four votes were all that were mustered in its favor.

The vote in Washington showed: Washington School, 57 for and 4 against; Franklin, 95 for and 27 against; May Greene School, 53 for and 9 against; Central High School, 80 for and 49 against; Common Pleas Courthouse, 64 for and 33 against.

An indication of the light Cape Girardeau vote is shown by a comparison with that of Jackson. Only 471 votes were cast here, while at Jackson the vote was 969.

Regular election next

Disposition of the election without passage in any district now leaves the way clear for regular school elections in each urban and rural district in the county next Tuesday. In Cape Girardeau two members will be elected to the Board of Education.

Following a tabulation of votes at the county superintendent's office at Jackson last night, the County Board of Education held a brief meeting at which the county superintendent, Edwin W. Sander, was instructed to get bills of the election cost together.

When these have been assembled, the cost of the election in each district will be apportioned to each school district in each of the three proposed districts according to school enumeration. The board decided to take no further action until school bills pending in the Legislature are disposed of. One of these would exempt school districts with more than $3,000,000 assessed valuation from any redistrict proposal. This would affect Cape Girardeau if passed.

Failure of the proposal in each district means that the same plan, which already bears state approval, or a modification of it as prepared by the county board, must be submitted for another vote a year from now. The election in Cape County was the first in the state under the reorganization law.

Next week's blog will bring you the results of the 1950 election.