Life in a small town often revolves around its schools.
First, there are all of the families with children or grandchildren in the local schools. Then there are residents who spent their younger years in local schools or married someone who did. School districts also employ a fair number of folks to provide another connection.
Heck, there are even those who may not really have much of a direct connection but enjoy taking in a high school football or basketball game once in a while or save aluminum cans or buy a holiday wreath for an organization’s fundraiser.
Here in Philomath, the local school district has seven campuses — five in the city limits and two others in rural locations. This is “The Philomath 5,” so it’s those five in town that we’ll focus on here (even though Kings Valley and Blodgett both have fascinating and extensive histories).
1. Philomath Elementary School (1949)
The oldest school building currently in use can be found on South 16th Street with Philomath Elementary. Students started attending classes there in 1949 after the state had condemned the two previous schools that had been in use — West School (on Main Street west of Eighth) and the Hill School (in the old College of Philomath building at 10th and Pioneer). The state even threatened to cut off funding unless the district could find a solution to improve the learning venues for those students.
The new 10-classroom school was dedicated on May 9 with a program that included Florence Beardsley, state supervisor of elementary education. The event featured a story of the meaning of the town’s name, told in verse by grade school principal Charlene Edwards. General contractor Gordon Carl made a formal presentation to the School Board. And there was a presentation of a spinet piano purchased by funds raised by students.
In the years since, the district has added onto the original building — a particular advantage with its design — as the need for more space increased.
2. Philomath High School (1956)
Philomath’s first high school was built in 1911 on South 17th Street (which was known back then as South K Street) near Main. Overcrowding in the previous accommodations had been an issue with high schoolers taking classes “in the music room of Philomath College,” according to a December 1910 news account. The building was in use until 1956 when it was mostly destroyed by fire (in the 1960s, Mark’s Market went up in that space and today, it’s the site of Marys Peak True Value).
Philomath Junior-Senior High School was built that same year and ready for students in the fall at its current location on Applegate Street. The building’s dedication occurred on Sept. 7, 1956 with a program in its library. Rex Putnam, state superintendent of public instruction, was the featured speaker. Helen Baker, Benton County school superintendent, provided comments as well. Melvin Hawkins, senior member of the Philomath School Board, gave a history of local schools.
A major renovation and expansion of PHS took place in the early 2010s. The district hosted a grand-opening celebration in December 2012.
3. Philomath Middle School (1973)
The Philomath Middle School building opened to students on Dec. 18, 1973 following a delay of nearly three months by a series of labor strikes. Ron Ball was the principal and enrollment was around 420, which at that time was for students in grades 5-8.
Prior to the school’s opening, those students took their classes at the elementary school and high school. The $1.6 million price tag was financed by a May 1972 bond issue, which passed by a slim 27-vote margin. When constructed, it was the largest school building in the district.
Stories in the following year provided a hint of the community’s level of pride in the new school. The city of Philomath conducted a survey, for example, that saw 423 homes participate. On a question about what residents were most proud of, the middle school topped the list (along with Philomath City Park and the new sewage plant).
“My own impression of the school is that it’s kind of fabulous,” School Board chair Marvin Rowley said in a June 5, 1974 article in the Gazette-Times. “It has an atmosphere really conducive to learning.”
4. Clemens Primary School (2000)
Voters passed a $9.95 million bond measure in November 1998 for a primary school, which measured 40,000 square feet to be able to serve 300 students (with a design to accommodate any needed future expansion). The portion of those funds also went to upgrades at other schools.
Named after Rex and Ethel Clemens, the school was built on their former home site. After building a fortune in the logging industry, the couple set aside millions of dollars for scholarships, donated land and built a swimming pool and athletic facilities.
The school opened to students on Sept. 5, 2000 with five half-day kindergarten classes and five first grade classes. During a dedication ceremony the week before it officially opened, former School Board member and close friend of the Clemens family, Willard Davis, cut the ribbon with the help of youngsters.
The opening of Clemens Primary allowed the district to relocate the fifth grade from the middle school to the elementary school.
5. Philomath Academy (2020)
Although the school district had offered alternative education courses over the previous 10 years, Philomath Academy officially opened for its first fall in 2020 with Dan Johnson as its principal. The School Board established the school earlier that year on a May 4 vote.
Six months into the COVID pandemic, the school’s already-established online learning environment provided flexibility for families outside of the traditional classroom setting. Unlike the other schools, Philomath Academy did not open with its own building. Instead, a section of the Philomath High School library was redesigned to accommodate the new school.
The school opened to provide complete course offerings for students in grades K-12, a mentor-based support system, standards-based curriculum, open class hours for individual instruction and help, and an on-site summer credit recovery program for students wanting to retake a course or accelerate their learning.
In January 2023, the school moved into the school district’s office building, located on Applegate Street north of the elementary school.
(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).