(ZoMeye &o*H*Hoc«Uty Sc6oo£ *D64trUct In 1951 t he c i t i zens of Co l l ege Townsh i p vo t ed t o bu i l d one cen t ra l schoo l for t he pup i l s of t he va r i ous d i s t r i c t s. They fe l t t he need for t h i s because mos t of t he one room schoo l s we re o l d, no t mode rn, and ove r c rowded. W. J . Brown , an a rch i t ec t from Ceda r Rap i ds , drew up t he p l ans for t he schoo l bu i l di ng. R. W. Ri n - de rknech t was t he gene ra l con t r ac t or for t he Co l l ege Townsh i p Schoo l wh i ch cos t approx ima t e l y $380, 000 and was comp l e t ed i n t he summe r of 1953. S. W . Wi l ey was h i red by t he Boa rd of Educa t i on as supe r i n t enden t of t he new schoo l i n 1952 . Through h i s effor t s and t hose of t he Boa rd of Educa t i on, t he schoo l program was organ i zed and t he Co l l ege Townsh i p Schoo l door s we re opened on Augus t 31, 1953 t o 298 pup i l s and 10 t eache r s . In t he spr i ng of 1954 , Co l l ege schoo l t ownsh i p, Fa i r fax schoo l t ownsh i p, El y d i s t r i c t, Cen t e r No. 3, Honey Grove , Bi g Grove and pa r t of Monroe schoo l t ownsh i p vo t ed t o me rge . The new schoo l d i s t r i c t was ca l l ed Co l l ege Commun i t y Schoo l s . Cl as ses we re he l d i n t hree bu i l di ngs : t he new bu i l di ng, Co l l ege , for ki nde rga r t en t hrough e i gh t h, and El y and Fa i r fax for t he e l emen t a ry pup i l s of t he i r d i s t r i c t. The h i gh schoo l s t uden t s of t he d i s t r i c t a t t ended schoo l i n Ceda r Rap i ds i n 1955 t he c i t i zens aga i n vo t ed , t o bu i l d a h i gh schoo l i n t he d i s t r i c t. Leo Da l y & Co. we re t he a rch i t ec t s for t he new bu i lding gene ra l con t rac t or for t he ma i n bu i l di ng wh i ch was g i ven t he name "Pra i r i e Hi gh." Cons t ruc t i on on t he schoo l s t a r t ed i n Apr i l 1956 and was comp l e t ed i n Decembe r of t ha t yea r. Cr i t es and Pi effe r wa s t he a rch i t ec t for t he gymnas i um add i t i on wh i ch was fi n i shed i n Janua ry of 1958 . Howa rd St rong wa s h i red by t he Boa rd of Educa t i on as pr i nc i pa l of Pra i r i e Hi gh. At t he beg i nn i ng of t he second semes t e r of t he 1956 -57 schoo l yea r, seven t h t hrough t en t h grades we re moved from t he Co l l ege Townsh i p El emen t a ry schoo l i n t o Pra i r i e Hi gh . The presen t enro l lmen t for t he Co l l ege Commun i t y Schoo l d i s t r i c t i s n i ne hundr ed e i gh t y wi t h for t y - s i x t eache r s. Ka t h l een Boo t h . The O. F. Pau l son Company wa s t he . Ea r l y 43
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