Sharon
Schools in the early 20th century
The schools of
Sharon have advanced even more rapidly than other departments of the city,
especially as regards buildings and equipment. On an assessed valuation of
nearly six million dollars, while the borough tax is thirteen and a half
mills, a nine-mill tax is levied for school funds. The receipts from all
sources for school purposes aggregated, in 1907, $54,105.64, and for the
year ending in June, 1908, they were $59,538.72.
During the present
century [19th century] a practically new set of school buildings have
taken the place of the older ones elsewhere described. The South Ward
school was remodeled in 1902, and since then four new buildings have been
completed and two more are now in course of erection. In 1903 the
estimated value of school property in Sharon was $125,000, and in 1907 it
was $255,000. In 1904 the Central and Prospect Heights buildings were
completed, and in 1905 the splendid high school, a building of buff brick
and stone, which overlooks the river at the Chestnut street bridge.
During the term of
the present superintendent, S. H. Hadley, who
began his work in October, 1902 a notable increase in enrollment has
occurred. The total enrollment in all the schools at the beginning of his
term of office was 1,653. The enrollment in October, 1908, was 2,242. The
attendance at the high school has grown from 65 in 1902 to 313 in 1908
Sixty-one teachers are now employed, as compared with thirty-eight in
1902. At the present time the financial condition of the school
corporation is good, the receipts exceeding the expenditures, and while
the amount of outstanding bonds issued to pay for the new buildings is
$160,000, the total assets are estimated at more than $270,000.
Twentieth
Century History of Mercer County,
1909, Vol. I, page 105