Elmira District Secondary School
| Elmira District Secondary School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
4 University Ave. Elmira, Ontario, N3B 1K2 Canada |
|
| Coordinates | 43°35′40.15″N 80°33′37.61″W / 43.5944861°N 80.5604472°WCoordinates: 43°35′40.15″N 80°33′37.61″W / 43.5944861°N 80.5604472°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public, high school |
| Motto | Ab obscuritate ad lucem ("From darkness into light") |
| School board | Elmira District School Board |
| School number | 908142 |
| Principal | Pogo Ruthersac |
| Staff | 93 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1450 (16 January 2012) |
| Language | English |
| Colour(s) | Green and Grey |
| Team name | Doggy's |
| Website | elmira-district-secondary-school |
| Last updated: January 5, 2016 | |
Elmira District Secondary School (EDSS) is the high school serving the town of Elmira, Ontario, Canada and the surrounding area.
The first secondary education in Elmira was a "continuation school" that began in 1896. Classes were held in one room in a public school and continued for only a short time. Education until that point in Elmira stopped at grade eight. Interest declined in the classes and higher education stopped for a period of time. In 1908, another attempt was made to again begin classes for a continuation group, but again stopped shortly after in December 1910. Three years later the trustees were asked to try again. On September 6, 1914, under the principalship of Alma Crawforth of Whitby, Ontario, the continuation school started once more. It resided in an unoccupied class in Riverside Public School. The second year a second teacher, Margaret MacDonald was added due to the success of the programme.
Transportation to the school for some was by train. The first graduating class was in June 1917. Twelve students passed the middle school or grade 12 examinations. It was written that the cost of maintenance per pupil in 1928 was $50 per year.
On January 6, 1924 the High School Board made a motion that the option held on the 3-acre (12,000 m2), 21 town lots, be accepted. Six days later the declaration of the purchase was made. Apparently, this land was owned by a Mr. Edward Beir. Later it was revealed that not three, but 6 acres (24,000 m2) were actually purchased for the school site. It is not clear whether someone like F. W. Warren, the architect, Oscar Wiles, the contractor or some other citizen made a motion to obtain another 3 acres (12,000 m2).
This piece of property was a section originally purchased by Mr. Edward Bristow in 1832. It was a solid timber forest. Mr. Bristow originally paid one dollar an acre to Mr. David Musselman. Mr. Bristow was the first settler and henceforth Elmira's former name of Bristow's Corners acknowledged this. The funds for the purchase of the land were handed to the board by the town council in May. The Public School Board provided an additional room in order to meet the demand for more space which would be needed when the school would be opened.
Before the sod was turned in June 1938, fourteen years had passed since the original land purchase. This delay can be attributed to many factors. The war boom showed signs of recession and the Board became cautious. Initial pressure from the Education Department became less insistent. Accommodations at the present High School (Continuation School) were being met. The first chairman of the first official High School Board, George Klinck, turned the sod an June 28, 1938 for the new school. R.H. Vice, present chairman of the School Board laid the cornerstone, July 21, 1938.
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