Chandler Schools: Grade, Grammar, Junior, and High

The Chandler School initially was for  all grades at first, until Chandler Grammar School came into being, which then morphed into Cleveland School.

A Mission style school building was built in 1912 and finished in time for classes to begin that September. It began with 57 students and two teachers. G.A. Markham was the first principal and taught grades 4-8, and Louise Kolmire taught primary grades. Enrollment doubled by the end of the year and a third teacher was hired.More classrooms were built in the summer of 1913 and when the 1913-1914 school year started, there were six teachers and more than 200 students. (source: Chandler: Pioneer City of the New West, by Scott Solliday.

The 1916 and 1917 Chandler City Directories  list Loren E. McFadden as the school  principal. 

H.A. Keeley is listed as the public schools superintendent in the 1918 Chandler City Directory. There is no listing in the 1919 directory for Chandler schools.

In the 1920 directory, there are separate listings for Chandler Grade School and Chandler High School.   F. J. Curtiss is the superintendent of the grade school, which was at Cleveland and California Streets. And he was also principal of Chandler High School on Arizona Avenue near Detroit. The 1920 directory also has a separate listing for Goodyear Grade School, at which D. D. Jones was the principal

The 1921 and 1923 directories said Fred P. Austin was superintendent of Chandler Grade Schools. In 1923, Mrs. Mabel Singleton was grade school principal and the school was on north Oregon Street. The 1923 directory also said Auistin was superintendent and principal of Chandler High School, which was on north Arizona Ave.

1925 directory: Grade Schools -- Fred P. Austin, superintendent; Mrs. A. M. Seaver, principal. High School -- Fred P. Austin, principal, north Arizona Ave. Roy A. Jackson, assistant principal for the high school.

1926 directory:  the grade schools were located on north Oregon, at the corner of Cleveland. High school was on north Arizona Ave

1929 directory: Chandler Junior High School appears, with R. A. Jackson as the principal. Fred P. Austin is listed as superintendent of Chandler Schools. Austin is also superintendent of Chandler Grade Schools at 145 N. Oregon. Austin appears as principal of Chandler High School; and R. A. Jackson, as  assistant principal, at 250 N. Arizona. E. E. Cooper was principal of Chandler Grade School.

1930 directory: Chandler Grammar School is listed at 215 N. Oregon. Chandler High School, witbh F. P. Austin as principal, is at 325 N. Arizona Ave. Chandler Junior High is also mentioned, but with no more information. Winn Addition School is mentioned and Ora Hansen taught there.

1931 and 1932 directories: Grammar and high schools have the same address. No personnel are mentioned. Chandler Junior High School was at 325 N. Arizona. The 1932 Phoenix Telephone Directory, Chandler section, said the Grammar School had the number 33, and the high school, 39.

-Leonard George and wife arrived in Chandler to inspect the new furniture for the school.  Mr. George is the chairman of the school board.  (Chandler Arizonan 8/23/1912)

-Mr. Haffner spent two days moving the furniture from the depot to the school.  (Chandler Arizonan 8/23/1912)

-$520,063.85 was collected for schools which amounts to $90 per pupil per year.  6,063 pupils attended school in the county last year.  The fees collected is about 60 percent of what the treasurer's office collected.  (Chandler Arizonan 1/17/1913)

-New unit is being built for the Chandler school by W.H. Snell, who is also building a temporary building for his office.

Excavation for the foundation has been made and material has arrived.  (Chandler Arizonan 1/24/1913)

-The school is almost growing daily, and it is meeting expectations.

They are requesting parents take part more in kids' school lives and talk with teachers.  (Chandler Arizonan 1/31/1913)

-With the second unit of the Chandler school well underway, it won't be many months before we shall be clamoring for the third unit.

The new unit will cost $5,750, will be done in 40 days, and will be an exact duplicate to the original.  It will house 120 students.  (Chandler Arizonan 2/7/1913)

-A fine library is being installed at the school.  Trustee Jeff Duncan donated most of the books and cases.  He will donate his spare time to making the library the best in the valley.

Anyone with volumes of books for young children can leave them at the building.  (Chandler Arizonan 2/14/1913)

-Professor Markham is the principal.  (Chandler Arizonan 2/14/1913)

-The brick work is done on the new unit of the school.  The interior labor is being pushed, and so is the roof.  Contractor Snell says he will keep his promise of 40 days as long as the materials keep coming in.  (Chandler Arizonan 2/21/1913)

-The kids formed a Newspaper Club so they could write a school column for the Chandler Arizonan.

The Chandler photographer took pictures of each class.

The school had nine new pupils in the last two weeks.