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Show Volume XIV Issue XXIII The Ogden Valley news Page 11 September 15, 2007 Town Defies Board’s Ban, Opens School in Church By Charles Kreher Note: This historical article appeared in the Ogden Standard-Examiner on September 10, 1950 in response to a decision by the Weber County Board of Education to close the Junior High school in Huntsville and transport students down Ogden Canyon to Marriott for classes. The measure taken by the board was the result of a consolidation program, purportedly, to cut district costs. As a result, Valley residents rebelled by refusing to send their students downtown. Instead, they opened up their own private Junior High school that continued in operation for several school years. At Huntsville, where in 1862 the first free schools in the territory of Utah were established, another free school was started today, not 100 feet form the monument commemorating the original school. This time the session was in defiance of the Weber County board of education, which had decreed the closing of the Huntsville junior high and transporting of the junior high pupils by bus to Wahlquist school in Marriott. Another development in the situation was the scheduled filing of suits in Second District court today by Attorney David A. Wilson in behalf of the Taylor and Hooper school district, protesting a similar decision. At nine a.m. classes convened in the Sunday school rooms of the Huntsville LDS chapel next door to the school building, with three teachers and 87 pupils beginning instruction. Operated by Citizens The “junior high” is being operated under direction of a citizens’ committee, headed by Abner W. Allen, former Huntsville town board president, and directed by Glen E. Fuller, attorney retained by the citizens’ committee. The teachers are Mrs. Margaret M. Clough, who taught for three years at Idaho Falls, and has a teaching certificate; Mrs. Beverly F. Olson, who was graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in education; and Scott Allen, USAC graduate who also has an education degree. Fuller said the school would “obtain books somewhere,’ as the Weber county board of education refused them the junior high facilities in Huntsville. H. Guy Child, president of the board of education, said the request of the citizens committee for use of the books and classrooms was refused because it was “duplication.” The Rebel School “There is plenty of room in here for our junior high kids,” a citizen said. “They aren’t hauling them all the way down the canyon and out to Wahlquist because of a housing shortage.” Abner W. Allen, in charge of the citizens committee, said that it seemed ironical that the citizens of Huntsville were denied the privilege of using their own school. “This is the only school remaining in Weber county that isn’t turned over to the county school board, practically debt free,” he said. He explained that the other buildings taken over through the county school consolidation had since been replaced. What’s ironical, said local citizens, is the fact that Huntsville is the site of the first free school in Utah, begun in 1862. As crowds gathered, this morning, there were rumors that the county board of education had met in extra session Sunday and drafted an ultimatum to Ogden Valley par- ents that they and their children would be arrested if they set foot on school property today. Announcement of the impending arrest was reportedly announced in LDS church services in the community on Sunday followed by the announcement by the citizens committee that they would start their own free school. Residents said they heard that a school board member would be present to enforce the edict. Denies Report H. Guy Child, president of the board, said today there had been no such order. “We intend only to go on with our announced program of operating junior high schools at the new school in South Ogden and at Wahlquist school, and of providing transportation for pupils from the outlying districts,” he said. Orville Graham, member of the county board of education from the Ogden Valley area, was present this morning when the “free” school opened, but he wasn’t arresting anyone. “I’m keeping quiet as a mouse he said. “I’ve consistently voted against the closing of the Huntsville junior high and I’ve just been consistently outvoted by the board, 4 to 1.” Darald Michelson, Weber county deputy sheriff, was in the crowd but he said he had no orders to arrest anyone, nor did he intend to, unless trouble was started. There was no trouble. A suit is pending in Second district court, filed by the Valley residents against the Weber County school board in protest to the county-wide school consolidation program. The program would have students of the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades transported down Ogden Canyon to the Wahlquist school in Marriott, about 28 miles away. Historical Photo It was class as usual today for the junior high school pupils of Huntsville and Ogden Valley but they didn’t ride the busses or go to the regular school. Instead, when class time rolled around, they marched into the L.D.S. ward chapel next door, as shown here in protest to the county school board action discontinuing junior high work in the school building and instituting bus rides to Wahlquist school. Photo courtesy of the Ogden Standard and is being reprinted by permission. Celeste C. 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