Enrollments continue to grow
By 1967, enrollment was at 54,000 students. The population residing
in Tucson School District 1 had increased by 169 percent since 1950.
Eighty-four percent of the population of the Tucson urban area lived
within its boundaries. At this time, the school board set the maximum
size for elementary schools at 24 classrooms. A basic school would be
built with 18 permanent classrooms, administrative offices, and a multipurpose
room. A combination of portable classrooms and busing would be used
to accommodate additional classrooms up to the maximum if necessary.
Another bond election was necessary in June of 1967. Morrow and the
school board successfully won over the newspapers and community groups.
The issue for $8,985,000 was passed by a 2 to 1 vote of the public.
A new elementary, a junior high, and Santa Rita High School were approved,
as were plans to make additions to many other schools.
Vesey Elementary School opened at 5005 S. Butts Road in September,
1969. The school was named for Francis Vesey, who was the first Assistant
Superintendent for Buildings and Grounds. He served in that post for
20 years. The original construction costs for the school were $323,244.
Cholla High School was completed in 1969 at 2001 W. 22nd Street. Construction
costs for the first phase amounted to $3.97 million. Cholla, the seventh
high school, was designed as one of the high school alternative programs
which began in the '60s and '70s. It was constructed with hexagonal
buildings with carpeted doorless classrooms placed on the outside perimeter
of the hexagon. The innovative design was intended to support team teaching,
large group and small group instruction. Teachers were recruited and
trained to work with individualized teaching, team teaching, and discovery
learning. Student work was interdisciplinary in focus and project-oriented.
Textbooks were used as reference materials rather than the total focus
of classwork.
An interesting linkage existed between the various "open education"
schools in School District 1. Erickson Elementary teachers helped with
inservice training for Cholla High School faculty. Miles Exploratory
Learning Center faculty were often connected with people at Erickson,
privately funded Kino Learning Center and Pima Community College in
its early days. Later, a strong group of Miles and Erickson faculty
were part of the first magnet programs at Holladay Intermediate Magnet
School and Borton Primary Magnet School, and later at Carrillo Intermediate
Magnet School or Safford Middle Magnet. Many early Pima Community College
faculty chose to send their children to be taught at various ones of
these schools over the years.
Air traffic concerns
Late in the decade of the '60s two events created concerns about air
traffic patterns over the city, especially on the southern end. In October,
1967, a small passenger plane was forced to land accidentally in the
Utterback schoolyard. Two months later, a DMAFB plane crashed into the
Food Giant store on Alvernon Way, a short distance from Keen Elementary.
Discussion with the various official agencies resulted in some changes
in flight patterns. Ten years later in October, 1978, a jet fighter
crashed next to Mansfeld Junior High and the University of Arizona.
Two young women were killed on 6th Street, but no TUSD students were
physically harmed. Counselors were called in to help students recover
from the shock. Again district officials held discussions with military
officials to change flying approaches.
The Lee Years begin
To succeed such a towering figure as Robert Morrow was a considerable
challenge. The man selected to do so had faced many challenges during
his lifetime. Dr. Thomas Lee was born in Mississippi and grew up in
Arkansas. His mother died when he was six years old during the national
influenza epidemic of 1918. Tom Lee worked his way through high school
and the State College of Arkansas, later completing a master's degree
at the University of Arkansas and earning his Ed.D. at the University
of Houston. He had been a teacher and administrator at various schools
in Arkansas when he was hired in 1957 to be Assistant Superintendent
for Secondary Education in Tucson. At that time there were three high
schools in School District 1. Eight years later he was promoted to Deputy
Superintendent, a position he held until Morrow's retirement.
In 1968 Thomas Lee became the first internal candidate to be selected
superintendent in almost fifty years. Following the practice begun by
Robert Morrow, Lee's salary was set at three times the regular maximum
teachers' salary. His administration was not to be a peaceful time,
however. Ten days after Lee assumed the leadership of the district,
the federal Office of Civil Rights launched an investigation, looking
into possible violations of federal civil rights laws by the school
district. That investigation and the subsequent lawsuits dominated the
rest of his career. Because that event was so significant in the life
of the school district, a separate chapter will be devoted to it.
During Dr. Lee's tenure in office, many of the alternative education
programs began. Dr. Lee strongly believed that children learned in a
variety of ways. He recognized that children were individuals coming
from a mosaic of environments that affected their approach to learning.
