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75th Anniversary
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Anniversary Posts 1-15
- 1: Monroe Academy: Henrietta’s First Famous School
- 2: First Schools: Uphill, Barefoot, Both Ways
- 3: 1938: Voters Reject Creation of Rush-Henrietta Central School District
- 4: Schoolhouse Records Give Glimpse of Life 100 Years Ago
- 5: 1946: Given Second Chance, Voters Embrace New District
- 6: A Different Time: When Rush Had More Kids Than Henrietta
- 7: Choosing a Mascot: Why We're Not the Royal Falcons
- 8: Meet the Board: Rush-Henrietta’s Original Fab Five
- 9: Late 1940s: The Beginning of a Population Explosion
- 10: Breaking Ground: Rush-Henrietta’s First New School
- 11: 1952: R-H’s First New School a ‘Splendid Dream’
- 12: First Meeting of the New Board of Education
- 13: 1959 R-H Grad Still Gets on the Bus Every Day
- 14: Humble Beginnings: Two School Buses to Start
- 15: 1954: Sudden Need for a Second New School
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Anniversary Posts 16-30
- 16: 1954-1955: Two Votes for a Second School
- 17: The Story of Gillette Elementary School
- 18: 1950s: Building a New School Each Year
- 19: 1957: Residents Press Pause, Reject Two New Schools
- 20: 1958: Fourth New School Helps District Keep Pace
- 21: 1950s: Curious Visitors Flock to New R-H School
- 22: Bill Farrell: ‘Architect of the R-H Sports Program’
- 23: 1961: Rush-Henrietta Gets a Junior High School
- 24: 1963: A New School Called Wedgewood
- 25: Elmer Gordon: A Rush-Henrietta Trailblazer
- 26: Remembering Jack Gaffney
- 27: Jack Gaffney's Incredible Connections to Our R-H Past
- 28: Remembering Wilma Jean Milhouse
- 29: 1964: West Henrietta Gets Its First New School
- 30: 1965: Fyle Elementary Named to Honor Respected Teacher
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Anniversary Posts 31-45
- 31: R-H Family History Revealed in Historic Records
- 32: Dr. John W. Parker: Devoted to District’s Early Success
- 33: 1966: Amidst Housing Boom, R-H Opens Sherman Elementary
- 34: 1968: Rush-Henrietta Opens Its First High School
- 35: Richard TenHaken: Superintendent Who Looked Controversy in the Eye
- 36: 1970: Vollmer Becomes R-H’s Last New School
- 37: The Dome Arena: R-H and Other Legends
- 38: The Lion in the Room - Senior High School Pride
- 39: Artists in Residence
- 40: Providing an Even Start
- 41: Paul McKee: Humility Meets Great Success
- 42: Raymond Delaney Had ‘Unshakeable Belief’ in Public Education
- 43: Roger Eckers Strikes Up the Band
- 44: 1982: R-H Denies West Brighton Request to Secede
- 45: George DesMarteau: One - Make That Two - of a Kind
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Anniversary Posts 46-60
- 46: Recognizing 75 Years of Music Excellence
- 47: Senior High School Mural Depicts 'Community of School'
- 48: 2006: Rush-Henrietta Alumni Council Established
- 49: A Bird's-Eye View of 1951
- 50: 1945: Preparing for the First Day of School
- 51: R-H is Where ‘The Rock’ Calls Home
- 52: 1974: Rush-Henrietta Takes to the Airwaves
- 53: Glory Years of WRHR: A Student’s Perspective
- 54: 1969: R-H a Trailblazer in Embracing Student Voice
- 55: 1975: Rush-Henrietta’s High School Reaches Capacity
- 56: 1975 to 1986: A Decade of Dual High Schools
- 57: 1987: New High School Name Helps Community Heal
- 58: How We Became the Royal Comets
- 59: Extracurricular Highlights
- 60: Spotlight on Bob Sagan, Act I
- 61: Spotlight on Bob Sagan, Act II
- 62: 1991: R-H Hires First New Superintendent in 20 Years
- 63: Werner Kleemann: More Than a Sports Legend
- 64: 2000: R-H Loses ‘Wonderful Mentor’
- 65: 2000: R-H Legend Returns to Stabilize High School
- 66: A Surprise Boost for Student Athletes and Musicians
- 67: Adventures of Ping: Restoring a One-of-a-Kind Painting
- 68: Dr. Ken Graham: Two Decades of Strong Leadership
- 69: R-H’s History of Putting Safety First
- 70: Girls Basketball Team Becomes Stuff of Legends
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Anniversary Posts 1-15
- Did You Know?
- Distinguished Alumni
- First Administrators
- Norm Miller: Portrait of a Rush-Henrietta Life Well Lived
- School Namesakes
- Superintendents
- Who Was Elmer Gordon?
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75th Anniversary
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1938: Voters Reject Creation of Rush-Henrietta Central School District
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Nearly every eligible person in Rush and Henrietta showed up to vote in 1938, when residents were asked to decide whether the two towns would form a new, centralized school district, and move forward with a new building to house them. One of the ideas behind creating a new school system was that it would be better able to meet the needs of all students, providing each child with a standardized learning environment.
The new district would replace 17 independent, local school houses scattered throughout the Rush and Henrietta countryside. Each building was distinct and unique in its own way. This post includes an image showing the alma mater for Henrietta High School, which was located at the corner of East Henrietta and Lehigh Station roads.
The vote’s outcome would shape how local children received their education in the years to come. Interest ran high and turnout was incredible. Residents described the crowd as the largest ever witnessed in West Henrietta. “The townsfolk jammed the West Henrietta Grange’s small hall from 3 to 8 p.m. to cast 1,076 votes,” according to the September 10, 1938, edition of the Democrat and Chronicle. “Officials estimated the total voting population of the towns was 1,140, and they believed those not at the polls were out of town. A crowd of 600 filled the hall and overflowed outside until the ballots were counted shortly after the polls closed, and the verdict was greeted by cheers.”
When the ballots were counted, the intriguing proposal to unite was rejected by a margin of 653 to 421; two of the ballots were deemed void. The cost of the proposed school, which would have served all local children in grades K-12, was estimated at $330,000. More than half of the expense was to be covered by a grant. Many who voted against its creation cited higher taxes as the reason for their decision.
Two weeks before the vote, the Democrat and Chronicle quoted Stephen Warren, a one-time Monroe County district attorney, as saying during a public forum: “You would think our children would be ignoramuses” if the plan was not approved. He expressed concerns about the tax impact of centralization.
After the vote, children continued to attend classes at what were described at the time as “little red schoolhouses,” apparently without regard to their size or color. The phrase often was used when discussing any sort of independent school building. It would be eight years before another vote was held regarding the potential of centralization.
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