USA > New York > Dutchess County > History of education in Dutchess County > Part 8
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and offices and warehouses scattered throughout Poughkeep- sie and area. Naturally with a plant employing so many peo- ple, personnel had to be brought in from other places to fill the need, and a plant of the nature of IBM had to have engin- eers and other specialized help, which brought many highly educated people to settle in the county. These people have made their effect felt in the local schools, particularly those immediately surrounding the plant, namely Hyde Park, Ar- lington, Wappingers Falls, and Spackenkill School Districts. For the sake of simplicity, each school district will be re- ferred to singly, and the comparison of pre-IBM and post- IBM days given. Most of the information in these compari- sons came from personal interviews as related in the appro- priate footnotes.
ARLINGTON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, No. 7:4
As we have previously seen, Arlington was established in 1920, and until 1951 was known as Arlington Union Free School, District No. 7. The population of students attend- ing this school system gradually grew until after the war years, when there was a sharp increase. In 1947 there were 1,605 students attending, in 1957, the total had increased to 3,380. To help meet this increase Arlington has built new schools and made an addition to the high school build- ing built in 1937.
In 1951 Arlington Schools became centralized. Until this time, Beekman, LaGrange, and other outlying districts were not included as part of the Arlington School System, but the children of these areas were attending Arlington Schools. However, because of this, Arlington Schools were becoming rapidly overcrowded, which gave the school dis- trict only two alternatives: (1) Not to allow students from these outlying areas to attend Arlington Schools, or (2) have these areas permanently join with Arlington and be- come centralized. This would mean increased State Aid; it would also give the students in these areas a definite school to attend, and guarantee future children a permanent school. This, in other words, would eliminate the threat that they would suddenly be stopped from attending Arlington Schools. In 1950 a commission studied the possibilities of
4 The information for Arlington is based on a personal interview with Superintendent of Schools Harold C. Storm, 1957.
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centralization and on June 30, 1951, it became effective. The vote was approximately 800 for, with only about 100 against centralization. One and three-fourths million dollars was appropriated for school buses, a bus garage, and the newly constructed LaGrange School. Presently, the Arlington School District has twenty-eight buses in operation. This 134 million dollar expenditure was passed by a vote of 12 to 1. In 1956 an additional one and one-half million dollars was asked for construction of new schools, (Beekman, Overlook, and an addition to the Pleasant Valley School.) This, too, was passed by a considerable margin, 17 to 1. This gives the appearance that the people of the Arlington District are all for centralization, and there are many districts outside the area covered presently by Arlington who want to join the Arlington Central School System.
In regard to a question asked Mr. Harold C. Storm, Superintendent of Schools for the Arlington District, con- cerning the important trends at Arlington and their reason, he replied :
The noticeable trend at Arlington in the post war era is that more and more students are going to college, al- though there does not seem to be any link between this trend and IBM. There are three reasons for the increased college enrollment :
1. The parents are able to afford a better education for their children. This can be traced to some extent to the effects of IBM in the community.
2. There is much more desire in business and industry for college trained personnel.
3. High school is offering more courses, which makes it easier for students to enter college. They are getting a better background.
Mr. Storm went on to point out that Arlington now has a four-year mathematics program, and other advanced courses. By the increase in student body, Arlington is able to offer a more varied curriculum, to help meet the needs of the children. New courses are continually being added, not only for college preparation, but also for business and industry. Again Mr. Storm did not think these new courses were being added primarily because of any influence of IBM. Actually the only effect Mr. Storm felt he could trace to IBM was the great increase in population in the past ten years. He did, however, admit there were many highly-trained parents in the research laboratory and that naturally the children of some of these families were in-
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cluded in Arlington's student body, but that they did not di- rectly influence the school program. In regards to the qual- ity going to college from the Arlington School, Mr. Storm pointed out that of the forty scholarships given in the coun- ty in 1956, Arlington students received fourteen of them.
For the students going into industry, Arlington now has a fully equipped wood shop, metal shop, electric shop, which also includes their own fully licensed radio station and a printing shop, as well as a department for those inter- ested in ceramics. A student can also learn auto repairing at Arlington.
