Whittier School Transformation - 1947
Clinton High Boys Transform Old School Into Attractive Dwelling
SOURCE: The Clinton Herald, 26 April 1947
A transformation has taken place in Clinton! What was once the old Whittier school at Second avenue road and Fourteenth street is now a modern up-to-date seven-room home.
By dint of a lot of hard work, 24 boys in the vocational building trades course at Clinton high school have changed the old schoolhouse into a home with two bedrooms, a spacious living room, a sewing room, a bathroom, kitchen and sun room. In addition there is a screened in porch and a large basement.
Having the first chance to purchase this home when open house is held toward the end of the present school year will be ex-servicemen. Before the place is sold a one and one-half story garage will have been built. The lower half will be of blocks and the upper half, which is for storage, will be of wood.
Under the direction of Leonard Wilson, building trades instructor, the work included lowering the ceiling, putting in partitions, windows, doors, bath, septic tank, two new porches and a modern kitchen with built in cabinets and sink.
All the wall are to be painted. Some of the floors will be of oak and some of inlaid linoleum.
Electrical contractors furnished a man to work with the boys in that branch of the building project, while plumbers and carpenters also cooperated in the project. In the future it is planned to hire local craftsmen to work with the boys on wiring, bricklaying and painting.
This is the first year since the war that the building trades work has been offered in the high school. The boys spend three periods on projects and one hour on related work.
Wilson said, "The boys get electrical, plumbing, concrete work, painting, cabinet making and carpentry experience. This course offers actual experience and helps the boys decide what field of building trade they wish to enter."
If material is available it is planned to build a new house as next year's project.
School Board Sells Whittier for $7,000
SOURCE: Clinton Herald 02 July 1947
The former Whittier school building, which was converted into a home by the Clinton high school building trades class this year, was sold for $7,000 to Frederick Wurster, 540 Fourth avenue, South, at the annual meeting of the Clinton district school board last night in Roosevelt school.
Wurster will also receive the lot and garage that goes with the building and will be given an abstract for the property.
Fix School Calendar
The school calendar for the next term was also adopted at this meeting with 184 school days listed for the 1947-48 term. Public schools will open Tuesday, Sept. 2, with the junior college to open Sept. 8. Only vacations this year will be the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter recesses. The Thanksgiving holiday will be from Nov. 27 through Nov. 30, Christmas from Dec. 20 through Jan. 5 and Easter, from March 25 through 29.
The junior college year will close May 29 and the schools June 4. Commencement for the junior high schools will be June 2, with that for the senior high schools and junior college, June 3.
Members of the board agreed to uphold Supt. J. R. Mounce in refusing to accept teachers' resignations subsequent to July 1 and granted permission to Secretary Victor Sorenson to pay immediately the balance of salary due to Thomas Robbins, who has resigned from the school system.
In other business the formal election of the superintendent of buildings and grounds, the janitorial staff and the clerical employees of the district was held, with each employee's salary listed in accordance with the new wage increases granted recently.
Salaries Fixed
Victor Sorensen, present secretary of the district, was given a salary increase from $3,300 to $3,500 with an additional $100 allowed for transportation expenses. C. A. Buechner, former secretary of the Lyons district, was hired at a salary of $2,000 to be the assistant secretary of the consolidated district.
Contracts will be offered to six teachers as follows: Maxine Stone, elementary teacher, salary, $2,100; Vivien Welch, elementary teacher, salary, $2,200; Ruth Ragsdale, elementary teacher, $2,150; Jane L. Groom; junior high teacher, $2,400; Mrs. Clara Rose White, high school special substitute, $2,750 and Calrence W. Coons, Jr., teacher and band director, $3,200 plus $100 transportation. The latter three, if they accept the contracts, will teach in the former Lyons district schools.
Edward Mickey, biology teacher at Clinton high, was granted a year's leave of absence to obtain his master's degree. The recommendation that the contract of R. T. Grau run for 12 months, beginning July 1, 1947, with two weeks' vacation in summer of 1947 in addition to regular vacations during the school year, was approved by the board.
To Buy Books on Bids
Bids will be sent out for the purchase of library books with the report on this to be made at the August meeting. It was recommended further that the secretary contact an actuary to merge the Clinton and Lyons annuity systems.
The Clinton Roofing and Insulation company's bid to repair work at Irving school at a cost of $335 was accepted.
Budget balance at the close of the fiscal year was reported by the secretary as $28, 291.83. Other annual and monthly reports from the secretary and treasurer of the district were also given.
Next meeting of the board will be Monday, July 7, at which time the budge for the coming year will be set up.