Hemlock High School Classes Temporarily in IOOF Lodge

From the Democrat and Chronicle, 12 August 1928

Hemlock - Prospects are that Hemlock’s school activities for the coming year will be held in Odd Fellow’s Hall. At an adjourned meeting of the Board of Education of District 4, to make plans for temporary quarters until a new structure can be built to take the place of the school building which was burned last month, of the several plans considered the plan to use the Odd Fellow’s building seemed to be most feasible.

The building is a two-story structure which will house all of the classes of the school, by making certain temporary alterations. Although the matter was not closed, it is expected the trustees and the lodge officials will be able to get together on some kind of an acceptable agreement within a few days.

At the organization meeting of the school board, Floyd C. Beam was elected president. He succeeds C. W. Hanna who was formerly president of the board. F. R. Connor was elected clerk; B. R. Beech, treasurer; George H. Rix, collector; and B. S. Owens, truant officer.

Bond Issue for Hemlock School Up to Vote

From the Democrat and Chronicle, 21 August 1928

Hemlock Taxpayers to have Election to Decide on Plans

Board of Education Seeks to Raise $100,000 to Erect Modern School Building

Hemlock - The most important school meeting ever held in this school district will take place Wednesday evening at 8 o’clock when the voters of School District No. 4 will vote upon the proposition to issue $100,000 in bonds of the district to defray part of the expense of the new school building. The building will be to replace the school house which was destroyed by fire a few weeks ago.

The Board of Education has issued a pamphlet which goes into detail on the plans for the new building and urges the voters to attend the special meeting and vote for the proposition. If it is carried, the board expects to use the proceeds from the sale of the bonds, together with $29,000 received in fire insurance on the former building, for the construction and equipment of the new building.

The trustees have had tentative plans drawn by Architect Carl C. Ade of Rochester which call for a building with 100-foot front and 61 feet in depth. The exterior will be finished in pressed brick and stone trimming and the building is planned so that additions can be made if future requirements demand them.

The main floor will be given over to a large auditorium and gymnasium, with lockers and service room. The recitation rooms for grade classes will be located on the floor above, together with a teacher’s room and a clinic room. The high school department will have its quarters on the top floor, where the principal’s office is located, as well as the laboratory, study room and library.

The tentative plans have met with the approval of the State Educational Department at Albany, and the members of the Board of Education look for favorable action on the proposition to issue the bonds at the special meeting Wednesday evening.

The plan is to issue bonds at a rate not to exceed 4 1/2 per cent, to run not longer than 30 years. It is expected the bond issue will not raise the tax rate, at any time, more than $6.50 over the last rate. The assessed valuation of the district in 1925 was $509,325 with a tax rate of #13.80 on each $1,000 of assessed valuation. The 1927 rate was $7.40 on a valuation of $951,500, and the board estimates the 1928 rate will approximate $13.50 on a valuation of about $1,000,000.

The board has made a survey of the number of villages where conditions are comparable to those here and they found the following tax rates: Attica, $17.50; North Rose, $15.00; Scottsville, $13.50; Ontario, $20.91; Bergen, $16.21.

New School to be Built at Hemlock

From the Democrat and Chronicle, 24 August 1928

Voters Approve New $129,000 Building to Replace the One Destroyed by Fire

Hemlock - A modern school building costing $129,000 will replace the old plant burned recently, voters of the school district today had decided.

Appropriation of money for construction of the school was approved by a vote of 80 to 12 and purchase of land to be added to the site of the old school was approved, 86 to 5.

Plans prepared by Carl C. Ade, Rochester architect, were approved by the taxpayers over plans submitted by a Buffalo concern. Bids will be called shortly and it is expected the Board of Education will let the contract so construction of the new building will be started within a month.

Of the $129,000 cost of the school, $100,000 will be floated in a bond issue, approved last night by the voters of the district. Joseph Hixon, a representative of the State Department of Education, attended the special election and urged prompt action on the part of the district lest the state be compelled to take action.

Destruction by fire of the old school shortly after the school year ended produced a difficult problem for school officials to solve in the housing of pupils until the new building is ready, which cannot be earlier than next Fall, it is expected. Workmen now are remodelling the IOOF Temple, installing temporary partitions and the like, for use of the pupils and teachers until the new building is opened.

The City of Rochester eventually will bear the bulk of the expense of the new school, since it owns Hemlock Lake and shoreline and pays 60 per cent of the town taxes, it was pointed out by members of the Board of Education today. Railroad and public utility corporations pay 20 per cent more of the town taxes, leaving only 20 per cent of the cost of the school to be borne by resident taxpayers.

Floyd C. Beam is president of the Board of Education and Frank R. Connor is clerk. Other members are George R. Knapp, Olin G. Mather and Edwin H. Westbrook.