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Three years ago in April, some 25 area residents met to discuss a dream, a local school where local people could study those things of interest to them. By September of 1970, the People’s Community School was holding evening classes twice a week in Hamilton School and they’ve been in business every semester since. The use of the school building from the Board of Education, and the loan of Shellie Jordan’s services as coordinator by Washington University, have been the major “outside” helps. The rest of the tasks have been performed by local volunteers with a lot of hard-nosed dedication. Dinners, barbecues, brewery tours, fashion shows, have been sponsored to buy those things a persistent board of directors couldn’t get donated.
By May 1970, committees were out polling the neighbors about possible courses, lining up faculty, classroom space and equipment. They also recruited a few young adult board members to line up courses of interest to teen-agers. Until the teachers’ strike closed Hamilton School to them, they were into their sixth semester of course work aimed at the interests of the neighborhood.
Typing, Black Literature, Bridge, Chess, Black History, Sewing, Karate, any subject desired by a sufficient number of adults and teen-agers have been put on the schedule. In April of 1971, thanks to the efforts of Mr. Jordan and Clarice Haynes, Forest Park Community College offered four for-credit courses at the People’s Community School. Another 22 courses were on the curriculum that semester.
There are other community schools in the city funded by governmental agencies, and there is a Voluntary Improvement Program at Hamilton School, leading to grade and high school diplomas. But there can’t be many other evening schools like the People’s Community School, run by a volunteer board, scrounging teachers and equipment to provide instruction in those areas residents request. An indication of their persistence is their bi-weekly parking and entering Hamilton School at night. A little outside security for those coming and going would be a nice gesture of appreciation on the part of the police and the school district office.
Congratulations to Clarice Haynes, Shellie Jordan, Jane and Prentiss Davis, and all those pioneers who got the People’s Community School going and have kept it going!
Originally published in The Paper, March 1973.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1973_03.pdf, printed page(s) 5.
