Closed Henderson Schools & Kentucky School Consolidations

Slideshow of Henderson County & City Schools

School Statistics

Henderson County Senior High School Enrollment:
Total Enrollment - 2186
Rank Nationally - 1174 out of 19379
Rank in Kentucky - 2 out of 284

Henderson County Senior High School Students by Grade:
9th - 587
10th - 618
11th - 548
12th - 433

Henderson County Senior High School Students by Gender:
Male - 1074 (49%)
Female - 1112 (51%)

Henderson County Senior High School Students by Ethnicity:
American Indian -     0 (0%)
Asian -                    7 (0%)
Black -                 222 (10%)
Hispanic -               16 (1%)
White -                1941 (89%)

Henderson County Senior High School Student to Teacher Statistics:
Pupil/Teacher Ratio: 20
Student/Teacher Rank in KY: 250 of 284
Full Time Teachers: 109.5
Rank in Kentucky: 4 of 284

Henderson County Senior High School Students by Lunch Assistance:
Free Lunch Eligible -               550 (25%)
Reduced-Price Lunch Eligible - 109 (5%)
Combined Free or Reduced -   659 (30%)
Rank in Kentucky:                   18 of 284

The Problems with School Consolidations

My grievances with school consolidations. http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/nov/18/education/

This editorial is not meant to be derogatory against Henderson County High School. Rather this is all about school consolidations as a whole.

One of the most intriguing parts of the Kentucky High School Basketball sweet 16 was being able to see a team like Carr Creek (50 enrollment), Brewer, Inez, Corbin, Hazard, or a team from Cuba, KY (120 enrollment) go to this great tournament and complete against larger high schools, and win the tournament. All the teams listed above are former Kentucky High School state basketball champions.

Teams from Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro, Paducah, Bowling Green, that had enrollments from 1,000 students to 3,000 students, would usually win the state tournament year in and year out. But there were the special years of 1956 when Carr Creek won it all & 1959 when Cuba was crowned state champions or the last undefeated 1948 basketball team of Brewer High School in Marshall County. When you had a school like Wayland High School in 1956 that has a player the caliber of a Kelly Coleman. Coleman, who set many tournament records in the 1956 Kentucky state tournament that will more than likely stand forever.

Those days are a thing of the past, victims of changes, victims caused by economic woes in poorer & smaller counties, which were tragically replaced with one large consolidated school for the entire county.

Gone forever are the rivalries between 2 or 3 smaller schools in neighboring towns. Most of these small schools have been razed or turned into a building with another use. Or it’s just a run-down old building sitting, gathering cobwebs and making a home for the local owls, field mice, homeless people and drug users.

Secondly you have to take in the accounting factor that a county has to calculate in with the cost of school buses. You have the initial cost of the bus itself, the cost of maintaining the buses, the cost of fuel, which has recently peaked at over $5 a gallon. in some parts of the country. Now you are looking at a budget that most school districts will be wondering how they can stretch these dollars.

Thirdly, we have to look at what that school district will have to cut out of their budget, so they can make ends meet. Will they cut out band, choir, physical education, some sports teams, or will they have to cut the teachers staff? It should be quite Obvious that something (s) have to be eliminated. So now the dilemma is worsening.

Fourthly, you have larger schools with financial woes that no one expected 40 years ago when a county closed all the small schools, and built a nice new modern elementary school. A new ultra modern middle school, and a gigantic mega high school out in the middle of a former corn field.

The original Barret Manual Training High School & Henderson City High School are both long gone now. Barret was demolished in 1958, and a new Junior High School building was built in it's place, and City High became a victim of local greed, and was consolidated with Henderson County High School in 1976, and was turned a Junior High School . The old Barret Junior High School became a place for the elderly to congregate.

This is basically what has happened throughout the entire state of Kentucky with most counties becoming a one high school county. This has taken away the chance for many players to compete at a varsity level of play, when you have less schools, less teams and now you have larger schools with larger classrooms, and fewer teachers. In a county that once had 20+ high schools, such as Henderon County once had, now you have one for the entire county that grown to over 40,000 people!

Today Henderon County has but one large Consolidated high school, Henderson County High School. And even with the one of the largest high schools in the entire state of Kentucky including the Louisville & Lexington schools, they cannot win a state football or basketball championship or even compete scholastically.

In all fairness to Henderson County High School they have captured some of the past glory in certain athletic events, notably track & field.

A former Henderson teacher informed me recently that a lot of more of the well-to-do students are attending Evansville Memorial High School which hurts the academic standing at Henderon County Senior High. Then Henderson should do something to help keep the "gifted" students home.

There has to be a logical reason as to why this happens.

According to the statistics that are available, the Mega Sized Henderson County High School of 2,148 students ranks 151st from amongst 238 high schools scholastically in the state. Maybe they should double the size to over 4,000, and move (or fall) all the way to the bottom of the ladder.