Ironically, it was that same belief that led to charges that district
expectations for westside students were lower than for those on the
eastside.
Dr. Lee also presided over the highest enrollments in the history of
School District 1. The decade of the '60s closed with a student enrollment
of 53,344 students in 81 schools. September, 1969, marked the first
time in 15 years that all district schools were operating on single
session regular schedules. An important change was brewing for school
bond elections as well. Previously, only property owners were permitted
to vote on taxation questions. A lawsuit filed in 1969 in Yuma eventually
resulted in opening the choice to all registered voters.
Alternative high school programs
Four alternative high school programs began in the 1970s as ways of
combating the dropout problem. The Tucson Extended Day Program was an
open enrollment school housed on the Tucson High School campus. This
school was for residents up to age 21 who were working at jobs during
normal school hours. The school program also offered a "fifth quarter"
by being open during the summer months, paid for by the City of Tucson
through a Model Cities grant. By 1975-76, the focus of the program changed
from an alternative to other day school programs, to one that provided
an education for those who couldn't attend day school.
Project M.O.R.E., an open enrollment "school without walls"
also opened in January 1973, first on the campus of Blenman Elementary.
That September the program moved to vacant space at Lineweaver Elementary.
Finally in 1976-77, Project M.O.R.E. found a permanent home on South
Park Avenue in warehouse and industrial office space donated by the
M. M. Sundt Corporation. The acronym had several published meanings:
Many Other Roads to Education, More Opportunities for Relevant Education,
and Models and Options for Renewing Education. The school structure
was intended to emphasize the individual student's academic needs. If
a class was not offered that met a particular need, the student helped
design one which would.
The Senior High Accommodation Program opened with 39 students in a
district-owned house near Cherry Field in 1974. The high school program
was developed for students for whom a regular high school was not effective.
These young people had experienced trouble with authorities, parents,
or in working with large groups of students. The intent was to provide
another alternative to dropping out. Later in the decade, the program
moved to Tucson High and then to Rincon High. It is currently located
at 115 N. Fremont Avenue and is still seeking a permanent location as
this book is written.
Special Projects High School was inaugurated in 1976-77 on the campus
of Tucson High School to provide advanced courses for students throughout
the district, and to provide opportunities to explore a variety of careers.
The program could save the district money by making possible advanced
placement classes in one particular location which were impractical
on multiple campuses. The program also was an attempt to support voluntary
integration. Admission to Special Projects High School required high
test scores or an I.Q. of 130 or higher.
Other educational endeavors
Attempting to improve communication between the community and the school
district, School Community Partnership Councils (SCPC) were formed in
1973. Each school established a parent, teacher, and administration
council; representatives were selected by the groups to meet in three
regional councils. Finally, a districtwide council would communicate
with the school district administration. Goals focused on unity of action
and support in the best interests of children, and better understanding
between the school and its local community. The SCPC continues in operation
today.
An important educational change at the start of the '70s was the cessation
of the practice of "academic tracking" of students into classes
or groups based on their learning ability. Although the practice was
designed to help students progress by aiming instruction toward the
needs of a particular group, in fact it resulted in lower-achieving
students falling further and further behind. African-American, Hispanic,
and Native American children appeared in disproportionate numbers in
the lowest levels, often resulting in high dropout rates. Students "tracked"
into the lowest groups therefore lost opportunity for higher education.
Assistant superintendent David Kennon described the new approach in
this way: "Remedial classes must be designed to help students catch
up to the level of others in their grade. A student may be placed in
a remedial class only for a course in which he is having academic problems."32
Several policy changes occurred in 1970. The Special Education Department
changed its name to Adaptive Education. For the first time an official
arrangement began between the University of Arizona College of Education
and the school district to provide a formal cooperating teacher/practice
teacher relationship. School principals were responsible for teacher
placement, and cooperating teachers received compensation from the University.
A policy was approved which provided support for district employees
subjected to verbal or physical abuse from the public.
In tune with the era, school board meetings were turbulent events in
1970. Citizens participated freely in school board meetings, arguing
with the board and superintendent on many points. The mayor of Tucson
frequently came to school board meetings and goaded the board about
desegregation concerns.
