Schools of Warren Township South

.The Plunket school was a one room school located at State Road and 10 mile Road. 1869

Several local churches ran schools. See the story of St Clement. 

Schools of Southern Warren

Mielke 1894

In the pioneer days Southern Warren and Center Line had two schools the St Clement school, which was in existence before 1868 and the Public one room school.  Both were most likely built with donated supplies and labor of the local farm families.  They may have had two school raisings.  This is where the local families got together to construct and raise the walls put up the roof beams, and roof the school.  Both schools were a community effort.  The St Clement school was located near the St Clement church on Church Road (later named Engleman) and Van Dyke.  There were at least two nuns who were teachers.  They were volunteers and served without pay.  The Church provided meager living quarters for the nuns and little else. Then finally in 1892 they were paid $250 per year. (that computes to 68 cents a day and they sometimes gave money to others when help was needed)  The St Clement school was enlarged in 1871, and again in 1921 when 600 children attended and 16 classrooms were added.

  The public school was a basic one room structure with out houses and a wood shed.  It had a pot belly wood stove with a long stove pipe that served as a radiator.  It had wooden benches for seats with carved desk tops.  Later it had oil lamps perhaps replaced by electric bulbs for its last few years.  It had a bell tower and most likely a bell.  It was located on the North East corner of the State Road and Ten Mile Road.  This became known as the Plunkett School because Mortimer Plunkett taught there alone for many years.  It appears on a 1875 map as does the St Clement School.  The following is quoted or paraphrased from Bert Hazen’s history and other sources. The school records appear to start with the creation of School District No. 2 in 1899.  The school board consisted of Bath Desgrandchsmps moderator, Peter Kaltz assessor and John Kaltz director.  The school budget that year was $584.22.  In 1899 they contracted with Jacob F Hartsig to furnish “eight cords of good sound soft wood to be piled in the wood shed”.  “The members of the board wrote down nine rules of conduct the students were to obey.  Records do not reveal that rule number seven was ever rescinded.  It reads:  ‘In case of disobedience the teacher shall inflict such punishment as he thinks proper and any scholar violating such comments shall be expelled from this school.”  “The teacher in 1899 was Frank L. Bacon. How long he had been employed in District No. 2 prior to that time is not known.  however we know that his successor, Mortimer W Plunkett was the only teacher between 1900 and 1916 and he taught pupils in all classes of all ages.”  “Mortimer agreed to accept a salary of $333 to cover ten month teaching.  In 1901 he received an increase of $27”. “He worked for $9 per week.  It was quite apparent that he and the school board were pleased with each other.”  “A painting and whitewashing of the school and the outbuildings cost $19.25 for eleven days painters wages and $3.43 for materials.    John Kaltz charged far less to repair the school and its fences.  His labor for ten days was $10.00.”

The Busch school replaced the Plunkett School.

Busch school was constructed in 1921-1922 with fur rooms.  Property may have been donated by the Busch family.  Busch School was named after Louis Busch who owned the property and who served on the school board from 1914 to 1948.  A nine room addition was added in 1928.An interesting note was that it was a two story school and had a big pipe about 3 ˝  feet in diameter that angled down from the second floor and then leveled off.  This was the school’s fire escape.  In later times the bell was removed from the bell tower.  The teachers may have had hand held bells.  I remember that the principal Gordon Motz at Busch had a hand turned mechanical siren for fire drills. It was closed in 1984.

In the old days one could leave a quarter on a desk and it would remain there all day.  Now days it would be stolen within minutes.  If one lost one’s wallet with one’s name in it, it would most likely be brought to your address by the finder.  Now days there is only a slim chance of that happening.  What has changed between then and now?

There was a one room school on Ryan between 10 mile and 9 mile roads.

Lincolin School

The Lincolin 8 room school was built in 1921.  This probably took a great burden off of the Center Line schools.  Growth was so rapid that twelve rooms were added to it in 1925.

The Harding four room school was built in 1925. 

It has been expanded several times and it is still an excellent school.

The Ellis primary four room school was built in 1926 after  Mr. Ellis donated the land.  All eight elementary grades were taught there by four teachers.

“1925: At an annual meeting it was voted to change from a primary to a graded school district.  May Peck was hired and placed in charge of the school system.  She taught continuously until 1958.”  The peck elementary school, built in 1961 was named after her. 

In 1927 Harry W Miller was hired as superintendent.  Bernard Kaltz and Hugo Rinke were elected to the board.

In 1928 a “temporary” frame two room school Grosebeck Elementary was built and served 22 years.  It was named after Governor Alex Groesbeck.  Also “an addition to Busch was made which included a gymnasium.”

In 1928 “the first of the famous Busch Bands was organized by Homer Hazelton.”

Mckinley and Macomb Park schools were built about 1928.

In “1932: The depression caused pay cuts and the issuance of script.”

In 1941 Frank Ladd donated property on Cunningham for a school site.  “The neighborhood raised the money and purchased a temporary frame building.  The board equipped and staffed it and the Ladd Elementary School came into existence.”

1942 many families moved in with children and “Federal Government erected the Victory Elementary School and also equipped the ten rooms.”  In that year voters also approved pupil transportation.

1950:  “The Miller Elementary, named to honor the former superintendent, and the Sherwood Elementary Schools were completed. 

Property was acquired near the Victory school in 1951. With voter approved money and with a Federal grant the Center Line Senior High School construction was begun on Arsenal Avenue in 1952.

1954 Center Line High School was opened, Groesbeck School was built, Ladd was built and other improvements were made including additions to Miller and Sherwood Schools.  In 1957 Additions to Busch and Ladd were made and Victory and Ellis were remodeled.  In 1960 saw the new May Peck Elementary, Mark Roose Elementary, Glenn Wolfe Junior High schools and addition to Center Line High School.

1927 The first municipal building was built in Center Line.