Even tiny Webster County High School, has a better scholastically rated school system than Henderson County High Senior High School does. And Providence still has its own high school, independent of Webster County.

Henderson, Kentucky is located on the Ohio River in Western KY, across the river from Evansville, IN. U. S. Highway 41 & U. S. Highway 60 both cross through Henderson.

Norway, Iowa, with a population of 585, is a prime example of what school consolidation can do to a small town and it's surrounding smaller communities. Norway High School, with an enrollment of about 100 students, won an unbelievable 19 state baseball championships through their final season in 1991. When they consolidated into the Benton County school system, which made the census larger at the newer consolidated county school. The larger Benton County High School has failed to even qualify for a state tournament, let alone win an Iowa state baseball championship.

Only remaining High School in Henderson county is the Henderson County Senior High School, enrollment 2,186, exceeded only by Lexington Dunbar with 2,209.

http://high-schools.com/report/ky/public-school-enrollment-rank-in-kentucky.html

The total number of High Schools that once were in almost every small town in In 1917 the Commonwealth of Kentucky peaked at 972 high schools. By the mid 50's that number had dwindled to 630. That number is now at 135 (school year 2009). Take into consideration that Kentucky has 120 counties, and you barely average over one high school per county. These figures do not include any high schools that were not a member of the KHSAA (1917-present). This would also not include private or Church high schools, girls high schools, or any Military high schools. There were also many high schools that went to the wayside prior to 1916. I foresee more school consolidations as a way of the future. Some of the smaller counties in Kentucky will be consolidated with a neighboring county, thusly ending even more high schools, elementary schools and Junior high schools.

The defunct 14 Henderson County high schools

from 1874 to 1976

Henderson High School, 1874-1909

Barret Manual Training High School, 1910-1955

(Building was originally built in 1865, a gymnasium was added in 1926)

Corydon High School, 1927-1954

Dixie High School, 1928-1935

Hebardsville High School, 1928-1954

Henderson City High School, 1956-1976

Henderson County High School, 1954-1976

Henderson Douglass High School, 1956-1965

Holy Name High School, 1938-1965

Niagra High School, 1928-1954

Robards High School, 1928-1939

Smith Mills High School, 1928-1936

Spottsville High School, 1928-1954

Weaverton High School, 1928-1954

Defunct Henderson Junior High Schools

Central Junior High School-Dates Unknown (1910-1955) ??

£££Barret Junior High School, 1956-1959

Henderson Public Elementary Schools

Alves Street Elementary School, Dates Unknown

Audubon Elementary School, Dates Unknown

Center Street Elementary & Secondary School, 1870-1910 (aka HHS)

Central Elementary School & Junior High School: Dates Unknown

£Jefferson Elementary School, Original building closed in 1963.

££7th Street Elementary School, Dates Unknown

Henderson Parochial Schools

Holy Name Elementary School, 1935- Present date

£Only Jefferson St. Elementary School remains open out of the original 5 Public Elementary Schools located in the City limits of Henderson, KY. Jefferson was rebuilt at a different location in 1963, at 315 Jackson St, in Henderson on the corner of South Green St. and Jackson St. The original Jefferson Elementary School was located on the corner of Jefferson St.& Elm St.

South Heights Elementary School, located on the old Rotary baseball Field, was completed in 1960 and is still in use as a grammar school today.

££7th St. Elementary School was rebuilt on the same block in 1960. The original building was on the coners of 7th St. & N. Green St. 7th St. Elementary School was demolished in 2010.

£££..Barret Junior High School, located at Adams St. between Powell & Washington ST's. from 1956 to 1959 was the original Barret Manual Training High School building. The original Barret building was demolished in 1960 and replaced with a new building in 1961. The 7th & 8th graders that would normally have been at Barret Junior High attended Henderson City High for the 1960 and 1961 school years. The new Barret building closed in 1977, and was converted into a senior citizens center. Barret Manual Training High School building also housed the 7th & 8th grades in the early to mid fifties.

