The official records of the school board have little to say about the program of studies for the schools. After the appointment of a superintendent, the responsibility for educational leadership was assigned to his office, and except for occasional mention of approval for newly introduced programs very little official action was taken in reference to the curriculum. However, in the early days of the school system when it was necessary for the board itself to be responsible for the educational program, a few matters received official consideration which arc of interest to us now. This chapter will relate some of those early problems and present a chronological report of the growth and expansion of the educational program.

In 1909 at the February meeting the secretary and president of the school b3ard were constituted. a committee to see Miss Eroding, Principal, and to notify her that she shall not teach any religious, political or discuss the drinking habit in regard to Speakeasys and etc. in school and she as principal notify other teachers to not teach any such things also?

An unemployed music teacher from Beaver Falls applied to the school board in 1910 for a position and offered to come to Midland to teach music two days a week. This opportunity was turned down, and it wasn't until very much later that it was considered wise to give music instruction to the pupils.

At the November 7, 1910, meeting the following complaint was received; ''that some of the people claim that their children are too far advanced for this school and that Mr. Clutton, Principal, start an advanced class teaching Algebra, Trig., etc.'

The problem prevailing at that time is apparent. The school, which was being operated, was strictly of an elementary nature, teaching the three R's only. Many new people were moving into this new rapidly growing town. Many of the children had been attending school elsewhere and were beyond the educational levels, which were provided in Midland. Midland itself could offer no formal program beyond the eighth grade until 1914. In that year nine pupils (six boys and three girls) were organized into high school classes at the Neal Independent School; they constituted the class of 1918, the first class to graduate from high school in Midland.

Before high school classes could be organized. some pupils were desirous of going to high school. The first pupil to request this opportunity was Nancy Edmunds in 1911; the Midland School Board approved payment of her high school tuition to the Beaver High School. It was necessary for her then to provide her own transportation. In 1913 the board was paying tuition for Nancy Edmunds and James Green. Nancy Edmunds continued to attend at Beaver, graduated from there, and later returned to teach in the Midland system for a number of years.

In 1911 new state school laws were passed. One required that schools should be operated 180 days each year. This school system conformed to the law. The records do not reveal what the length of the term had been prior to 1911) but it was less than nine months.

Father Gallagher, the Catholic Priest, appeared before the board in April 1911, to raise an objection concerning Mr. Clutton. It was alleged that Mr. Clutton had taught about St. Patrick's Day in a non-sectarian manner. How the board handled the situation is not known, but Mr. Clutton did not return to teach in Midland the next term.

The school board adopted the Ward system of reading at their August 7, 1912, meeting and authorized the secretary to purchase the necessary books.

Salesmen of all kinds of materials who spent considerable time at the meetings in an attempt to sell their goods visited most of the meetings in those early days.

Schools were very crowded at this time. As is related in another chapter, the school district could not keep pace with the fast growing population by constructing adequate buildings. In spite of the fact that temporary rooms were being rented and used for classrooms, it was still necessary to have half-day sessions in order to accommodate the pupils. From the.peri6d 1914 to 1926 there were a number of years when half sessions were necessary.

At the meeting of February 3, 1914, the board responded to a request made by many parents. The board agreed to a longer noon hour recess in order to give many of the boys in school more time to carry their father0s dinner pail to them at the mill. It was ruled then that school should be in session until 4 o'clock each day except on Friday when school would be dismissed at 3:30.

July 1, 1918, was the date on which the school board decided to have how economics for girls in the seventh and eighth grades starting the next term. The Fourth Street Building had been completed; so there was room for such a program. However, it was not until. The 1922 term that manual training was provided for the seventh and eighth grade boys.

Although the program was wager, there was a formal high school program in operation after 1914. In addition to the residents of Midland the board was also accepting high school pupils from Georgetown, Shippingport, Industry Township, and Glasgow as early as 1915 on a tuition basis. On September 7th the board approved the tuition rate to be $5.00 per month, but on November 5th it was reduced to $2.50 per month. It seems that these districts were usually slow in paying their tuition bills; so nearly every year the Midland School Board would take so-me official action in regard to their unpaid tuition bills. The current tuition rate is $27-37 per month.

The first mention of night school is found in the minutes for 1916 when approval was given for the payment of night school teacher salaries and again at the meeting of October 10, 1919, when the board approved night school classics for foreign born adults. Again on November 8, 1924, approval was given for night school classes in English, and on December 10, 1925, general night school was approved. Mr. F. Farloyp, who is now high school principal at nearby Rochester, was put in charge of the program. Since that time this has become a regular and an extensive part of the program of the schools. Evening classes are offered each year to adults in any subject they wish. If 15 adults desire a class in any subject, it will be provided for them. Each year four to ten different classes arc taught for the benefit of adults.

