School Building Construction

The Board accepted a building bid of $6,265.00 for a two-story structure on Fraser Street on June 17, 1897. The contractor chosen for the remodeling was Thomas F. Kennedy who was the postmaster and the first school president. Kennedy was required to have the project completed by October 22, 1897--just four months after the agreement was finalized in preparation for the upcoming academic year.

Before the 1950 establishment of the College Area Joint School District, the exigency of additional school buildings was evident to meet forecasted attendance projections.

The 1940 U.S. Census showed that State College, with a population of 6,400, had finally grown larger than Bellefonte. The anticipated enrollment increase was a result of students staying in school longer and the fusion of attendees from the merger. Nationwide, 51 percent of 17-year-olds were high school graduates in 1945, compared with just six percent in 1900.

In 1942, extensive alterations and additions were made to the State College High School building on West Fairmount Avenue. The $133,000 total cost provided an enlarged auditorium and six classrooms.