All the new schools built in the Arlington District are of the modern one-story type, and although these new build- ings are a help to the current overcrowding, there will soon have to be more schools built. The present first grade is nearly double the twelfth grade, and each year the enrollment shows a marked increase over the previous year. From this we can see that Arlington, like all districts surrounding IBM, is having trouble keeping up with new schools.
Plans are now under way for a new high school to be built in the Arlington District by 1960. The present Junior- Senior High School, located on Dutchess Turnpike, will be converted to a Junior High School with only a few minor interior changes to be made. Plans are also under way to enlarge the Raymond Avenue School.
WAPPINGERS FALLS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT"
Wappingers was one of the earliest schools to central- ize in Dutchess County. Before centralization, the village and town of Wappingers had practically no school facilities of a modern type. In 1938, Wappingers Falls had a popula- tion of 3,500. The village was a small mill town. The par- ents of the children in school were mostly foreign born, and the subjects taught in school were commercial and voca- tional in nature, for the most part. It took considerable effort to get the people of Wappingers Falls to realize the value of a centralized school, but the final vote was 1,259 for and only 819 against centralization. In September, 1940, the new cen- tral school was ready for occupancy.
The building program established by the local and state educational authorities was based on an anticipated enroll-
5 The information concerning Wappingers was based on an interview with Superintendent of Schools E. Joseph Kegan, 1957.
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ment of 35 pupils in the kindergarten; 525 in grades 1 to 6; 200 in the seventh and eighth grades, and 500 in the ninth to twelfth grades, or a total of about 1,260. The actual en- rollment in September, 1940, proved to be 1,200.6
The new school was built on a 33-acre site just south of the village, and the building which was constructed housed the entire student body, elementary and secondary, all under one roof. At the time of opening it was the most modern school in the Hudson Valley, and the pride of Dutchess County.
In comparison to the 1,200 students of 1940, the 1957 enrollment is 3,652. Today, after the influence of IBM has been felt in the community, the vocational and commercial courses have been changed, and now students are primarily taking college courses. Approximately 75% of the student body at Wappingers are taking college entry courses. The intelligence level of the children has been raised, with the average now about 112.
At present the school system is using the 6-6 (6-2-4) type of system. In other words, a six-year elementary school and a six-year junior-senior high school, (2-4). However, plans are under way for the 6-3-3 type and it appears now that this system will be in operation by 1961. Wappingers plans to build a new high school in the near future, and use the present school building just for the junior high school. Because of the increase in population in recent years, four new elementary schools have been built for Wappingers Falls, namely-Fishkill, Fishkill Plains, Vassar Road, (the newest addition to the system) and the James S. Evans School. The greatest problem facing Wappingers now seems to be the expected enrollment. By 1961 it is esti- mated there will be 6,952 compared with the present total of 3,625.
Wappingers Central School System covers 100 square miles, and is served by 25 buses operating on the dual system. High school children are picked up first, then the elementary children on the second run.
In regards to the question concerning noticeable trends or effects created by IBM, Mr. Kegan made the comments about the increased population and the change of curriculum
6 The Nation's Schools, "Dutchess County Centralizes," Raymond L. Collins, August 1941, 22-24.
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and courses offered at Wappingers plus the higher IQ rating of the over-all student body.
This, we can see, is similar to the conditions of Arling- ton and Hyde Park, although at Wappingers, it seems there was more change in curriculum because of IBM than was no- ticed-at Arlington.
POUGHKEEPSIE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM7
Poughkeepsie, of course, being a city, does not face the problems of centralization that the outlying areas have. Also there is not the general tendency toward increased popula- tion, which is occurring in the suburbs. The student enroll- ment in 1946 was 5,140 and by 1956 it had increased to 5,239. The new high school, now the most modern in the county, was opened in September, 1956. All programs associated with the high school have now been transferred to the new high school building, located on Forbus Street, thus eliminat- ing the need of special vocational schools and other separate training areas formerly in existence.