An incident at the Tucson High School graduation of 1970 reflected
the temper of the times. The board member distributing diplomas that
evening expressed his displeasure with students wearing black armbands
by dropping their diplomas on the ground. When chastised by angry parents
at a board meeting, Dr. Harmon G. Harrison replied, "...Black
arm bands have been used to denote black power, for civil rights issues,
to degrade school administration, used against establishments and used
to protest against the Vietnam War. I don't believe the appearance of
eight arm bands can be called spontaneous. Each time I saw one on a
student, I dropped his diploma. I have no apology to make for my action."
Kindergartens finally became a reality in 1971 when enabling legislation
provided state financial aid to support the program. Attendance was
not compulsory. The impact on enrollment was dramatic. In October, 1971
district enrollment rose to 61,805, in contrast to 56,947 the preceding
spring.
In 1971 the district offered a broad range of vocational programs.
Distributive Education in marketing and merchandising, Business Education
including office skills, bookkeeping, data processing, and Industrial
Education with shop classes, mechanical drawing and electronics, had
become familiar staples. Also available was Agricultural Education through
horticulture at Tucson High and Howenstine. Health Careers included
practical nursing, anatomy and physiology and medical terminology. Homemaking
included child care and foods education, as well as "useful and
gainful living." Cooperative Education programs provided the opportunity
to work 15 hours a week and earn credit.
"Las Chiquitines" with Mrs. Rosita Cota began broadcasting
on KUAT-TV early in 1973. The early childhood program was jointly funded
by School District 1 and Model Cities as a bilingual-multicultural project.
Mrs. Cota played the role of a friendly aunt, "Tia Rosita,"
who devised games and activities for the children who came to visit
her. The programs spanned the cultures, including Hanukkah, African
wearing apparel, and Tohono O'Odham customs, as well as Hispanic culture.
Following an initial Title VII federally-funded pilot bilingual education
program at Mission View and Drachman Elementary Schools at the end of
the 1960s, in 1974 Tucson School District 1 began an effort to provide
bilingual education for all students who needed it. By the fall of 1976,
159 teachers were instructing Spanish-English bilingual classes in the
district for 3,500 students. Another 745 were enrolled in English as
a Second Language (ESL) programs.
The Grace Flandrau Planetarium at the University of Arizona formed
a partnership with the district. School District 1 paid the salary of
Dr. Larry Dunlap, a Catalina High School teacher, to coordinate the
educational program at the planetarium. In return, the planetarium provided
free admission to all district school classes for scheduled study trips.
The first computer to be installed in a high school classroom in the
state was a Honeywell Model 58 computer with card sorter and key punch
machines. Rincon High School received recognition for its Business Data
Processing Course, where the students were able to work with the actual
computer rather than a terminal connected to a mainframe elsewhere.
In another technological move, the board approved the addition of an
electronic security system to the 98 schools. Over a seven-year period,
the system resulted in a 90 percent reduction in burglaries.
The Educational Materials Center moved to the Winsett site, where the
district maintenance shops were located, to become a Teacher Center
for the district. Curriculum meeting rooms and classrooms for district
inservices in art, music, and other subject disciplines were provided.
Curriculum directors were located there along with the district's valuable
collection of art objects, the professional library, and the audiovisual
collections.
Another development in 1974 was a program for academically gifted elementary
school students whose I.Q.s fell in the range of 130 or higher, had
very high standardized test scores, and had a teacher's recommendation.
These students received free bus transportation from their home schools
to special enrichment classes at Tully and Tolson Elementary Schools.
Parents who wanted more challenging programs for their children initiated
the demand.
The city newspapers published annual standardized test scores listed
by subject area, grade, school, and district. In most cases the listing
showed schools on the west and south sides of town had lower test scores
than schools on the north and east.
District honors continue
Honors continued to be awarded in the 1970s to School District 1 employees
and programs. Dr. Laura Banks received the University of Arizona Alumni
Association Distinguished Citizen Award. Dr. Carroll Rinehart was the
Music Educator of the Year. Dorothy Livieratos was Outstanding English
Teacher. Jim Bishopp, Louis J. Bazetta, and Vaughn Croft were each named
Outstanding Vocational Educator, and Frank Estavillo was Arizona Teacher
of the Year. Merry Meijer was a finalist for the Arizona Teacher of
the Year. Dr. Jimmy Fisher was named Educator of the Year from the Arizona
Congress of Parents and Teachers. Phyllis Ashwood was the Arizona Special
Education Teacher of the Year. Nancy Lynch and Emily Strahler each were
the Arizona Home Economics Teacher of the Year. Dorothy Engel, Larry
Williams, and Dr. Richard Brown each were named Outstanding Science
Teacher.
