Around Adams County - Page 41

     The High School tuition system prompted civil pride in Arendtsville and Biglerville PA. to provide such a home for education. The first to make the plunge was Arendtsville, when three of our young men, Mr. Charles Raffensperger, Mr. Ira Lady, and Mr. George Rice, sponsored the proposition and secured the signatures to the the petition for the establishment of a two-year high school in 1911. In 1912, Guyan Wierman was the first and only graduate of the two-year high school program.

     With enrollment growing including the high school pupils, the classes soon outgrew the second floor of the grade school building and older pupils were moved to the second floor of the fire house on S. High St., amid plans to construct a new high school building and expand the course to three years.

     In 1914 the people voted for a new high school building. The school board, being interested in the welfare of the children, with crowded conditions existing and no funds available, floated a $5,000 bond issue. The two-story building at the end of S. High St., less the auditorium, resulted. The school grew rapidly, and the two year course was extended to a three year course. This continued from 1915 to 1917 when the school evolved into a vocational school. The class of 1915 consisted of three members: Miss Mary Lady Garretson, Eva Jacobs, and Olive Orner.

     On November 4, 1915, at a regular meeting, the Arendtsville Borough school board listened to Mr. Edwin A. Rice, a student at that time at State College, explain the possibilities of establishing a Rural Community Vocational school at Arendtsville. The board was impressed with the idea and a committee was immed- iately appointed to investigate the matter. This movement for the Vocational School was championed by the Assistant County Superintendent, George M. Rice, D.C.Jacobs, and the PTA organization. The PTA organization was very active in educating the people of the community as to the possibilities of a vocational school.