Mr. Key could not say that there was any change or unusual condition established in the city by the growth of IBM. The trends he did note are the following: (1) The rate of drop-out is much less than in the past. (2) The children are of a higher intelligence level than pre-war children. (3) There has been an increase in the vocational program at Poughkeepsie's schools. This trend started in night school, and worked its way down to the high school level. This is partly due to the many factories in and around the city, and the recognized worth of the factory worker. Also many fac- tories have donated equipment to the school, so that the stud- ents now get practical experience on actual modern ma- chinery and equipment. There is also a new program es- tablished at the high school which provides part time train- ing in one of the local factories. This gives the student practical experience under actual working conditions. It might be pointed out that the new high school has an improv- ed audio-visual program, another of the modern trends to make class work interesting.
One of the newest courses offered at Poughkeepsie
7 Information for the Poughkeepsie Schools was based on an interview held with Mr. George W. Key, principal of the 7th and 8th Grades Center, 1957, and author's research.
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Fr
INTERIOR OF POUGHKEEPSIE HIGH SCHOOL - 1957
4444
LIBRARY
INDUSTRIAL ARTS
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SENIOR CHEMICAL LABORATORY
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High School is beauty culture, which is already in great de- mand by the students. Mr. Key did note that IBM is in- terested in education, and they want the best for their chil- dren. Many students attending high school now in Pough- keepsie are interested in going to college.
- The City of Poughkeepsie now has eight elementary schools, kindergarten through eighth grade, and two high schools, the new Poughkeepsie High School on Forbus Street, and the recently opened Our Lady of Lourdes High School, which is located in the former Poughkeepsie High School building on North Hamilton Street. Extensive renovations were made to this building, which opened in September of 1958, so that a modern high school could be made available to those of the Catholic faith. The students enrolled in Our Lady of Lourdes High School represent all areas of Dutchess County, and nearby parts of New York State. There are fourteen parochial schools in Dutchess County, with six of these located in the City of Poughkeepsie.
In the fall of 1959, Morse School on Mansion Street will be opened as one branch of the newly formed Junior High School Center in Poughkeepsie. The other branch will be located in the May Street wing of the high school build- ing. The students presently enrolled in Morse School, from kindergarten through the sixth grade, will be relocated in neighboring schools.
Many of the students in the Poughkeepsie schools are eligible to graduate in February of each year, due to the old policies of allowing the children to enroll in either September or February. However, there is now a "speed-up" program in operation, in which the children will try to do a year's work in six months, so that by the time the Junior High School is in full operation, most of the children will be going on a September to June basis.
Mr. Key stated that although there is no problem of overcrowding in the Poughkeepsie schools, due to large housing developments, there could be some overcrowding in certain areas because of the relocation of many families in the path of the proposed arterial highway in downtown Pough- keepsie, plus other project renovations being called for, as well as the relocation of some children for the Junior High School. Undoubtedly, many of the people to be relocated
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will move uptown, possibly causing overcrowded conditions to occur in schools of that area of the city.
The City of Poughkeepsie is a fiscally independent city school district. This means it can levy taxes, collect taxes, make the budget, etc. The budget is then approved by the School Board, and presented directly to the people. The city now has a five-member board; one new member is elected each year, with each member serving three years. This was not always the case, however. The term of Poughkeepsie's Board of Education was at first June to June, then it was changed to January to January. A twelve-member board continued to be elected until May 16, 1900. After that, the Board was appointed and it contained only seven members. The term at this time ran from one to seven years, and was later established as a five-year term, which took place on May 5, 1942, in comparison with the present term of only three years.
Poughkeepsie's school system has a slower teacher turn-over than do most other districts. Many teachers re- main in the system until they are eligible for retirement, and therefore there is little room for young teachers. Of the 250 to 260 teachers on the entire staff only about 15 are re- placed in any one year. However, within the next five years, it is estimated that many of the older teachers will retire, and there will be many new faces on the teaching staff of Poughkeepsie's schools.
