Coleridge, Nebraska
School History
Coleridge Community School
is a K-12 Class III school that offers
excellent educational programs and extracurricular activities.
The first school sessions
held in the town of Coleridge were in the winter of 1884-85. When
the railroad was extended from Wakefield to Hartington in 1883 a depot
was built along the route at a location which soon became known as
Coleridge.
As the population grew
in this locality, some citizens expressed a desire for some sort of
educational facilities. As there was no school building, Mr. Busfield,
the first depot agent in Coleridge, got the Shumway Lumber Company
to furnish planks for seats and he then taught a free school in the
depot. He had about 30 pupils for that first winter term 1884-85.
The seats were moved out quickly when the officers were expected.
When Coleridge was first
platted, it was in a school district that included a large territory,
with the school house located at Lawn Ridge. At the annual election
in 1884 it was arranged for a division of the district by which Coleridge
would have its own school.
The first building erected
for educational purposes in Coleridge was built on Lots 10, 11, and
12 of Block 16. This was one block west of the present school building
and behind the present Masonic Temple. This structure was a one-room
wood frame building and was heated by a pot-belly type coal stove.
Mr. Machamer taught all eight grades during the winter of 1885-86.
In 1889 a new frame two
story building at the cost of $4,000 was erected on the site of the
present school. The old building was torn down and the lumber used
in the new structure. The school house was a four-room building but
only three were finished and occupied-two downstairs and one upstairs.
During 1896 the ninth grade was added and an assistant teacher was
hired to aid in the expanded curriculum. The tenth grade was added
in 1898.
Much discussion was heard
when the town kept growing and the school enrollment increased so
much that more classroom space was needed. When voting time came the
proposed $15,000 bond issue carried by a vote of 158 to 33. The old
school was sold to Ben Wilson who tore it down. He used the lumber
to build a new structure, a barn southeast of Coleridge, a landmark
in the Norris community for many years.
The new building, when
completed in 1909, consisted of four class rooms on the first floor
and four class rooms, a storage room and office on second floor. After
the first World War, the enrollment grew and more class room space
was again needed. On June 11, 1923 a school bond election carried
126 for and 44 against. The addition was completed in 1924 for the
293 students and consisted of a gymnasium with basketball court and
stage on first floor and a large assembly room, hallway, science and
social science rooms on the second floor. The cost was $30,000.
On February 25, 1957
the citizens voted on a $118,000 bond issue for a new elementary building
to be constructed on lots owned by the district north of the 1909
building. The house on these lots, which was purchased for the Superintendent
and his family to live in, had burned down in 1949. Work started in
June, 1957 and was completed in May, 1958.
On Tuesday, February
17, 1959 fire of unknown origin consumed the entire high school building,
along with all of its contents. The fire in the building was reported
by Claire Gleason when he noted smoke coming from the structure as
he left his home to go to work shortly before 7:30 a.m. He immediately
summoned custodian Raymond Calhoon from the elementary building. In
one hour the structure was completely destroyed.
The only salvage was
a small amount of athletic equipment, stored in the basement, which
was taken from the building by Coach Ernest Robinson. Not burned in
the fire were 30 band uniforms which were checked out to band students
of Miss Doralee Wood. Lost in the fire in addition to the furniture
and fixtures were class pictures, trophies, band instruments, records,
books, etc.
The 7th and 8th grades
had classes in the multi-purpose room of the elementary school. High
school classes were held in all available places-church basements,
town hall, Legion hall, bank room, theater building and Great Plains
rooms. Textbooks were donated by other schools in the area and basketball
practices were held at area schools.
Plans were discussed
immediately for building a new school. Reorganization plans soon developed
after the school burned. Serving on the school board at the time were:
Dale Tromble, president; Bruce Bohlken, secretary; Lyle Thomas, treasurer;
Elroy Hefner, Don Holcomb and Vance Viergutz. A proposal included
eight rural school districts and Coleridge, District 41. The rural
districts were 23, 30, 34, 48, 61, 74, 95 and about two-thirds of
district 105. The proposed reorganization was approved by the State
Committee and was submitted to a vote by the people on June 16, 1959.
The vote in the eight rural districts was 181 for and 111 against
the plan. The vote in Coleridge District 41 was 266 for the plan and
25 against. The combined vote was 447 in favor and 136 opposed. According
to law a simple majority (more than 50%) in each voting unit was needed
to put the plan in effect.
In reality more than
reorganization of the districts was at stake in the election as it
was felt that a favorable vote was needed to assure the Coleridge
community a high school.
A new school board was
appointed by Cedar County Supt. Otis C. Decker and included: Dale
Tromble, Chalmer Wilkerson, Lyle Thomas, Oran Brodersen, Willie Hansen
and Arnold Anderson. Mrs. Grace Andrus, a non-board member, was named
as secretary.
The bond issue for building
the new school for $215,000 was passed 373 to 136 on September 1,
1959. By coincidence the number of persons opposing the plan, 136,
was exactly the same number who opposed reorganization in the June
election.
Plans were completed
for building the new high school adjoining the Intermediate building
to the south and was named "Coleridge Community Schools, District
41-R." Rural school buildings and equipment were sold at auctions
in 1960 and 1961 and bus transportation for rural students began in
the fall of 1961 using six buses. Enrollment was at the 350 mark.
The cost of the new structure was approximately $10 per square foot.
It was dedicated on September 17, 1961. The bonds were paid off in
December, 1979.
In 1998 it was determined
that a distance learning lab would be built onto the west side of
the existing school. The Coleridge Community Educational Foundation
agreed to fund the addition, which would them be sold under a lease-purchase
agreement to the Coleridge Community School District 541; and in October
the CCEF began a fund drive with the theme "$99,000 in '99" as an
incentive to decrease the cost of the structure to the taxpayers.
Not only was the $99,000
goal surpassed in '99, but the addition which was initially planned
to house a distance learning lab was augmented to include two additional
classrooms--English and Art. The facility was completed by the beginning
of the 1999-2000 school year and the dedication was held October 10,
1999.
First Graduating
Classes
The first formal commencement
exercises were held in the Ingram Opera House in 1899 in Coleridge.
There is no record of who graduated from the tenth grade in 1899.
Annual commencements were held since that time with the exceptions
of 1910 and 1912 when there were no graduation classes.
Coleridge high school
was first accredited as a four-year high school in 1910. |