DATE: January 31, 2017
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Laurel C. Prysiazny, County Librarian
Penny Raven, Chair, Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission
SUBJECT: Centennial Schools - Selma Unified Schools
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve designation and placement of the Selma Unified Schools: Terry Elementary, Garfield Elementary, Washington Elementary, and Selma High School on the County’s Register of Centennial Schools; and
2. Authorize the Chairman to execute the certificates for these Centennial Schools
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with these actions, which will allow Terry Elementary, Garfield Elementary, Washington Elementary, and Selma High School to be placed on the County’s Register of Centennial Schools. The Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission recommend schools that qualify for placement on the Fresno County’s Register of Centennial Schools. Approval by the Board of Supervisors encourages preservation of the County’s history.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board could choose to not approve these actions, which would result in the school not being placed on the County’s Register of Centennial Schools at this time.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions.
DISCUSSION:
The Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission, with support from Tanya Fisher, Superintendent of Selma Unified School District, recommend your Board approve the application to add Terry Elementary, Garfield Elementary, Washington Elementary, and Selma High School to the Centennial Schools Register.
Terry Elementary,
In 1882 the Board of Supervisors established the Terry School District. Terry School is the oldest school in the Selma area. It was named for Alonzo Mason Terry who donated the land. In 1892 it united with Selma High School to serve their students after 8th grade. In 1907 the first building was replaced with a larger building that had four classrooms and a library. In 1945 Terry School District joined with Central School District to form Terry Union School District, with Terry School serving all the students. A new school was built on the same campus in 1953. On July 1, 1967 it was united with four other districts to form the Selma Union School District.
Garfield Elementary and Washington Elementary
In 1904 the Selma Elementary District decided that their downtown school at Mill and McCall Streets was not adequate for the growing population of Selma. It was decided that they needed to build two schools, one on each side of the railroad tracks, to accommodate all elementary aged students. In 1906, the first of these schools, West Side School, opened shortly followed by the East Side School. In 1914 both schools were renamed, West Side School became Washington School and East Side School became Garfield School. In 1936 irreparable cracks were discovered in both of these schools and they were demolished in 1937. In September 1938 both schools reopened on their original sites with very similar floor plans; both had the same architect. In July 1967 Selma Elementary District (Washington School and Garfield School) united with four other districts to form Selma Union School District.
Selma High School
The Board of Supervisors established Selma High School in 1892 to serve six surrounding Elementary districts. One of its first board members, Mrs. V. J. Farney, representing Canal Elementary School District, was elected to the school board. The first classes for students met in Valley View Elementary School until the first high school was built in 1897 on McCall Ave. In 1912 a new school was built at the same location.
With the collapse of part of a classroom ceiling in 1952 leading to the closing of the auditorium building, the need for a new campus was explored. The conclusion in 1953 was that the downtown campus was too crowded, and it was not possible to expand to accommodate additional students. Bonds were passed in 1955 and students moved into a new campus on Wright Avenue in the fall of 1958. This campus was large enough to allow for expansion with more classroom buildings, a gymnasium, and a library.
The Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission reviewed the applications for these four schools during its November 10, 2016 meeting and unanimously voted to recommend that they all be listed on the Fresno County’s Register of Centennial Schools.
OTHER REVIEWING AGENCIES:
Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Centennial Schools Certificates
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck