Gloucester Schools history

The grammar school was carried on in its new building until 1826, when it was ingeniously abolished by the town meeting.

The log school house in the woods was used until 1830, when a frame house was built east of Union Cemetery and served for a number of years.

Today this city is said to be it he second largest municipality in the state, in size; until 1842 it was even larger, as Sandy Bay, or Rockport, did not separate from Gloucester until that year.

Perhaps the most important single event in the development of the public schools of Gloucester took place in the spring of 1850, when, in town meeting, the voters approved almost unanimously the resolutions and appropriations necessary to reorganize the entire school system.

The high school building thus voted and which opened in March of 1851, was part of a wave of high school organization which swept the state in the mid 19 th century.

But it was several decades before “fit students” were annually admitted. It was early found that a “satisfactory examination” for admission was more easily given than taken; in 1858 of 30 who applied for admission, only 4 were accepted.

In 1863, the study of Latin was restricted to those boys deemed capable of profiting from it, and who intended to remain in the school for more than a year.

The head of the girls' school advanced from $275 per year in the beginning to $500 by 1865.

When he asked for science equipment, the town meeting of 1868 responded by voting part of the Massachusetts School Fund for that year to the purpose he sponsored; and Mr.

When the new building was opened, in 1869, a two year business course was introduced.

There was a growing emphasis on the ceremonies connected with graduation in the 1870's, and a growing objection to the expenses incurred by parents by the rites.

The appointment of an attendance officer is indication that mere legislation is not wholly adequate, however, and Gloucester appointed its first truant officer in 1878.

In 1881, the crowded conditions drove the school committee to flatly ask for the use of the city hall to provide seating facilities for high school students; this request was as flatly refused.

When a laboratory table was installed in 1883, some freshness and new life was observed among the students.

Bacheler introduced drill, founded a school library, and instigated a school paper following his advent in 1884, there was no school activity other than study for the pupils.

When school opened in the fall of 1885, the meeting room of the common council had to be added to the hose house to take care of the incoming class.

The first school paper, “The Young Idea,” originated in 1886.

There are some “firsts” in the development of drill that may find a place here, as well as they may be established as “firsts”. The first parade and prize drill for the Haskell Medal was held on Tuesday, June 22 , at city hall, two Haskell medals were awarded for the first time in 1890.

Apparently, there were many who saw a real value in this instruction and in 1891, 40 of the 64 graduates of the high school received certificates from the business course, which already enrolled 132 of the 322 pupils in the school.

Bacheler, although the sport was played by the boys as early as 1899.

The first battalion fair was held in December, 1900, and netted $405.

Bacheler approved this result highly in his report to the school committee in 1905 – he admired success – and agreed with Mr.

By 1910, the 525 pupils necessitated the use of a room in the City Hall, and an early enlargement of the school was deemed necessary.

Two years later, there were more than 600 boys and girls, and double sessions were begun in the fall of 1913.

In 1915, the year following Mr.

During its first year, the GEF board raised $100,000 from the community and in 2006—the same year GEF was incorporated—made its first grants.