BRIEF HISTORY OF THE

UNION SPRINGS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

The current Union Springs Central School District encompasses all or part of the Towns of Springport, Aurelius, Ledyard, Fleming, Scipo and a few properties in the City of Auburn. The Village of Union Springs is located in Springport and is the largest of the localities in the District.

IN THE BEGINNING.....

The first school in the Town of Springport was erected about 1800.

District # 1 This was a small one room building with very little population. No dates of existence were found however, it probably began in the mid 1800's and was closed in the 1930's.

District # 2 In 1860 the Union Springs Union School was organized by combining two of the districts which were located in the Village. The two story brick building was erected in 1866 at the cost of $10,000. In 1888 it was placed under the State Board of Regents and incorporated as the Union Springs High School. In the early 1900's the school had three trustees who acted as a "Board of Education". Graduating classes at this time were small usually about 6 - 7 students.

District # 3 No information was found pertaining to a District # 3.

District #4 This was also a one room school house that had a potbelly stove. It was known as the Flinn District. The population at this school was so low that at one point in the early 30's there were no children attending the school.

District # 5 This school began in 1865 and had approximately 25 students in attendance and received monies from the State for daily operations based on Average Daily Attendance.

District # 6 This school house was built in the 1820's south of the Village of Union Springs. This district was also known as the Charleston District.

In the early 1900's there were only two high schools in the area - Union Springs and Moravia. Therefore students wishing to attend high school for the outer districts would have to take an preliminary examination. If they did well and were accepted they had to pay the Union Springs School $50 to attend.

District # 7 Although no specific dates were discovered this school probably evolved in the early 1900's. There was one trustee for the school whose responsibility it was to collect the taxes, hire the teacher and see that she was paid.

District # 8 Although no specific dates were discovered this school probably evolved in the early 1900's. The last teacher to teach at that district school house was in 1937.

CENTRALIZATION

In 1931 Andrew J. Smith was hired by the Union Springs Board of Education as principal of Springport District # 2. This was the only school located in the Village of Union Springs at the time. The primary purpose for the hiring of Mr. Smith by the Board of Education was to have him investigate the centralization of the outlying school districts. Upon assuming his duties as principal he set about the process of centralization. By 1935 fourteen districts joined together to form the Union Springs Central School District.

CONSTRUCTION

The much enlarged school enrollment made it necessary to provide more space for instructional and extra - curricular needs. In 1935 plans were made to erect a large and modernly equipped building. Two additions have been added to the building in Union Springs since its completion, one at the north end in 1953 and one at the southern end in 1958. When the Town of Aurelius joined the Central District, an elementary school was built in the Village of Cayuga. An elementary school was also erected in Union Springs. The Union Springs school was named "The Andrew J. Smith Elementary School. This building opened in 1967. There have been other numerous small capital projects since this time. Not surprisingly the building which has withstood the test of time the best is the main building built more than 60 years ago. This past February the voters of the District approved a $4.5 million renovation project which encompasses the bus garage, Indoor Air Quality and Americans with Disabilities Act issues. Asbestos abatement in the 1935 building will also be addressed.

CONFIGURATION

The current configuration of the Union Springs Central School District is as follows:

Cayuga Elementary....................... K - 3

A.J. Smith Elementary................... 4 - 6

Union Springs MS/ HS................. 7 - 12

CONCLUSION

The Union Springs Central School District is probably similar to many other rural districts located in New York State. It of course has had its share of controversies through the years from configuration to the "Kissing Bandit", it has however, endured like most other districts to provide the children of the community a quality education in a safe setting.