Culver School History 1960 - 1969  

The School Consolidation Act of 1959 created the State Commission for the Reorganization of School Corporations.

The law's purpose was to improve education by providing more equalized education opportunities for publicly enrolled students in grades 1 through 12 in the school corporations of Indiana.

The State Commission for the Reorganization of School Corporations was charged to establish minimum standards to be followed by individual county committees for school reorganization, to conduct statewide hearings, to approve or reject county school reorganization plans developed by the county committees, and to develop county plans in the event that the county committee failed to act.

Two standards which were regularly applied were:

1. No proposed school corporation shall have less than 1,000 resident pupils in average daily attendance in grades 1 through 12. 2. No proposed school corporation shall have less than $5,000 adjusted evaluation per resident student. The state commission, directed by J.B. Kohlmeyer of Purdue University, also gave approval of proposed school construction projects.

The School Consolidation Act of 1959 the first 11 years reduced the number of school corporations in Indiana from 966 to 402 and reduced the number of corporations with less than 1,000 resident pupils in grades 1 through 12 from 801 to 156.

In the 1955-56 school year, Indiana had 776 high schools By 2007, Indiana had 293 school corporations.

If one could find - The School Corporation Reorganization Act of 1959 statutes Indiana. Laws (etc) Indiana Farm Bureau, Incorporated, 1959

1960s consolidations transformed Indiana schools

Education in Indiana went through a huge transformation around 50 years ago, when a wave of school consolidations dramatically reduced the number of small school districts. With the Indiana Chamber of Commerce pushing for more mergers, now is a good to time to revisit that history. The impetus was the Indiana School Reorganization Act of 1959, which called for each county to develop and implement a reorganization plan.... - Posted on September 12, 2017 by Steve hinnefeld

1960 - Feb 3 - Reorganization Of County's Schools Studied - No Consolidations Yet Recommended

A family census, one of the key steps in the reorganization program and the initial step in obtaining the basic data, will be conducted thoroughout the county starting Feb. 18. All census information must be in the county superintendent’s office by March 1.

1960 - May 18 - Reorganization of Schools is Clearly Explained - 3 Communities in Merge Plan.

1960 - Jul 13 - Culver citizen announces new pincipal - Kenneth L Cole.

1960 - August 3 - 87% of Aubbeenaubee petition favoring consolidation with Culver - Union Township School ... Aubbeenaubbee Township Advisory Committee for School Reorganization: Willis J . Cripe, Chairman; Paul Davidson, Robert C. Reichard, Vernie Bowen, and Ralph Hunneshagen

1960 - Aug. 17th edition of the Culver Citizen states that nearly 100 people assembled in the Community Building for an informal disccussion of the proposed consolidation of Union Township of Marshall county, North Bend Township of Starke county, and Aubbeenaubee Township of Fulton county. Starke and Fulton county are against the merger... Fulton County Committee might look with favor on a proposed unto it include Aubbeenaubee and Richland townships of Fulton county; and Union, Greene and Walnut townships of Marshall County.

1960 - Aug 24 - Reorganization of Area Schools Again Discussed - 2nd meeting

1960 - Aug. 31 - Great Fear of Culver Losing Its High School - Consolidation Plans Hit Snag.

the County Committee would recommend to the State Committee in its report soon to be made, a consolidation of Union, Greene, Walnut and Tippecanoe townships of Marshall county.

All hopes for a consolidation of
Aubbeenaubee, North Bend, and Union townships or

Or Union, Green, Walnut, Aubbeenaubee, and Richland townships
seema to be gone

There was a strong feeling among those present at the Friday night meeting that they would rather have our students go to Plymouth to high school than see the proposed plan become a reality.bPlymouth meets the state requirements at this time and has no wish for more students.

It seems a certainty that our high school students will be attending school at Argos.

1960 - Sep 14 - Hopes Raise For Preferred School Consolidation -

Claim Culver Can Keep High School

There is confident talk among reliably informed persons this morning that Culver will keep its high school and that the much hoped for consolidation of Union Aubbeenaubee and North Bend townships may yet become a reality.