In 1921 we find the first official evidence of school board interest in the so-called extra curricular activities. The Fourth Street School was being used for the high school classes. There was no gymnasium in this building. The upper room of the City Building had been used for basketball games since 1910, and on January 4, 1921, t1le board agreed to pay to have showers installed there for our basketball players. An athletic program in football was started in 1919, but it was not until 1923 that the board, for the first time, authorized the expenditure of $100.00 to be used for athletics. By 1925 they were spending $ 300.00 a year to support this activity. By way of comparison the budget for 11953-54 provides $3,000.00 to underwrite the athletic program as wc1l as several thousand dollars for the improvement and maintenance of the football field.

The board had encouraged the activity of the pupils in the Beaver County Literary Contests, and in 1922 Midland acted as host for this event. The affair was held in the Crowley Theater. This building has since been converted to the Crucible Steel Company Metallurgy Laboratory. It was also in 1922 that the school board consented to sponsor the Boy Scouts in Midland. Mr. Kotler, the supervising principal, was very much interested in this project, and it was through his leadership and guidance that the movement grew very rapidly. The board permitted the use of the basement of the Carnegie Library building to be used for a meeting place for the scouts. In 1920, the Scouts were given the use of one of the abandoned temporary buildings at the Seventh Street School which they used until the building was disposed of; at that time, the board provided a room in the basement of the Seventh Street building which was used exclusively by the Boy Scouts until the board released its sponsorship of Boy Scouts entirely in 1952.

As far back as 1915 school picnics have been hold at Rock Springs Park. The meeting of Jan.4, 1915, indicates that plans were being made for the picnic that year.

The year 1924 is significant in the history of the organization of the educational program. It had boon customary to have some sort of a formal commencement exercise for these pupils who completed the eighth grade. In March of 1924 the board decided to discontinue this practice. It has been mentioned that the district had, a problem of handling so many pupils that were constantly moving into the district. In 1024 it was decided to start now classes in January as well as in September. The result was that there were two graduating classes in 1927, one in January and one in June. This was also true in 1928. In 1929 the same organization prevailed but there was only one graduation class. Those who finished their work. in January were held over and Included with the group who finished in June. The two-semester plan was discontinued entirely in.1930, and the grade level of all pupils in the school district was determined on the basis of previous achievement.

In 1926 when the high school building was completed, the school district was classified as an 8-4 system. The throe elementary buildings housed the first eight grades, and the four grades of secondary school were in the now 39 building. In 1928 the organization was changed to a 3-3-6 plan. The First Street and Seventh Street Schools 'had grades kindergarten through the third grade, and all the intermediate grades (4, 5, 6) were housed in the Fourth Street School, with the junior and senior high school grades being in the now building. This organization still prevails. One exception is noted. Until 1947 the instruction in the instruction in the intermediate grades was presented on. a departmental basis. since 1947 all groups have been taught in a self contained class room.

On March 10, 1927, approval was given to organize an Orthogenic Class for the mentally retarded pupils. Such a class was organized and started in the fail of 1928. In 1929 a similar class was started for the older pupils and was located in the high school. The 'high school began to be overcrowded in 1937, so the Orthogenic class was moved to the Fourth Street School where both classes were operated until 1951 when a drop in enrollment enabled a combination of both groups into one class. Over the years the Orthogenic class was challenged a number of times by groups of citizens who attended the board meeting and pleaded to have the class discontinued. However, after each such petition the board, after due deliberation, always decided to retain the classes because it was felt the mentally retarded pupils were receiving far better educational service in this class than they would if they wore in other classes*

The year 1928 marks the beginning of a regularly organized physical Education program. A certified director was hired and -the program was organized and put into operation; thereby another milestone of progress in the development of the educational program was marked.

In 1927 t1ho school board decided to have an educational survey made of the school district. An application for such was made to the State Department of Public Instruction which approved the request and appointed a committee, headed by Dr. C. R. Foster, who was then Principal of Indiana State Teachers College, to make the survey. The survey was completed and the report printed for distribution on April 13, 1928. This report, which is on file in the Carnegie Library, reveals some interesting facts concerning the educational program as it existed in 1927.

Interest in some type of a pre-school program was evident as far as 1921. During the school year 1921-22 Catherine Pirtor Jacobs and Catherine McGeehan conducted a private kindergarden in the basement of the library. The following year the class was conducted by Mrs. Mn.- Hurt-t and. Margaret Franke. Nothing was done in this regard again until 1927 when Mrs. F. B. Hill was given permission to operate a private kindergarten in the basement room of the library building. Mrs. Hill informed this writer that she operated such a kindergarten there for two years. At their April 9, 1931, meeting the school board approved the organization of a kindergarten program to start in September 1931. Two sessions of kindergarten have been conducted at the First Street School and the Seventh Street School ever since. It has become such an established part of the educational program that it even weathered the storm of the depression when other educational services were curtailed.

