Public schools, part 2

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

   From F. Dean Storm’s 1965 "History of the Allentown N.J.," the important story of the beginning of public education in our area. The candid account of the school system’s past operations will be continued weekly.
   
Educators and many citizens still saw several defects in the State School Law of 1829. The worst was the division of state funds according to taxes, practically defeating the effort to establish schools in the backwards regions. This setup, weak and inefficient as it was, continued until 1871 when the free-school system was adopted by the state legislature. This new law greatly strengthened the public schools by substituting a reliable state tax for the township tax which the annual town meetings used to reduce or abolish at will. It definitely forbade public aid to sectarian schools and compelled all townships to have a nine-month school term. It wisely prevented the multiplication of weak districts, a failing which for years had lamed the whole school system, and it enabled communities to offer free public education through the high school. The law was a sweeping triumph over localism, sectarianism and class distinctions in education, and brought New Jersey at least into the full current of the American public-school system. The one cloud on the horizon was the fact that 23 percent of the children of school age were not attending any school, a condition which pointed to the need of a law to enforce attendance. At this time, too, townships had to meet with the qualifications as set down by the county superintendent who in turn received his instructions from the State Superintendent.
   On file, we have State Superintendent Ellis A. Apgar’s report in 1871. He was encouraged with the large increase of public school pupils, higher teachers’ salaries, longer school terms and the employment of more women teachers whom he felt better qualified to teach elementary grades. But in this report, Monmouth County Superintendent Samuel Lockwood complained that "Monmouth County has a population of children of school age of 14,084; of these, only 9,030 have attended public schools, and 742 have attended private schools; thus leaving in our county 3,441 who have attended no school during the past year." He also came up with a strange conclusion. "Village communities with the best school privileges, both private and public, have a much larger average non-going children than the more rural and less favored districts." It was felt that backward sections would certainly be brought into line by the threat of losing state aid and that they would have to do something for themselves.
   This reluctance to join the movement of free education is seen in the Minutes of the Allentown School Trustees in April 23, 1868. District Clerk Augustus Robbins regretfully reports that there were 31 votes against and only nine in favor for the purchase of suitable lot on which to build a public school house. Things reached such a chaotic state in 1874 that Mr. Lockwood prevailed upon our foremost citizen, ex-Governor William A. Newell, to have brought here from the State Normal, Mr. H. Brewster Willis, to organize an up-to-date school. He did the work in thorough fashion and the result was a new building with provision for a graded school system. The inscription on this school, located on North Main Street [west-side between Pondview Drive and Broad St.] and since torn down, read, District No.14, 1876. It was organized into three departments—Primary, Intermediate and Grammar—and these were presided over respectively by Mrs. E. P. Ford, Miss Ella M. Newell and Mr. Willis.
   Mr. Willis was followed by Clinton De Witt [possibly a descendant of famous New York governor of the same name?] and he by Arthur Pressey in 1882 and held the position until his retirement in 1915. Likewise Miss Newell and Mrs. Ford continued until their retirement in the same year. While Allentown may have found it difficult to conform to the state requirements, the citizens were very privileged to have such a learned and dedicated faculty throughout those many years. Those of our inhabitants who ever had contact with these three continued to speak of them with the greatest praise. Their enthusiasm for learning inspired them throughout their lives. Indeed, their teachings left a definite imprint upon the community. Testifying to this, is a memorial plaque to Miss Ella M. Newell, placed by her former pupils, in the school, later built in 1924. Also, there is a book fund set up for professional literature as a testimonial library for Albert Robinson.
   Records, too, are on file, of the management of the school throughout most of the years. Often the minutes of the Trustees were meager but interesting and quaint in comparison to today’s detailed accounts. They usually only stated who the new elected trustees were and what the amount of money from the district was that was needed to maintain the school for the forthcoming year. In March, 1881 the amount needed was $450; in 1883, it was $1,000; and in 1884, it was only $800. The $5 state tax per pupil and other miscellaneous items such as interest, tuitions from some outside districts, etc. made up the rest of the total needed amount which was $1800 in 1893-94. Other facts, picked up at random, were that in 1886 Mr. Robinson was to receive $65 and Miss Newell to receive $35 per calendar month. The schools opened that year the first day of September and closed the first day of July. In 1887 the district clerk reported that school was not to be closed during Christmas week, that the teachers would not receive any increase in pay and that the janitor would receive $100 for the year.
   In 1895 came the Township School Act consolidating all districts of the township into the large township district and then Allentown no longer was District No. 14 of the County of Monmouth, but School No. 1 of the Upper Freehold Township district. At this time the trustee system for the separate units was abolished and a Board of Education of nine members was established to handle the school affairs of Allentown and the Township.
   This was a most successful arrangement for several years when new troubles appeared. According to the November 19, 1903 issue of the Allentown Messenger, Allentown because it was a borough (a fact since April 2, 1989) must become a separate school district and have its school system apart from the township. This unhappy state of affairs was brought about because of a decision of the State Supreme Court. This, of course, caused the County Superintendent to appoint seven new members to the Town Board as Allentown only had two members from the town on the previous Board.
   Since seven made a quorum, the Township did not require any new appointments. However, neither Board was in favor of this new arrangement and knew that each could not possibly make out on its own. They had to become one to save unnecessary expense and to provide better educational facilities.
   Fortunately, the law did state that future consolidation was possible and could be in the hands of the people. But having become separate, much discord arose among the inhabitants over the appointment of operating expenses in both districts. At one meeting it was reported in the Messenger that "if the Township desired it, it must then be contrary to the interests of the Borough!" But, after two rather bitter meetings, it was voted in a public election on February 26, 1904 to consolidate the two school districts, namely the Borough of Allentown and the Township of Upper Freehold.
Historically Speaking is a regular column presented by John Fabiano, president of the Allentown-Upper Freehold Historical Society. For information about the historical society, call (609) 259-9127 or send e-mail to [email protected]