Previous Features
Charlotte Sidway School Celebrates 75th Anniversary - 1937 - 2012
By Teddy Linenfelser, Town Historian, Grand Island, NY
Ground breaking ceremonies on March 16, 1936 - (right) Under construction in June 1936
June 1936 - (right) Cornerstone laying July 30, 1936
Cornerstone laying July 30, 1936 - (right) Construction progress August 6, 1936 (the sign reads Federal Works Project NY 1027 - Public Works Administration)
Click photos for larger view
These 1936 photos are from the Elsie E. Stamler collection and show progress on the Island's first central school, Charlotte Sidway School. The building was ready for occupancy on February 1, 1937 bringing an end to the one- and two-room schools on the Island.
(Left) The New Sidway School - (Right) Sidway in 1953 - Click photos for larger view
The School District's three bus drivers who also served as custodians when Sidway School opened in February 1937 were (left) Tom Benton Sr., Clarence Schutt, and Henry Landel (right). Heber Ashley (2nd from right) was chairman of transportation. - Click photo for larger view (Elsie Stamler collection)
This February 1937 photo was taken as the buses lined up on the south end of Sidway School - probably on the day it opened for the first time. - Click photo for larger view (Elsie Stamler collection)
Education on Grand Island dates back to 1835 according to what has been written by historians of that time. The following is a history of Charlotte Sidway School, a major breakthrough in Island education.
Grand Island, in the years just preceding the birth of the bridges, was a rural and beautiful community with homes and farms widespread, a few stores, two churches and several one-room schools. With the bridges giving easy access to our quiet little Island, more and more mainlanders were discovering its tranquil beauty and Grand Island began to grow.
The idea of a central grade school was put to a vote as early as 1928. People were undecided as to its merits, and the ability of the district to pay for the new school. In 1934 options were obtained on property for a school site. After forwarding plans to Albany, voters turned down the first proposition June 1, 1935, 80 to 63. Two weeks later the vote was 140 to 102 to build a school.
Centrally located, the Chamberlain property on Baseline Road, not far from Express Highway, (GI Blvd.) was purchased and ground was broken March 16, 1936.
A cornerstone was laid July 1936. The cornerstone box contains a copy of the Grand Island News; several 1936 coins; school financial reports for 1924 and 1935; minutes of meeting at which board members voted on school's construction; a resolution sent to Washington and one approving the bonds; names of all town and school board members and two copies of Trinity EUB Church bulletin.
James W. Kideney of Harboch and Kideney, architectural firm, designed the first phase of Sidway School. The one-story brick building opened with four classrooms, a "large" auditorium/gymnasium, an office, and a fully-equipped kitchen. A donation of $1,600 by the Sidway family was used to furnish the kitchen, and in turn the school was named for Charlotte Sidway. One room was used as a store room and another as a music room. Miss Veronica Connor was the principal and also continued to teach 7th and 8th grade as she had at School #5 on Bush Road near Baseline. Other faculty members in 1937 were Miss Jeanette Cady, Virginia Dunker and Miss Velma Golde, as well as Edith Jaynes, a part-time music teacher. Total cost of Sidway was $93,355 with much of the work being done as part of the (Public) Works Administration Project (W.P.A.). With approximately 100 children enrolled, the opening of Sidway School on February 1, 1937 meant the end of Island one- and two-room school houses.
In 1947, Sidway's enrollment increased to almost 400 students. A second story and kindergarten were completed that year, doubling the school's capacity again. When a change in classification from rural to a centralized school district was accomplished in 1948, available state aid was doubled. Continued population increase made it necessary to plan and construct another enlargement, doubling the school's size. The addition included junior high classrooms, a second kindergarten, a cafeteria, home economics room and an industrial arts shop. Completion of the second addition in 1950 ended half-day sessions in lower grades and marked the beginning of a junior high school program on Grand Island.
With the Island's population reaching over 3000 in 1950, a second elementary school, named for William Kaegebein, opened at Love Road and Beaver Island Parkway in 1953. Huth Road School opened in 1958 with an enrollment of over 600, and Sidway became the junior high school with grades 7, 8 and 9 attending. When the new Junior Senior High School opened on Ransom Road in September 1963, Sidway housed grades K-6 from various sections of the Island. In September 1968 a middle school was built adjacent to what then became the high school, at which time Sidway housed grades K-5. A $400,000 renovation of Sidway in 1976 updated the school completely.
Sidway's doors were closed in 1983 when the school was no longer needed due to declining pupil enrollment on the Island.
The history of the school, its opening, adding to, renovating and closing doesn't end there. In 1990 more room was needed for the growing elementary school enrollment.
September 20, 1993 was the first day of Grand Island's new, all-day, developmental kindergarten program at Charlotte Sidway School. A major renovation project was completed in the fall of 1993 when the school opened after being closed for 10 years.
When Sidway's first principal Miss Connor retired, the Board of Education announced the appointment of Catherine V. DiVizio. At that time the school opened to kindergarten through 6th grade in the fall of 1963. Miss DiVizio was followed by Mrs. Arlene Lewis, Frank Cannata and current principal Mrs. Denise Dunbar, effective April 24, 2006.
