TUSD History

The First Hundred Years
Morrow, End of An Era - Part 3

SRO officers during the 1966-67 school year were Bobby W. Moreland, Brice Fuller, Jack Moore, Donald Bays, James Tellez, Charles Kalak and Fred Beckley.

The SRO plan, inspired by one in operation in Flint, Michigan, was staffed at first by Detective Kendall C. Bedient, who worked directly under James Adcock, Tucson Police Department's Community Relations Officer. He was assigned to work at Mansfeld Junior High and its feeder elementary schools--Miles, Keen, Hughes, Howell and Robison, working with children and patrolling the area.

--A Citizens' Committee, headed by Oliver Drachman with members Gordon Paris, Harold Warnock and Duane Anderson was formed in 1964 to make recommendations on school programs to the School Board. The Drachman Committee recommended teacher-pupil ratios, a reduction in the number of secretVerdana and clerical employees, an increase in the librarian-pupil ratio, reduction in the number of nurses and maintenance personnel and many other reductions. The Board adopted a number of these, tabled others for further consideration, and rejected still others.

The report was made a campaign issue by the Arizona Daily Star, when Morris Baughman, former examiner for the District, ran against Mrs. Helen Hafley for the Board in October, 1964. Baughman, the Star reported, supported the Drachman report and "his opponent (Mrs. Hafley) is the administration candidate who has repeatedly taken issue with the Drachman report. It's that clear." Mrs. Hafley won the election.

--It was announced in 1964 that District 1 topped all of the large school systems in the United States in "holding power"--that is, the lowest number of dropouts percentage-wise.

--In September, 1965, 640 youngsters four and five years of age began classes in the District's federal anti-poverty pre-school program. It was a continuation of the Operation "Head Start" program and is still being continued. Since the state does not offer aid for kindergartens, and since the federal program does not apply to all schools, not all pre-school children have the benefit of the kindergarten program. However, for more than 47 years, District 1 has offered special classes for children from non-English speaking families through pre-school education.

--Guidance services in the 1960-67 period were increased in the school system so that in 1965, 35 counselors were provided for 14,437 high school students and 30 counselors were available to 8,204 junior high school students. The school system provided school testing programs, caseworkers, psychologists and a consulting psychiatrist for its elementary pupils.

--A Committee of 100 was formed in 1965 of volunteers to make an impartial and thorough study of all phases of the District's school operations. The committee was headed by Dr. Carl Billings and by the spring of 1967 had submitted its recommendations. They were being studied by the School Board.

--January 10, 1966, was a day of celebration for Tucson and School District 1. Astronaut Frank Borman arrived with his wife Susan and two sons to visit. Both Frank and Susan graduated from Tucson High School, where Frank was the quarterback for the 1944 and 1945 Badger football team. After high school, he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was aircraft commander on Gemini 7 on its 14-day space flight in December, 1965. Some 90,000 persons turned out for the Borman reception in Tucson.

Mrs. Borman's mother, Mrs. Ruth S. Bugbee, retired as senior dental technician for the school district in the spring of 1967.

Frank Borman Day included a visit to Tucson High School where former classmates visited with the Bormans.

--In October, 1966, Superintendent Robert D. Morrow, who in his service with the District since 1941 had taken abuse from the editorial pages of the local daily newspapers, was voted one of three public officials to receive the Tucson Press Club's award for "Most Cooperative News Source," at the club's annual "Orchids and Onions Ball."

--In November, 1966, the Distributive Education program, headed by Chet Sheaffer, was described as "The heart of Distributive Education in America." Making the statement was Eugene Dorr, State Supervisor of Office and Distributive Education.

--In 1967, District 1 participated in the nationally-sponsored "School-To-School" project for an exchange of ideas between United States school districts and American Schools abroad. Dr. and Mrs. Morrow visited Teheran, Iran, the District 1 sister school, and set up a teacher exchange program. First to visit Teheran from District 1 will be Mrs. Barbara Riley, head of Measurement and Evaluation at the Education Center.

--The no-grade plan, tested sporadically in the system in previous years, was adopted in 1966 by Sewell Elementary School under the direction of Principal Gertrude Wagner. No grades were issued for the first, second and third grades. In the fourth, fifth and sixth grades, report cards contained only two marks--"S" for satisfactory and "N" for needs improvement. Parents endorsed the plan.

--A policy was adopted in 1965 permitting l9-year-old students who had completed 20 units with good grades to graduate from high school after seven, rather than eight semesters. This was adopted by the Board in an effort to solve, at least partially, the dropout problem.

