History of Roscoe Borough - Education
Source: Borough of Roscoe Pennsylvania: Yesterday & Today
Main Street. It contained two rooms. The teachers were: Flora Haywood, Mary Blankenbuehler, and Janet
Campbell. Mr. John M. Long was the principal.
Street.
At the time four rooms were used - two up and two down. The school was
built in the “middle of the
lot" so that more rooms could be added in either direction if needed. The two story red brick building had a
basement, stone foundation, wooden floors, wooden roof and a coal fired heating system. This excellent
structure was built at a cost of $15,000 on a 1.45 acre site. The architect's fee for designing the building
was $2,500.
A plaque was erected in 1898 in the school to commemorate the new building. The following school
directors were in attendance: John McVicker (President), Robert Parkins (Secretary), F.M. Ausburn
(Treasurer), Dr. E.L. Collier, J.W.Ailes, Andrew Cairns, Joseph Underwood, William Bunting, A. Plumb.
Also in attendance were R.L. Barnhart (architect), and Thomas Wild (janitor).
Classes were not designated by grades but were referred to as rooms (ex. Room 1, Room 2).
Rooms I and 2 were the only rooms to have recess. Class sizes were such that Room 1 would have no more
than sixty students; Room 2 - fifty students; Room 3- forty-five students; Room 4 - forty students; Room 5
- forty students; and Room 6 - thirty students. Rooms 1, 2, and 3 used the Hagen's Readers.
An "Agreement Between Board of Directors and Teachers" dated September 5, 1898, indicated
that a teacher's salary was $35 per month and the school principal's salary was $60 per month (if he taught
a higher room, $50 for a lower room). The school term was eight months. The janitor's salary was $28.75
per month and this also included payment for his duties as truant officer.
Teachers would have to present an application to the School Board for a State Normal Diploma.
The President and Secretary of the School Board would sign the application and recommend the teacher to
the State Board of Education. The teachers of the 1898 school year were: J.M. Long, Principal; Elizabeth
Smith - Room 1; Ruth Rogers - Room 2; Mary Blackenbueler - Room 3; Sadie Sphar - Room 4; Rea
Furlong - Room 5. (Note - Rea Furlong later became Admiral Furlong of the U.S. Navy).
Millage was 6 mills for education and 6 mills for the building. All students who lived outside of
the school district were required to pay $1.25 per month tuition. The first tuition students were: John
Donaldson - Stockdale; Barbara McEwan - Elk; William Sphar Allenport; Olie Barber - Elco; and Sheldon
Riggs -?.
In 1907 a business course was established for all grades with Nora Miller hired at a salary of $60
per month. However, a year later came a need for extra rooms in the primary grades. Two rooms above the
First National Bank were rented for the business course at $5 per month.
In 1912, the school year was extended to nine months. There was also a motion approved wherein
the elected teachers provide the board with a medical certificate from a "good" physician. Failure to do so
would be cause for unemployment.
Once the students graduated from 8th grade, some of them went to the Public School in California,
PA (9th grade at Philipsburg and 10th, 11th and 12th grades at the high school at 5th and Liberty). After
high school graduation some students attended the Normal School in California, PA to get a two year
teaching certificate.
In 1951, the Roscoe Borough School Board working for a better academic program formed a jointure
with the California Borough Schools. This "forward" looking board was composed of Mr. Herbert Wright
(President), Mrs. Pearl Petrick (Vice- President), Mr. Thomas Webb (Secretary), Mr. Carl Hamilton, Mr.
Harry B. Edwards, and Mr. Kenneth Niceling. This jointure was confirmed by a popular plebiscite years
later when Roscoe residents voted to merge their school district with the adjoining districts of Elco, Long
Branch, Coal Center, Blainesburg, and California. On July 1, 1967 the school districts of Allenport
Borough and West Pike Run Township joined the before-mentioned districts to create the present California
Area School District.
Consolidation meant the operation of the school system by one school board, with members being
elected from each district.
After the 1951 jointure, additional records were not found until the year that Roscoe School was
closed in 1977. The sixth grade class was the last class to graduate from our school. The principal at the
time was Ron Keppich and the sixth grade teacher was Guy Turturice.
Sometime later, after 1977, the Roscoe School building was sold to Roscoe Borough for $1.00 to be
used for civic and recreational activities. This project did not materialize. In May, 1983, the borough
conveyed the school back to the District. In 1983, the School Distri9t sold the building and property to
William Caterini) Demolation of the school took place in 1985-86. Mr. Caterini and his wife then erected a
home in the "middle of the lot."
In 1909, Roscoe had a Commercial School with 12 pupils in attendance. It was located at the corner
of Furlong Avenue and Main Street. The school had two typewriters, a Remington and a Smith. The Smith
had a double key board. The Paragon Shorthand System was used. The teacher was Minnie Flemming.
The students in attendance were: Minnie McFadden, Elizabeth Hatfield, Edith Estep, Mary Alice
Porter, Ben Eisenberger, Louis (Punch) Abrams, Leroy Manilton, Clyde Dickinson, Paul Donaldson,
William Hull, Rebecca Winer, and Flossie Jobes Rockwell.
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