A legal opinion has been given that this is possible under the 1947 State of Indiana law. The School Corporayion Reorganization Act of 1959 does not amend or repeal any exisitng law, it is claimed

1960 - Oct 12 - Three-County School Plan Still ALive!

1960 - Nov. 2 - Notice of Resolution of Consolidation of Schools.; dated 11 Oct 1960.

1960 - Nov 16 - Consolidation of Schools Given Encourgement

Three Townships In Agreement

Citizens of Marshall, Fulton, and Stark counties have been legally notified by the trustees and advisory boards of Union, Aubbeenaubee and North Bend townships of their intent to form a school corporation of the three townships.

At a joint meeting on Oct. 11 they adopted a resolution declaring their intention to consolidate the respective schools corporations into a new school district to be known as the Culver Community Schools.

Create Five-Man Board

In the reolution the committee declared the corporation shall be goverend by a five-man board of trustess.

One person would be appointed from each township, one fromthe Town of Culver, and the fifth would be appointed by the advisory board of Aubbeenaubee township and North Bend Township for alternate periods.

The consolidated school would be under the direction of a superintendent selected by the board.

The members of the board to be first appointed would take office on Aug. 1 1961

Based on 1947 Legislation

The committes resolved to consolidate their respecti school corporations pursant to Chapter 123 of the 1947 Acts of the Indiana State legislature , as amended by the Acts of the 1949 Legislature.

1960 Nov 30 - Excellent Choice Judd Stinchcomb Named to New School Board

The Town Board is to be heartily congratulated on its choice of Judd T. Stinchcomb as our representative on the new Community School board for a two-year term



Colonel Stinchcomb is eminently qualified for the post. Now retired, he was a mathematics and military instructor at the Academy for 38 years. All through the years he was been a leader in civic and service club activities. He was a Republican member of the town board of four years and is active in the American Legion, Boy Scouts, and the Shrine of Masonry at Hammond.



Benedict Also On Board.

Serving on the board of trustees with Stinchcomb will be Trustee
Eugene G. Benedict, four years representing Union township
Trustee Donald Taylor, one year, of North Bend Township of stark county and
Ced White, also from North Bend Township, four years.


The Marshall County committee also tentatively decided that if the highly popular consolidation plan of the Culver Community School, made up of Union, Aubeenaubee, and North Bend townships, is not approved by the State Reorganization Commission by Dec. 12 then it will include out own Union township in the county reorganization plan.

1960 - Dec 1 - Argos Reflector - Schoool Reorganization Committee Awaits Word from State on Plan.

1960 - Dec 7 - Will Explain 1961 Law on School Reorganization -

Bowen and Kizer At Argos Friday

An important school reorganization meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, in the Cafeteria of the Argos School.

Dr. Otis R. Bowen, Marshall county Representative-elect and Stata Senator Marshall F. Kiser will be presnet to explain the 1961 law on school consolidation.

The meeting will be open to the public and area parents of school children should plan to be present.

1960 - Dec 14 - Reorganization Committed Adopts Preliminary Plan - Groups Sets Up School Districts

1961- Apr 12 - School Heads Meet For Reorganization

The people in and around Culver wanted as early as 1961 to consolidate Aubbeenaubee Twp., North Bend Twp. and Union Twp. under the Indiana acts of 1947.

Such a plan was presented to the state committee for reorganization and was promptly refused. The county committee presented the "Marston Plan" consolidation of Argos, Aubbeenaubee Twp. and Culver-Union. The people in a public vote showed their contempt for the plan by voting it down to the tune of approximately 85%. The action was so strong that in a public meeting the leaders of the three communities who had presented the original plan under the 1947 law decided that it might be worth while to approach the State committee once again. These community leaders selected five men to appear before Dr. Kohlmeyer and plead the Culver Case. These were:

Ralph Osborn Jr.		Frank McLane
Kenneth Olin		George Stevens
	Kenneth Cole

1961 - Jun 14 - School Committee Gets Approval For State

Hearing Representatives of the Culver school reorganization committee, Don Davis and Wayne Kline, accompanied by Wayne Mattox and Wilber Taylor, attended the recent county reorganization committee meeting at Plymouth to obtain the approval of the committee to have a hearing with the State Commission in order to get a ruling on the independent Culver Schools Corporation which includes North Rend and Aubbenaubbee Townships.

