requirement of moral integrity, school
trustees cited the rigorous educational
standards expected of applicants.
Literary merit and teaching experience
were expected, as they stated, “With this
due care and observance, our schools
have reached their present state of high
standing, and we today challenge any
place in this county or state to show a
greater proportion of excellent scholars
that have been graduated from this
school district.” Teachers’ salaries at the
time came to a whopping $50 to $85
per month.
Captivated by the competence of
Gilroy’s teachers, the school’s academic
excellence was noted on an 1871 school
visit by the editor of the Gilroy Advocate.
Among his comments were these, “The
general expression of the scholars was
animated and pleasant and among many
we observed a beauty and intelligence
that was highly pleasing. We scanned
their countenances closely and did
not find what might be called a stupid
expression among them.”
There was somewhat of a revolving
door at the Gilroy schoolhouse, how-
ever, with eleven teachers arriving and
departing between 1854 and 1867. Two
local names on the staff are recogniz-
able in the annals of local history: Mr. E.
Leavesley and P.F. Hoey. Then there was
D.W. Herrington, later of San Jose, who
later distinguished himself by becoming a
District Attorney and member of the State
Assembly. By 1867 the school had estab-
lished a Board of Trustees with members
Perry Dowdy, J.W. Clifton and Massey
Thomas among those elected to office.
With town growth came an expand-
ed student enrollment and by 1868
the town’s original 1854 schoolhouse
was bursting at the seams. A tax was
voted to construct a new building.
The lowest bid, from local builder J. J.
Dorland, came in at $5,825. By then,
after enthusiastically overspending on
books for the school library, the Board
of Trustees was forced to take out a 1.5
percent loan to furnish the building’s
new classrooms. “The interest paid on
this sum was rather high, we would
consider, nowadays,” the school history
brochure notes.
Students already burdened with
meeting year-end academic requirements
doubtless groaned even louder in 1873,
when the school year was extended from
eight to ten months. In addition, given
the town’s growth, greater student atten-
dance had classrooms again overflow-
ing with 40 to 50 students per room.
By 1875 a new tax was raised to fund
$5,000 for additional classrooms.
By this time, the Superintendent’s
salary was also boosted to $150 per
month. To meet costs, pupils living
outside the city limits were assessed
monthly fees of $1.50 to $3 according
to grade level. A bell was installed at the
schoolhouse to be rung each morning,
ensuring the children got to class on
time. Ever seeking intellectual progress,
publication of the first school newspaper,
called the Gilroy Effort, served to inform
the town on “the advancement being
made by the scholars.”
By the 1880s, local names on the
staff included Miss Mary E. Rucker, in
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
charge of second intermediate level,
and Henry Reeve, elected to the Board
of Trustees. Other staff included Lizzie
Tully, Bertie Benn, who later became
the city librarian, Clara Ousley and
Hannah Sorenson.
Smoking and chewing tobacco on
campus became an issue. In 1882,
the Board of Trustees passed a law
forbidding the use of tobacco on
any part of the school grounds. The
teachers were given strict orders for
its enforcement.
During this period the names of
many student graduates familiar in local
history were listed: Osborne, Furlong,
Lennon, Willey, Wayland, Mayock,
Murphy, Moore, Cullen, Goodrich,
Holloway, and Cobb.
By 1885 the high school graduated
a class of 11 members. Seven of them
eventually went on to hold teaching
positions in San Ysidro, San Benito
County, Castroville, Fresno, Washington
State, and Gilroy. Of the four remaining
Class of 1885 graduates, one became a
lawyer and the others took up farming.
Banning tobacco from school
property was but the tip of the iceberg
of school scandals, however. In 1890
the Superintendent came under fire
when the local newspaper reported,
“An investigation into the actions
of the Superintendent of Schools
concerning charging personal bills to
the county came before the board. The
Superintendent had refused to turn over
the account records. When forced to
do so, they revealed accounts kept in a
slovenly manner.”
gmhtoday.com
71