The White House recognized the Santa Rita High DECA project for excellence.
Howenstine School won a professional Award for Architectural Design.
Margaret Andres and Lois Leahy were selected as Leaders of American
Elementary Education. Eleanor Bleich received Instructor Magazine 's
A+ Award. Several high school students were named Presidential or Congressional
Scholars.
More district teachers were elected or appointed to public office during
the 1970s. Frank Felix was elected to the Arizona State Senate. Rudy
Castro was elected to the Tucson City Council, after having served on
the Pima Community College Board of Governors. Georgia Cole was elected
to the Pima Community College Board of Governors. Shirley Goettsch was
appointed to the State Retirement Board, and Miriam Sorey was appointed
to the State Board of Education.
Physical expansion
Although the rate of construction slowed substantially in the 1970's,
new schools still opened, including Gale Elementary School in 1970 at
a cost of $527,000. It was named for Miss Laura O. Gale, a Tucson High
School teacher of English and geometry, who also assisted in counseling
and guidance. She taught in the district for 31 years. Gale School is
located at 666 S. Gollob Road.
The Adult Evening School expanded its programs to Palo Verde, Rincon,
Catalina and Sahuaro High Schools, as well as to Pueblo and Tucson Highs.
However, its days were numbered with the advent of Pima Community College
in 1970. In 1973 the district transferred the program to Pima Community
College.
Pistor Junior High School, opened for the school year 1970-71, was
named for Dr. William J. Pistor, a veterinarian and head of the Department
of Animal Pathology at the University of Arizona. Dr. Pistor was a member
of the school board for many years. Prior to election to the District
1 board, Pistor had been a Tucson city councilman, and had served on
many civic committees ranging from the Public Library Board to the Rodeo
Committee. Pistor Junior High, 2840 W. Canada, was designed for team
teaching and group planning, at an original construction cost of $1,082,692.
In 1969 Santa Rita High School became the 8th high school to be opened,
using the same architectural design as used for Sahuaro and later Sabino
High School. The original cost was $3,438,206 for the school located
at 3951 S. Pantano. A $9,995,000 bond election passed in May, 1970,
which resulted in several new elementary schools, Sabino High School,
and additions to others. Another successful election took place in December,
1971, for a total of $11,955,000, from which four more elementary schools,
and two junior high schools would be built, along with libraries and
other additions to older sites.
Anna Henry, the first principal at Richey Elementary School was honored
by the opening of Henry Elementary School in 1971-72. A graduate of
Arizona State Teachers College and Arizona State College at Flagstaff,
Miss Henry began teaching at Safford Elementary in 1922. She was joint
principal for both Roosevelt and Richey Schools until 1953, when the
schools were provided individual administrators. Miss Henry was particularly
involved in raising funds to provide food, shoes, toothbrushes, summer
camp and eyeglasses for the Pascua Yaqui children of Richey School.
In 1963, Anna Henry was the first recipient of the Good Neighbor Award
from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. When the school
began, there were various efforts toward innovative practices such as
team teaching, open classrooms, and departmentalized subjects in 5th
and 6th grades. Henry School is located at 650 N. Igo Way.
Reynolds Elementary School, 7450 E. Stella Road, opened in 1971-72,
for $680,325 in building costs. The school was named to honor of Kate
B. Reynolds, a pioneer teacher in Tucson School District 1 who was later
elected to the position of Pima County School Superintendent.
Also in the 1971-72 school year, Inez C. Ford Elementary School opened
with 16 classrooms at 8001 E. Stella Road. Inez Ford was a long-time
teacher in Tucson School District 1.
Fruchthendler Elementary School was the last of the new elementary
schools opened during the 1971-72 school year. The school at 7470 E.
Cloud Road, was named for long-time school board member Jacob C. Fruchthendler,
who was first elected in 1954. Fruchthendler was a local insurance executive
with many civic and religious involvements. After his service on the
Tucson School District 1 Board, Fruchthendler was elected to the Pima
Community College Board of Governors. Fruchthendler School was constructed
for $759,471.
The 1972-73 school year saw the opening of another group of elementary
schools, a junior-senior high school complex, and several alternative
programs. Tolson Elementary School, 1000 S. Greasewood Road, was built
for $790,700. It was named in recognition of Andy Tolson, former principal
of Tucson High School. Tolson was a district employee for 41 years when
he retired in 1968. He had been baseball coach for 14 years at Tucson
High, bringing home seven state championships in that time. Tolson taught
history and civics, and later was dean of boys and assistant principal
before becoming principal. He received the University of Arizona Medallion
of Merit and American Educator' s Medal from the Valley Forge Freedom
Foundation.
