Kent State University School
Encyclopedia
Kent State University School ("KSUS") was a private school located in Kent, Ohio
, USA, on the campus of Kent State University
. The school included grades K–12 and was divided into elementary, middle, and high school levels with the high school known as Kent State University High School or Kent State High School (abbreviated "KSUHS" or "KSHS"). Originally developed as a teacher training school, it would evolve into a selective private school connected with Kent State University's College of Education. It was initially housed at Merrill Hall when it opened in 1913 before moving into Kent Hall in 1916. In 1926 it relocated to the William A. Cluff Teacher Training Building, now known as Franklin Hall. In 1956 it was moved to a new building at the corner of Morris Road and East Summit Street. This building is today known as the Michael Schwartz Center and houses many administrative offices. The University closed the high school portion (grades 10–12) in 1972 and the remainder of the school was eliminated in 1982.
s in the schools was not yet developed. Providing 250 students for a training school was one of the many stipulations the state of Ohio gave the village of Kent upon awarding them the school. The first classes were held in 1913 at the newly completed Merrill Hall. Initially, it served grades 1–6. Beginning in 1915, the school began to expand to higher grade levels, adding one grade level per school year to eventually have a fully functioning and accredited high school
. In 1916 the school was moved into the new Kent Hall before finally getting their own building in 1927 with the completion of the William A. Cluff Teacher Training building, today known as Franklin Hall. By 1931, the school had an enrollment of 265 students in grades K–6 and 303 students in grades 7–12. The high school enrollment included 105 students from the Brimfield and Franklin Township high schools as neither school had a fourth year of high school available, a common practice for many rural schools in the early to mid-twentieth century. In 1956, the school moved to a new building on the southwestern corner of campus. This building, originally known as the University School building, is now known as the Michael Schwartz Center.
By the 1960s the school was no longer using education students as teachers and the school was used more as a research opportunity for students and faculty than a training school. Some of the educational innovations developed at the school included the team-teaching concept, integrative curriculum, block and modular scheduling, and middle school
organization. The innovations and the school's reputation for focusing on the individual student attracted students from the region, though most of the student body was made up of local students in and around Kent.
Budget constraints in the 1970s, exacerbated by the University's enrollment decline following the Kent State shootings
, led to the gradual closing of the school beginning in 1972 with the senior high school (grades 10–12). The junior high school grades (7–9) followed a few years later and the remainder of the school was closed in 1982 over fierce protests from parents and alumni.
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
, USA, on the campus of Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
. The school included grades K–12 and was divided into elementary, middle, and high school levels with the high school known as Kent State University High School or Kent State High School (abbreviated "KSUHS" or "KSHS"). Originally developed as a teacher training school, it would evolve into a selective private school connected with Kent State University's College of Education. It was initially housed at Merrill Hall when it opened in 1913 before moving into Kent Hall in 1916. In 1926 it relocated to the William A. Cluff Teacher Training Building, now known as Franklin Hall. In 1956 it was moved to a new building at the corner of Morris Road and East Summit Street. This building is today known as the Michael Schwartz Center and houses many administrative offices. The University closed the high school portion (grades 10–12) in 1972 and the remainder of the school was eliminated in 1982.
History
A "Teacher Training School" was part of the original plans at the establishment of the Kent State Normal School in 1910 as the modern practice of placing student teacherStudent teacher
A student teacher is a college or graduate student who is teaching under the supervision of a certified teacher in order to qualify for a degree in education...
s in the schools was not yet developed. Providing 250 students for a training school was one of the many stipulations the state of Ohio gave the village of Kent upon awarding them the school. The first classes were held in 1913 at the newly completed Merrill Hall. Initially, it served grades 1–6. Beginning in 1915, the school began to expand to higher grade levels, adding one grade level per school year to eventually have a fully functioning and accredited high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. In 1916 the school was moved into the new Kent Hall before finally getting their own building in 1927 with the completion of the William A. Cluff Teacher Training building, today known as Franklin Hall. By 1931, the school had an enrollment of 265 students in grades K–6 and 303 students in grades 7–12. The high school enrollment included 105 students from the Brimfield and Franklin Township high schools as neither school had a fourth year of high school available, a common practice for many rural schools in the early to mid-twentieth century. In 1956, the school moved to a new building on the southwestern corner of campus. This building, originally known as the University School building, is now known as the Michael Schwartz Center.
By the 1960s the school was no longer using education students as teachers and the school was used more as a research opportunity for students and faculty than a training school. Some of the educational innovations developed at the school included the team-teaching concept, integrative curriculum, block and modular scheduling, and middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
organization. The innovations and the school's reputation for focusing on the individual student attracted students from the region, though most of the student body was made up of local students in and around Kent.
Budget constraints in the 1970s, exacerbated by the University's enrollment decline following the Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
, led to the gradual closing of the school beginning in 1972 with the senior high school (grades 10–12). The junior high school grades (7–9) followed a few years later and the remainder of the school was closed in 1982 over fierce protests from parents and alumni.
Student body
The student body was made up of a variety of students from the areas in and around Kent, attracting students as far away as Cleveland. The school had a policy that classes could not exceed 50% of children of KSU faculty, staff, or students unless there were no names on the waiting list. Priority in admission, however, was given to local students and those who had siblings already attending.Campus and facilities
All grade levels of the University School were held in the same building. The first two buildings that housed the school—Merrill and Kent Halls—were also home to other university programs and departments. Merrill Hall, for instance, was the first building built on the KSU campus, while Kent Hall—known until 1938 as Science Hall—initially served as the home of the science classes. The school's first exclusive home, known as the William A. Cluff Teacher Training Building, would serve as the school's home for nearly 30 years. Athletic fields for the high school first appear in the 1942 map of campus and were on the opposite side of the campus from the Cluff building. The school had its own athetic facilities once it moved to what is now the Schwartz Center, as the building included its own auditorium and gynmasium. Athletic fields were located just to the east of the building along Summit Street and included a running track.Notable alumni
- Robert E. CookRobert E. CookRobert Eugene Cook was an American politician of the Democratic party from Kent, Ohio who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1959 to 1963. He also served as a common pleas judge from 1963–1969 and as a judge in Ohio Eleventh District Court of Appeals from 1969-1988...
; politician and former member of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution... - Betty-Jean MaycockBetty-Jean MaycockBetty Jean Maycock Harrington, is a former Olympic gymnast from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Harrington was a member of the 1960 U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team that competed in the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. Prior to the Olympics, she was part of the first collegiate women's gymnastics team...
; U.S. Olympian gymnastGymnastGymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
in 1960