For a short while Poughkeepsie was forced to use the split-session form of classes. This was for the school years of 1954-55 and 1955-56. Before these years the Freshmen were attending school in the old high school an- nex, but in 1954, the Board closed the annex. There was still no hope for a new high school, and therefore the split-session was forced on the students.
The new high school has a retarded student program which cares for about 50 pupils. Only children who have an IQ of less than 75 are permitted in this program. They are grouped by chronological age and there is a special teacher in charge. It is, in effect, a rural school within a modern high school. There are also ten retarded classes in other city elementary schools, plus the one in the high school.
The new high school also features a corrective pro-
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gram for posture, etc. Special classes are established for correction of these defects. The classes include various ex- ercises and special work in physical education. The instruct- or in these cases also works with the parents. Along these same lines, there is a special swimming program.
- The Poughkeepsie School System provides a special class in Warring School for sight conservation. Children who have exceptionally poor eyesight are assigned to this class. They must be recommended by their doctor. Special books with extra large type are provided, and the class is handled by a specialist in this field. There is special light- ing in the room and everything possible is done to give the visually handicapped child a chance to get a proper educa- tion. As a means of transportation, the city provides one school bus and some taxis for the handicapped children.
In September of 1958, thirty-seven pupils from the Little Red School House, with an IQ of less than 50, were ad- mitted to Columbus School. This is the first and only public school in Dutchess County to accept these trainable groups. Four classes were formed. Mrs. Helen Wolpert, former prin- cipal of the Little Red School House, teaches the youngest group on a half-day basis and the three remaining classes attend all-day sessions under her supervision, and the direc- tion of Vincent O'Conner, principal of the school. Three for- mer teachers of the Little Red School House were accepted by the Board of Education to teach these older groups.
Transportation to and from the school is provided for these pupils by the Board of Education.
The mentally retarded children in this area were first brought to the attention of the public by Mr. and Mrs. Allen Raymond of Pleasant Valley, New York, in 1950. With the help of John L. Wallace of the Junior Chamber of Commerce plans were made to form an association. After a meeting on November 12, 1950, the Dutchess County Association for Mentally Handicapped Children was formed.
On October 8, 1952, the association opened its first school in the First Baptist Church on Mill Street with five pupils enrolled. Mrs. Mary Desole was the first paid teacher of this group. This was called the Little Red School House.
In February 1953, Mrs. Bessie Payne and Mrs. Peggy Nelson were hired as teachers so that a waiting list of fifteen
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children could be enrolled. At this time Mrs. Desole became principal. By the spring of 1954, twenty-seven children were attending this school. For a short period of time, the organization used the First Congregational Church, also on Mill Street, before going into the preventorium of the old Bowne Memorial Hospital on Pendell Road in September of 1955. At this time the association was trying to amend the State Education Law, to permit children with an IQ of less than 50 to attend public schools.
The school continued in the Bowne buildings until June, 1958, at which time it was learned the children would be able to enter the public school system. The buildings also had to be vacated so that renovations could be started for the Dutch- ess Community College. There were forty-five children at- tending classes and Mrs. Helen Wolpert was principal. Eighty-two children had attended the Little Red School House during the period of 1952 to June, 1958.
After the public school accepted thirty-seven pupils, the Community Chest sponsored the Little Red School House. In the fall of 1958, the school was located temporarily in the Jewish Center on North Hamilton Street and on Monday, January 26, 1959, they moved into their own building at 26 Forbus Street.
There are presently fifteen children attending this school. Nine are in the nursery school, one in day care, and five in an educable emotionally disturbed group. Mrs. Bessie Payne is the principal and has the assistance of three teach- ers. Children between the ages of four and one-half to six are accepted and trained so that they will eventually be able to attend public school. All screening for these children has been and is still being done by Dr. Sarah Hirsdansky, psychi- atrist.
Several other schools throughout Dutchess County are now including programs for the retarded child with an IQ between 50 and 75. In addition to Poughkeepsie the others with retarded programs include Arlington, Beacon, Hyde Park, Wappingers Falls, and Red Hook-Pine Plains. The Red Hook-Pine Plains retarded program is conducted in the Hillside School in Lafayetteville.
