Continuing education and night school have been offered to the public in some of the county school systems from early in the century up through the 1950s and 1960s. Americanization classes were in demand in the twenties in Aliquippa and even earlier in Midland. In the twenties, classes were held in Aliquippa's Jones School and Laughlin School for immigrants. There was no registration fee for the instruction of English and in classes that prepared adults for citizenship. Enrolled were several hundred men and women. During the years following World War II, evening classes for foreign-born adults and young people were held once again. Two hundred post-war immigrants were prepared for citizenship.
Dr. Jewell writes that in Midland the first reference to night school was in the minutes of 1916. In those early years, night school classes in English were held for foreign-born adults. On December 10, 1925, general night school was approved. Writing in 1954, Dr. Jewell calls the night school program "a regular and an extensive part of the program of the schools. Evening classes are offered each year to adults in any subject they wish ... Each year, four to ten different classes are taught in night school for the benefit of adults."
In his history of the Beaver Falls schools, Mr. Neal Mathews dates night school as early as the 1880's "when it was taught by Mrs. Newlon." Begun again in 1914, the school had 76 registrations. He concludes that "The present night school (1968) was authorized by the board in 1943 with the high school principal in charge."
Today, the continuing education program of the Beaver County Community College has replaced many of the public night school programs. The college, however, does offer many of its courses in the local high school buildings, for example, in the Hopewell Area and Blackhawk.
In the school histories we have already examined, we learned that vocational education courses were offered to boys mainly but also to girls in Aliquippa, Ambridge, Beaver Falls, and Midland with varying degrees of emphasis and success. The vocational shop classes were filled and in demand until after World War II. Around 1947, vocational training changed to instruction in industrial arts. The Beaver County Vocational-Technical School, which opened its doors to high school students from all fifteen school districts in September of 1978, has filled the need for Beaver County youth to learn vocational and technical skills. Later, we will look more closely at its program.
Kindergartens were "old hat" in the United States by the 1920's and 1930's, but in the Beaver County schools, kindergarten classes were generally offered much later. Because of lack of space to accommodate the pre-school children, most county schools were unable to include kindergarten in their early programs of instruction. In Aliquippa, private kindergarten classes were held in 1923 and 1924. The next mention of them in the school history is in the mid-fifties. Mr. Neal Mathews writes that "Kindergartens had been mentioned as far back as 1885 as being very desirable, and nearly every superintendent who served Beaver Falls discussed the need for them, but it remained for Dr. Miller to actually get them underway." Dr. J. R. Miller became Superintendent of the Beaver Falls schools in 1942. Under his leadership, kindergartens were established at ThirtyThird and Eleventh Street schools.
In Hopewell Area School District, kindergartens were begun in 1963. Their popularity is suggested by the fact that "by 1970, seven kindergarten rooms were in use in four buildings for two sessions daily."" In the Riverside Beaver County School District, for the first years of the district's organization, the emphasis was on building and then building some more. To move from the oneand two-room schools of the Franklin, Marion, and North Sewickley Townships to the modern and spacious schools now housing the children of the district is a superb accomplishment, and a great service to the children and their families. The pre-school children of the district were housed and instructed in kindergarten classes as early as 1967-1968. "Half-day sessions were held for kindergarten, and there were two sessions held at each elementary school except Marion and Riverside. The Riverside class was held in the morning. The teacher traveled to Marion School for an afternoon session .
In these matters of night school, vocational
courses, kindergartens, the schools of Beaver County fulfilled
community needs and desires.