Lawrence Elementary School was named for Anna E. Lawrence She was 16
years old when she began teaching in Michigan. Miss Lawrence came to
Arizona in 1943 taught at Mission View Elementary. She also served as
principal of Davis and Carrillo Elementary Schools before going to Miles
Elementary. Miss Lawrence worked in the Tucson Public School District
for 26 years until her retirement in 1969. She worked in the community
to provide social programs for underprivileged children which included
a clothing bank, a hot lunch program, and the legal aid society. The
17-classroom school was in April, 1973 at a cost of $812,832. Lawrence
School, 6855 S. Mark Road, was the first school in the district to be
built using pre-engineered modular construction.
Lyons Elementary School was named for the second woman to serve on
the school board in the history of the district. However, Nan E. Lyons
was the first in a line of women who have guided the district in the
last 40 years. Nan Lyons had been a teacher in Los Angeles before coming
to Tucson in 1938. As the wife of the dean of the University of Arizona
College of Law, Mrs. Lyons was active in many civic and educational
organizations, including the PTA. When she was elected in 1954 she won
the most votes in a field of ten candidates. During her decade of service
on the school board, Mrs. Lyons was credited with proposing and supporting
a variety of programs such as advanced placement classes, improved teacher
salaries, and public information about curriculum. Lyons School, 7555
E. Dogwood, was constructed for an initial price of $825,927.
Sabino Junior and Senior High School was opened in 1972-73. Sabino
High School, the 9th high school constructed, used the same architectural
plan as Sahuaro and Santa Rita High Schools. It is located at 5000 N.
Bowes Road. The educational program at the two schools shared a joint
faculty, and elective offerings for the junior high school students
were available from the senior high course bank. After a few years,
the school administration said scheduling problems made the joined schools
disadvantageous.
Bloom Elementary School, 8310 E. Pima St., named for Clara Ferrin Bloom,
was built for $797,400. Clara Ferrin was a student in the Congress Street
School. Later she graduated from the University of Arizona in 1901,
in a class of three. That same year she began teaching at Safford School,
and was Dr. Pistor's second grade teacher while there. She married David
Bloom, a local merchant, in 1912 and retired from teaching until the
Depression years. At that time she returned to teaching as a substitute,
later becoming a full-time teacher again. Mrs. Bloom was active in many
civic, religious, and educational groups until her death at the age
of 91 in 1973.
Also in 1973-74, the district opened its third adaptive education school,
intended for trainable mentally retarded students up to the age of 12.
The school was named in honor of Laura Ganoung, first director of Special
Education for Tucson Public Schools. Dr. Laura Laura Ganoung had worked
in many capacities in the education of children with special needs.
Ganoung School was opened on the campus of Myers Elementary. At first
the two schools were physically and socially separated. During the '80s
the adaptive education students were integrated through mainstreaming
between the schools. The school is today known as Myers-Ganoung School
and is completely merged.
Morgan Maxwell Junior High School, opened in 1973-74, was the first
school to be named for an African-American educator. Morgan Maxwell
was the principal of Paul Laurence Dunbar School for 28 years. His work
has been described in an earlier section. Maxwell Junior High, 2802
W. Anklam Rd., was constructed with 21 classrooms, 14 of which can become
7 double rooms by opening a movable wall. These rooms are designed to
promote team-teaching opportunities. Original construction costs were
$1,566,500.
Secrist Junior High School, 3400 S. Houghton Rd., was named for Dr.
Delbert L. Secrist, who served for 16 years on the school board. During
his service on the board, 47 new schools were built or planned. Delbert
Secrist was an All-American football player in college. As a physician
and surgeon, Dr. Secrist served in the U. S. Air Force Medical Corps
during World War II. He was awarded the first Community Service Award
of the American Educational Association for "outstanding contribution
to the people of Arizona and the public schools of the state."
The Arizona Congress of Parents and Teachers also presented him with
a life membership. The school opened for the 1973-74 school year with
23 air-conditioned classrooms, for a cost of $1,574,100.
Notes
32Cheri Cross, "Student ratings changed:
Slow learning 'banishing out'" Tucson Citizen November 25,
1974.
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