History & final closure on the 7th Street School

Seventh Street Elementary School didn’t start out as Seventh Street school.
There has been a school on the site for more than 115 years, but originally it was called “First District School,” according to the 1897 edition of the Sanborn fire insurance map, the earliest edition that depicts the school.
Past historical accounts, such as Maralea Arnett’s “Annals and Scandals,” have said the original school was built in 1893, but that appears unlikely because the city school board didn’t buy the property at Seventh and
Green streets from Elizabeth Fulwiler until Sept. 28, 1893. However, the architectural work had apparently been done prior to that, according to city records. The school board would have been hard-pressed to complete construction of a substantial brick building in three months, especially heading into winter. The insurance map shows the original school had two stories and a basement and a belfry that stood 50 feet tall.
Those early maps also show the school had interesting neighbors — saloons were on two of the opposite corners when the school was built, and by 1908 there were saloons on all three other corners of the intersection. That
prompted the Henderson Ministerial Association to campaign for their closure in April 1908. The move was unsuccessful, but sparked quite a bit of heat in the Henderson City Council.
By 1909 the school had taken on the name Seventh Street, according to an old postcard of that date, and by 1923 it had steam heat, according to the insurance map of that date.
The school was originally just for white children; the younger grades weren’t integrated until 1957 — when 32 black children enrolled — and the following year the seventh grade was integrated.
By that point the school had been enlarged. In 1954 a modern annex was added, which included kitchen facilities, but they weren’t used until the fall of 1958, when the Parent-Teacher Association raised $500 to inaugurate a hot lunch program. Local merchants helped by providing discounts on food. About 200 children participated in the hot lunch program, which cost children 25 cents daily.
That 1954 annex was recycled when the current building was erected in the mid-1970s. The city school board approved preliminary plans for new buildings at Seventh Street and Central elementaries on Nov. 13, 1972, but the projects came in $400,000 over the architect’s estimate when they were bid, according to the Aug. 25, 1973, edition of The Gleaner.
On Sept. 10 of that year the school board negotiated with the low bidder, George Ryan Co. of Evansville, and got it to shave $36,511 off the $1.89 million price tag for both schools. The price included remodeling 10,000 square feet of the existing 1954 building, and erecting 27,500 square feet of
new building at Seventh Street, although the new portion was built closer to Sixth Street than the original school.
Both Seventh Street and Central schools were completed in February of 1975. Four years later a feature article about cafeteria workers there noted Seventh Street served about 250 lunches daily.
By 2002, when the school board began considering closing Seventh Street school, the facility housed 314 students — the least of any elementary school in the county. And that was expected to drop to 257 after sixth-graders were moved to the middle schools.
Closure of the elementary school created a bitter controversy. A special meeting was called for the first vote to close the school, which meant most people didn’t learn of the impending closure until the day the vote was scheduled.
Nevertheless, about 70 persons attended on March 6, 2002, and they cheered when the board voted 3-to-2 against closure. But the issue came up again mere weeks later. On May 20 the board voted 4-to-1 — for the second time — to close the school at the end of the 2002 school year. At the same meeting Superintendent John Vaughan announced he would resign at the end of June, saying he had become a “lightning rod” on the school closure issue.
Vaughan rescinded that resignation in mid-June, however, and the school board kept him on after giving him a superior rating.
At the end of 2002 the school district leased the building to Murray State University so it could house local classes there.
The university occupied the building from January 2003 through August 2008. The school district considered moving its Central Office to the building after the university vacated, but has reconsidered and now plans to demolish the building and erect an early childhood center on the site.
The public is invited to a farewell reception at the school at 7 p.m. Monday, an event that will serve as a good-bye to the old school and a hello to the site’s new use. More details about that event are in an accompanying story.
Say farewell to school Monday. Local residents will have a chance to say farewell Monday to the old Seventh Street School before it is torn down and a new early childhood center is constructed on that very same campus.
A reception will be held at 7 p.m. to give people a chance to reminisce and view the Seventh Street facility one final time while also previewing a model classroom for the new, state-of-the-art early childhood center.
Refreshments will be served, and children will be able to take part in activities such as face painting, storytelling, hat-making, music and more.
The event will take place at 328 Seventh St.
For more information, contact Superintendent Thomas Richey, Marganna Stanley or Shelia Redmon at 831-5000.

This web-site is dedicated to the Barret Manual &

Henderson City High Sports teams from 1954-1963.

Especially the Henderson City High 1955-56 sports teams

that had so many great gifted student/athletes.

The contents of this web site are intended to be used

only for the educational value and entertainment enjoyment.

An alumni of Henderson City High School stated to me:

"Once a Flashman, always a Flashman".

Truer words have never been spoken.

Many thanks to the people listed below for their contributions.
Jim Adams (HHS '59),
Elaine Benson (HNHS: '59),

Pascal Benson (HHS '56)

Don Gish (BMTHS '55),

Glenda Alexander Guess (HHS '57),

Shirley Hagan (HHS '56),
Billy Haynes (HHS '59),
Sonda Keach Nolan (HHS '56),
Dr. Fred Schuette (HHS '56),
Sammy Joe Shelton (HHS '56),
Bud Bayard Walters (HHS '59),
Coach T. L. Plain

all artwork/photos are the property of SAR2 CREATIONS of Nevada,

Please contact webmaster for any use of artwork or photographs.

All photographs used are public-domain,

there are no violations of copyright laws

or Hippa Laws of Privacy.

Shelby A. (Lex) Riggs II

web-master

Please note that all photographs were sent in by former students of Henderson City High School. They have all been edited, corrected & cleaned up as well as they possibly could. If you are displeased with a photo, simply scan the photo that you want replaced and I will be more than happy to replace it.

Thanks for your support,

Lex Riggs, webmaster