Frank McLane, secretary of the county committee, expressed the unanimous approval of the committee.

McLane told the Culver grout) that if the State rules in favor of the Culver corporation, it may be asked to supplement the unit with Argos and Richland Township of Fulton County schools.

1961 - Aug 2 - Culver School Plan to Regroup Is Rejected

1961 - Aug. 16 - Culver School faculty list is Announced...

North Bend School

In all probability there should be added to this personnel list the names of the four former teachers from North Bend School because Donald Taylor, the North Bend Township Trustee, intends to transfer some 120 to 130 students to the Culver Public Schools. If or when, this happens, the agreement provides that the four North Bend teachers will be used to teach in the Culver Public Schools. Definite announcement concerning this will be made in next week's Citizen

1961 - Aug. 16 - North Bend School Will Not Open This Fall

Some Pupils Will Come To Culver

(From the aug. 9 issue of The Starke County News of Knox)

North Bend Township school will not reopen this year, according to North Bend Township Trustee, Donald Taylor.

Students will instead be absorbed into the Knox, Culver, and Monterey school systems.

Trustee Taylor is mailing letters today to the parents of students in his township notifying them of the change and asking that if they choose not to attend tliie Culver school system that they notify him at once.

Mr. Taylor, said every effort will be made to see that the student can attend the school of his choice.

The decision to close the North Bend school will have several effects on the residents of the township.

End Of Controversy?

First, it would seem that the school controversy there will be dissolved since those favoring the Culver school system may attend that school and those favoring the Knox school system may attend at Knox.

This seems to be an ideal way to settle the weighty problem.

Secondly, a savings in the tax rate of some 80 cents per hundred dollar valuation is seen in turn North Bend school budget if the school is closed. Last year North Bend allowed $2.05 for the school budget. This year the pronosed budget has dropped to only $1 .25.

1961 - Aug 23 - Will Transfer 120 From North Bend to Culver School - Four Teachers also Welcomed

1961 - Sep 13 - Culver and Knox Schools Absorb North Bend Pupils - Lawsuit Contests School Closing

1961 - Sep 20 - North Bend Still Up In Air In School Dispute Reorganization Is Under Fire

1961 - Sep 20 - Marston United School Corporation Established

Tho not stated the name was derived as such - Marshall and Fulton thus MARSTON. But for some reason the name "Marston United School Corporation" did not stick around instead it became "Culver Community School Corporation"

1961- Oct 25 - Culver Schools to Operate on on slow time '

Culver Union Township School will begin operating on slow time (Central Standard Time) on Monday monring Oct. 30, 1961. This means if you are keeping you hom time piece on fast time, your children will be tardy (by your clock) at 9:10 a.m.

1962 - The committee of five returned home after a pleasant but non-committed interview with Dr. Kohlmeyer. The Culver patrons were very pleasantly surprised when notified by the State committee that consolidation of Aubbeenaubee, North Bend and Culver was legal and would be effective as of December 27, 1962.

This gave Culver quite a variety of administrative heads during one school year. This appeared in the 1963 "Tomahawk".

In the School year of 1962-3 North Bend Twp. Students came to Culver for the first time. Aubbee Students remained at Leiters Ford in their school building.

1962-63 - This gave Culver quite a variety of administrative heads during one school year for it was operated under

Superintendent:	Frank McLane
Principal:	Culver High School: Kenneth Cole Culver Elementary: Shelton Kaiser Aubbee; Kenneth R. Olin
Trustees:	Eugene Benedict Glen Overmyer
Board Member:	Eugene Benedict, Union Twp. [8-61/10-63] Judd Stinchcomb, Culver Cedric White, North Bend Twp. Vernie Bowen Aubbee Twp. [8-61/9-63] Donald Taylor, North Bend Twp.