The addition to the high school building was completed in the fall of 1929 facilities had been provided for shop rooms in order to carry on a Vocational Industrial Educational Program for senior high boys. This three-year course was operated in accordance with the Smith-Hughes Federal Law. Vocational training was provided for pattern making, woodworking, drafting, machine shop practice, and electricity. Mr. Frank Rohr was the first director of the department and did  much to get this new program D r-m off to a good start. The program was the most popular program, in high school for the boys until the fall of 1947. Duo to a number of circumstances the enrollment in this department decreased considerably, and in 1947 the board decided that the boys in that department could be best served under a Unit Shop Industrial Arts Program; so the vocational program Ins discontinued.

That there might be a special program for Girls as well as for boys, a Vocational Home Making Program was started in 1930. This specialized course for girls in the junior and senior years of high school was operated under the Smith-Hughes Federal Act. A specially certified teacher was hired to direct these classes which proved to be rather Dopu3nr with the girls until 1952. In spite of the new and modern facilities, which had been provided for the department, the enrolment in this course decreased to the point that the classes had to be discontinued in 1953. It is the opinion of the writer, however, that the classes will be resumed before two long a time. At the present time the junior high girls are getting to use and enjoy all of the facilities.

The year 1929 also marked the beginning of a music program in the high school. In the fall of that year the board engaged Mr. Vance Shobert as a chemistry teacher. It was discovered that Mr. Shobert had a background of training in music. He was given the side job of organizing a high school band and orchestra. It was a very inauspicious start, but the seed of interest was planted. The project grew, and in 1931 when the school board hired a certified music teacher, the Midland High School Band was on its way. Mr. Lyle Hough, the first director, had band practices two nights a week during the summer before school opened. This started a practice, which had continued and grown to the point that the band director now works with the band all summer. In 1931 band, uniforms were purchased from the C. E. Ward Company for $15.15 each. The high school band had receive? Many honors in recent years and is recognized as one of the outstanding marching bands in this area. The present music program is under the direction of a full time teacher who is responsible for the instrumental music work in the high school and another full time per son who is responsible for the vocal music program in high school and the supervision of the elementary program, and a full time person who teaches instrumental and vocal music in the intermediate grades.

The writer has been informed that during the school year 1928-29 a remedial reading teacher was employed part time. This lady was Mrs. McMinn from either Beaver Falls or Rochester. This was an advance stop in those days and indicates that the district was attempting to meet the needs of the pupils.

The history of the schools is one of service to the community. The Boards of Education have always been Generous in permitting the use of their buildings and facilities for the benefit of people in the community. During the depression years in the early thirties many activities were sponsored in the schools under the W. P. A. Program-everything from repairing shoes to teaching English. These classes were discontinued in 1937.

The Second World War made many demands upon the school to train adults to do a job in national defense industries. The shops were used from 4 o’clock each afternoon until 8 o'clock the next morning in an effort to train non and women as fast as possible to do a job. The demand for instruction in welding was so great that, to serve the Curtis Wright Company located in Beaver, our school operated a branch welding school in Beaver to speed up the training of more welders. These activities prevailed from 1941 for a period of about six years.

In April 1941, the Board of Education considered the request of some ministers of the community to release pupils from school for one hour each week to attend their church for religious instruction. After ascertaining the legality of this activity, the board approved the program to be inaugurated with the fall term. The program permits any high school pupil to be released from school at a designated time to attend the church of his choice to receive religious instruction.

In 1949 another innovation was made to the educational program. A course in safe driving was started which gave each high school junior an opportunity to learn how to drive safely and properly. This instruction is given by specially certified teachers using dual-control cars, which have been donated by local automobile merchants.

The organization of the educational program in Midland is as follows: kindergartens and the first three grades are taught in the First Street School and the Seventh Street School; grades four, five, and six are in the Fourth Street School; grades seven to twelve are in the high school building. There are many reasons why this type of' organization is desirable for Midland at the present time.

The high school is an accredited high school which offers the following courses: college preparatory, commercial, general, and industrial arts.

Each classroom and each building in the school system is well equipped with equipment and teaching aids of all types. In recent years much audiovisual material and equipment have been purchased, and, so that these materials would be used to the best advantage, a full time director of audio-visual education was engaged to assist teachers in the proper use of those teaching aids.

Teachers are given sufficient materials, textbooks, and aids to do a good job of teaching.