--Sabbatical leaves at half pay were adopted for teachers in 1965. After seven years of teaching they could be granted two semesters' leave for "professional study or research"' if they agreed to return to the district following the leave for at least one year.

--Salaries continued to climb. For the 1966-67 school year, teachers' salaries were:

Degree	Minimum	Maximum
Bachelor's	$5,200	$ 8,476
Bachelor's & 15 approved hours	5,382	8,658
Bachelor's & 30 approved hours	5,564	8,840
Master's or 45 approved hours	5,746	10,114
Master's & 15 approved hours	5,928	10,296
Master's & 30 approved hours	6,110	10,478
Master's & 45 approved hours	6,292	10,660
Master's & 60 approved hours	6,474	10,842

The annual increment was set at $364 per year until the maximum salary is reached. After 25 years' service, an extra $100 was added.

Salaries for classified, or non-teaching personnel, were based on the demands of the position, with annual increments.

For the 1967-68 year, the School Board granted a $200 increase in the base pay for teachers, meaning that beginning teachers with a Bachelor's degree and no approved semester hours beyond that would earn a beginning salary of $5,400 per year. For teachers with between one and nine years' service, the raise would mean an annual base salary of $5,400 plus $378 for each year of experience.

As the 1960-67 period began, the School Board was composed of Dr. Delbert L. Secrist, President; Mrs. Nan E. (John D.) Lyons, Clerk; and members Norval Jasper, Jacob Fruchthendler and Dr. William Pistor.

On October 4, 1960, Pistor ran for re-election and won, receiving 2,562 votes. Opponents were Morris F. Baughman with 1,306 votes, and Alvaro Alvarez, 588 votes.

Secrist was re-elected President in January, 1961, and Mrs. Lyons was elected Clerk.

On October 3, 1961, Secrist was re-elected unopposed and received 1,863 votes. There were 24 write-in votes for various persons. Secrist was re-elected President in January, 1962. Fruchthendler was elected Clerk.

In his bid for re-election October 2, 1962, Fruchthendler was defeated by Dan C. McKinney by a vote of 8,061 to 6,449. Third candidate was Dr. B. J. Shell, who received 1,603 votes. Dr. Russell C. Ewing, of the University of Arizona, received one write-in vote. In January, 1963, Secrist was re-elected President and Mrs. Lyons was elected Clerk.

Jasper did not run for re-election on October 1, 1963. Winning the election was Mrs. Katie (Bruce E.) Dusenberry with 6,533 votes. She defeated two male opponents, C. Van Haaften, who received 5,902 votes, and Stanley Krotenberg, who received 1,873 votes.

In January, 1964, Secrist was re-elected President and Mrs. Lyons was re-elected Clerk.

In February, 1964, Dr. Pistor resigned to teach in South America, and Mrs. Florence Reece, County Superintendent, appointed Dr. Russell C. Ewing to take his place.

Mrs. Lyons did not run for re-election on October 6, 1964. Mrs. Helen (Walter) Hafley was elected to the Board with 9,837 votes. Opposing her was Morris F. Baughman, who received 8,856 votes. In January, 1965, Secrist was re-elected President and Mrs. Dusenberry was elected Clerk.

Prior to that, on December 2, 1964, McKinney resigned from the Board. Soleng Tom was appointed to fill the vacancy by Mrs. Reece. It was for a three-year term.

Dr. Ewing did not run for re-election on October 5, 1965. Elected was Dr. Jimmye Hillman with 11,341 votes. He was not opposed. In January, 1966, Secrist and Mrs. Dusenberry were re-elected President and Clerk.

Hillman resigned his position on the Board on September 13, 1966, to take a one-year appointment as executive director of President Johnson's National Advisory Commission on Food and Fibers. Mrs. Reece appointed Dr. Pistor, who had returned from South America, to take his place.

Dr. Secrist did not run for re-election in the October 4, 1966, election. Opposed were Dr. Harmon Harrison and Dr. Carl E. Billings. Harrison was elected 3,483 to 2,825 votes.

Elected President of the Board in January, 1967, was Mrs. Dusenberry. Mrs. Hafley was elected Clerk.

       Budgets for the 1960-67 period were:

Year	High Schools	Elementary Schools	Total
1960-61	$ 6,027,487	$12,862,161	$18,889,648
1961-62	6,527,987	14,426,869	20,954,856
1962-63	7,538,622	15,600,867	23,139,489
1963-64	8,513,544	17,195,852	25,709,396
1964-65	8,666,357	17,523,817	26,190,174
1965-66	9,593,967	19,830,771	29,424,738
1966-67	10,786,611	20,791,236	31,577,847
1967-68	11,094,672	21,856,890	32,951,56

The first hundred years are the hardest.

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