1962 - Feb 7 - Proposed School Reorganization Pan is Approved - New Corporations Effective July 1

1962 Mar 28 --- PTA Committee Report To Postone On Consolidation

Since the County Committee on the Reogranziation of Schools wAs postpone from May until November the vote on the proposed Marston Consolidation, the committee appointed by the Parent Teachers Association to investigate tha advantages and disadvantagies of such a plan will not make a report at the April meeting. If the PTA so desires, the committee will continue its study so that it can report at a meeting prior ro the November election

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1962 - Sep 12 - Public Urged to Attend Step 18 PTA Meeting

The Culver-Union Township PTA will hold a very important meeting on Tuesday, September 18, at 7:45 p.m. at the Culver High School.

The committee, which has been working on the Marston School Consolidation involving the consolidation of Culver, Argos and Aubbeenaubbee township schools, will report on their findings at this meeting.

Citizens of this area, regardless of their membership tot he P.T.A., are urged to attend this meeting.

Facts of the consolidation will be given. The purpose of the committee was to study and get the fact concerning the consolidation, then pass those facts on to the people in time to consider before the Novemebr election, at which time the voting will be done to accept or reject the proposal.

Also at this meeting the new teachers will be introduced.

1962, Sept 19 - P.T.A. rejects the "Marston Conolidation Plan"

1962 - Dec 19 - State Committee Approves School Consolidation

Members of the Culver-Union Township School Re-organization Advisory Commitee were informed Tuesday by attorney George Stevens, that in a telephone conversation with Dr. Kohlmeyer, the original application for school consolidation had been approved

Confimration would be received in a few days by mail. D.r Kohlmeyer is Executive Diriector of the State Commission for School Re-organization.

The original application, ehich was written under the Acts of 1947, formed the consolidation of Aubbeenaubbee township in Fulton county, Union township in Marshall county, and North Bend township in Starke county.

On Thursday, Dec. 27, a meeting of the present trustees and the newly elected trustees, advisory board and committee members will meet to work out the details of the approved application.

Union, Aubbeenaubeem, Walnut and Green twonships had rejected by the Norvember election the Marston Re-organization plan.

It is assumed with the approval of the state state committe of the original application, the way is clear for the enactment of the plac as applied for, and all that remains to be done is to work out the many details the application presents to the interested parties.

The meeting next Thursday night will solve many of these.

1962 - Dec 26 Officials to Meet to Discuss School Consolidation

In 1963 Aubbeenaubbee (Fulton County), North Bend Township (Starke County), and Union Township (Marshall county) were corporately joined into a reorganized school district - Culver Community Schools. Frank Mc Lane became the first superintendent of the corporation.

1963 - Jan 2 - School Officals - newly created Culver Communty Schools:

Cedric L. White - North Bend - President Judd T. Stinchcomb - Culver - Vice President Don Taylor - North Bend Secretary Eugene Benedict - Union - Treasurer Vernie Bown

The Culver Community Schools is a consolidation of ths school townships of Union in Marshall county, Aubbeenaubbee of Fulton county and North Bend of Starke county.

Trustees of the three townships were authorized to continue to carry on routine school matters

Resolution Passed

The board passed a resolution providing that until a superintendent is selected and a budget and additional appropriations secured and approved, the trustees and advisory board of the prespective townships are to continiue to pay all current obligations and to carry out the existing contract, as well as to purchase school supplies.

The board also selected a room, to be designated later, int the Culver High School to be the principa office of the new corporation....

The new corporatin was formed two years ago under 1947 school consolidation laws, but at time, the State School Reorganization Cimmission did not give its approval to the consolidation. The state commision did not grant its approval until just last week...