There is only one private day school in Dutchess Coun- ty, located in Poughkeepsie. The Poughkeepsie Day School
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has an enrollment of 160 students, in grades one through nine.
SPACKENKILL UNION FREE SCHOOL&
Near the city limits, and almost within its boun- daries, is the Spackenkill School District. This district re- ceived its charter May 1, 1865. The first school was a one- room brick building with a lot of Victorian peaks, and was located where the firehouse is today, at the corner of Spack- enkill Road and Schoolhouse Lane. At that time, the city limits were not close.
An old minute book of the district begins in 1882, when the district voted to raise $250 "for teachers' wages and oth- er necessary expenses." The total budget that year was $414.33.
The district voted to construct a new building in 1924, and bought approximately three acres for $1,500. The cen- tral part of the present building was built in 1925, and the site has now been enlarged to about five acres.
Spackenkill had an up to date building in 1928, which contained, aside from its two large classrooms, an auditor- ium and a teachers' room. At this time, lower Academy Street was in the Spackenkill District, but was lost when Poughkeepsie's eighth ward was formed. The high school students of Spackenkill in 1928 attended Arlington, and when the time came that Arlington could no longer accommodate them, they were transferred to Poughkeepsie High School. About 1940, Poughkeepsie could no longer continue to take them, either, so they were transferred to Wappingers Cen- tral School. Junior high school students were sent to Wap- pingers in 1946 and Spackenkill became a kindergarten through sixth grade school.
The original new two-room school had a total enroll- ment of fifty pupils and two teachers; today Spackenkill has grown to a twenty-one-room school with twenty-six teachers and 564 students.
The population of the district has grown rapidly since the coming of IBM, probably because the school is within a mile of the plant and many of the personnel live in the near-
8 Information on Spackenkill based on article in Poughkeepsie New Yorker, Sunday, November 25, 1956, 10, and interview with Mrs. Lionel Lawrence, former principal.
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FIRST ONE-ROOM SCHOOL of Spackenkill Union Free District was erected in the 1860's where the Spackenkill Firehouse stands today.
by housing developments which have sprung up. In re- sponse to the first growth, the teaching staff was doubled, from two to four. This was in 1948 and special teachers were hired for homemaking and shop courses, plus part-time teachers for art and music. Part-time classes were held that year, because of the number of students enrolled, and the following year the first addition was built on the school. In 1951 another addition was needed, and on Febru- ary 3, 1959, a new $850,000 elementary school was opened
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on Croft Road with an enrollment of 200 pupils. This new school houses grades five through eight, and the old Spacken- kill School has the kindergarten through fourth grade chil- dren.
Part of Spackenkill School's overcrowded conditions occurred in the fall of 1955 when Wappingers Central School would no longer take the seventh grade students of Spack- enkill School. The following year Wappingers Central School would not accept the eighth grade students, so once again Spackenkill School had a kindergarten through eighth grade system, the same as it had in 1928.
Spackenkill School was told in the fall of 1957 it would have to keep its ninth grade students, which is one of the main reasons why the district wanted to build its own high school. A site for a proposed high school was chosen on Croft Road, the present site of the newly opened elementary school. This land contains approximately seventeen and one- half acres.
The former principal, Mrs. Lionel Lawrence, went to Spackenkill School as a principal and fifth through eighth grade teacher in 1928. She gave up teaching in 1950 as the growth of the school made it necessary for her to concentrate on the executive duties of principal. Mrs. Lawrence is pres- ently on a year's leave of absence from the district. Orvill Todd has replaced Mrs. Lawrence as principal of that dis- trict.
Along with the tremendous growth of the school, the standards have gone up. Homemaking, shop, music, and art were added in the 1940's. The school added a part-time nurse in 1949, and a full-time one in 1954. French is now offered to the seventh grade students, and spelling for eighth grade students who have difficulty with this subject. There is also a course in reading improvement. A single class may have as many as three reading groups and all classes have re- mained small, with only nineteen or twenty children in one classroom-a most desirable situation.
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