1963- January 23 – Mrs Nola Unruh New Secretary Of School Unit

Kindergareten postoned for North Bend & Aubbeenaubbee pending sifnical arrangements
Bus and Insurance policies transfered to new unit
Building fund of North Bend transferred
Bonds of North Bend transfered

Trustees Name Library Board Members
Superintendent office established -

1963 - Jan 30 - New School Board Studies Budget 1963

1963 - Feb 8 - School Board Acts on Many Problems

1963 - March 13 – The Board of School Trustees of Culver Community Schools, in a meeting on March 12, approved by majority vote to unite the high schools of the school corporation at the beginning of the 1964-65 school term…

1963-4

Superintendent:	Frank McLane
Principal:	Culver High School: Kenneth Cole Culver Elementary: Shelton Kaiser Aubbee; Kenneth R. Olin
Board Members:	Glen Overmyer, Union Twp. [10-63/6-65] Eldon Davis, Aubbee Twp. [No dates listed] Cedric White, North Bend Twp. Judd Stinchcomb, Culver [8-61/4-64] Donald Taylor, North Bend Twp. 8-61/7-6_]

1963 - Oct 23 - Aubbeebaubbee Patrons Object to Building Plan. - Reasons to Unite 7th & 8th grades of corporation at Aubbeenaubee school fall of 1964

1964 - Feb 26 - A meeting was held in Plymouth on 25 Feb with the State Commission on Regorganzation in regards to the North Bend merge - - a choronological transcript thereof of the North Bend Opposition to Merger

1964 - April 1 - Approved by State.

1964 - May 20 - Advisory Boards Appoint School Board Members

The Advisory Boards of Aubbeenaubee, North Bend, and Union Township met on Thursday evening May 14, andby joint action appointed the members of the School Board who will start new terms of office on July 1, 1954.

The persons chosen to represent the townsohips and their length of their terms are as follows:



Aubbeenaubee Township:	Woodee McGlothin	(July 1, 1965-Jun 30, 1968)
North Bend Township:	Cedric White	July 1, 1965-June 30, 1965
	Everret Dowd	(Jul 1, 1964-June 30, 1966
Union Township:	Oscar Wesson	(July 1964-June 30, 1968)



The fifth member of the School Board to represent the Town of Culver is appointed by the Town Board instead of by the Township Advisory Boards.



Town of Culver:

Walter Johnson

(July 1964-June 30, 1967.)

1964-5

Superintendent:	Frank McLane
Principal:	Culver High School: Kenneth Cole Culver Elementary: Shelton Kaiser Aubbee; Kenneth R. Olin
Board Members:	Cedric White, North Bend Twp. [8-61/6-65] Walter Johnson, Culver Woodie McGlothin, Aubbee Twp. Everett Dowd, North Bend Twp. Oscar Wesson, Union Twp. [7-64/6-68]

Election Plans On Culver Community School Corporation Explained. Mr. Russell Roher, County Superintendent of Schools and scretary for the Marshall county School Reorganization Committee, has provided the following explanation regarding the plan for an election on the Culver Community School Corporation. The registered voters of Union Twonsohip of Marshall County, Aubbeenaubbee Township of Fulton County and North Bend Township of Stark county will have the opportunity of approving or disapprovinig the Marshall County School Reogranization Committee's plan for the Culver Community School unit in the primary election on May 5, 1964. The county plan provides that the Culver COmmunity School Corporation remain as it is now, a separte school unit composed of Union Township including the town of Culver in Marshall county, Aubbeenaubee township of fulton county and North Bend township of Starke county. The assets, debts, and liabilities of the present Culver Community School Corporation shall be retained and the number of school board members shall be five as at present. The entire school corporation shall be divided into four school board member districts to consist of Union Twonship, outside of Culver, North Bend township, Aubbeenaubee township, and the town of Culver. The advisory board of the three townoships, voting in joint session sall appoint one member from each of the three townships and the Town Board of the Town of Culver shall appoint a member from the town. The fifth member, to be appointed by joint action of the three advisory boards, shall alternate between North Bend, and Aubbeenaubbee townships. The first appointees shall serve for terms of varing length to avoid more than two members of the s chool board leaving office at any one time. Thereafter appointments shall be for four-year-terms. As provided by present laws, no school board member shall hold another lucrative postion to which he as been elected as a publice offical. This will eliminate township trustees, advisory board members and any other elected public officials from eligibilty for school board membership. If the plan is approved by voters at the May elections, new School board members will take office on July 1, 1964. The school corporation shall be administered by a superintendent appointed by a majority vote of the school board members. Judge Roy Sheneman of the Marshall Circuit Court will publish official notice of the election to be held in the school corporation, such notice to be published not less t han ten dayr nor more than fifteen days prior to the date of the May primary elections. Such notice shall be published in one newspaper of general circulation published in the community school corporation. No other notice of such election, whether precribed by the General Election Laws or otherwise, need be given. These provisions for the notice and conduct of the election are included in Chapter 280 of the Acts of 1963. The law further proovides that such election shall be under the direction of the county election board and such election board shall take all step necessary to carry out the election proovided by the law. The ballott shall be in the following from: (see photo) - Citizen, Wedensday, April 15, 1964

1964 - Jun 17 - Sites for Proposed Ne High School Discussed

The consideration of a report on available sites for a new high school for Culver COmmunity Schools was the main tiem of business at the Monday evening's meetin of the Board of School Trustees.

Glenn Overmyer reveiwed information secured regarding sites in the vicinity of Culver. The study of possible tracts of land took into consideration the availability of water, sewwage and other services as well as the location with relation to present school buildings.


It was reported that two areas north of the present Culver School and south of State Road 10 seemed to include adequate acreage and to offer accessubility to utilities.
A third site which was checked nby the school officals is east of new State Road 17 along the south side of the road running wedt rom MIll Stree. This located on the Georg Franz Farm.
The fourth tract under consideration is located southwest of the cemetery to the south of Culver.


After extensive discussion, the School Board directed SUperintendent Frank McLane to arrange for an early inspection of the proposed sites by Dr. WIlber Stewart of the State Department of Public Instruction.

Approveal by this agency and by the STate Board of Health must be secured before any further steps can be taken to secure a location for the proposed high school.

....

The matter of possible sale of the abandonded Ora and North Bend school buildings was discussed. Attorney Georg STevens, who attended the Monday evening meeting, was asked to provide information regarding the legal steps to be taken in selling the buildings.

In addition to the present members of the school board Woodee McGlothin, Oscar wesson and Everett DOwd attended the meeting and participated in the discussions. These men will become members of the School Board on Jul 1 when the terms of Eldon Davis, Glenn Overmyer and DOnald Taylor will teminate.

1965 - January - School Board Discusses New Building Details ; and other articles dealing with the pending new building.

1965 - February 4 - the School Board voted to employ Mrs. Connie Ervin as part-time school nurse.... The School Board voted to continue efforts to sell the Ora School property. Since statutory regulations require that the School Board accept no less than two-thirds of the appraised value of the property, the minimum selling price on the basis of the appraisement would be $1800. Attempts will be made to effect a sale of the property as soon as possible.

Some time in the 1965-6 school term plans were being formulated for a new high school building.

One debated facet of the plans was its inclusion of a swimming pool at the new high school building, something for which students and some community organizations (such as the Culver Jaycees) expressed enthusiastic support. In fact, the school board approved inclusion of it in plans for the new building in May, 1965.

A vocal contingency, however, opposed it. Specifically, a group from Aubbeenaubee Township requested the school board nix the idea due not only to the initial financial outlay to install the pool, but the ongoing cost of it maintenance, including staffing towards that end.

Eventually financial concerns won out, and the 'Swimming Cavaliers' became the stuff only of imagination

The Culver Citizen issue of June 6, 1966 proclaims: "School Board Reviews Final Building plans" July 21, 1966 proclaims: "Ralph Osborn to head School building corporation" The members of this corporation were as follows:

Ralph A. Osborn		Eldon P. Davis
Wayne E. Roe		Donald L. Taylor
W. Wayne Kline		Cecil L. Lucas
	Glenn L. Overmyer