Brewer School, Daugherty Twp. New Brighton, PA
Click Here to Return to Milestones
Daugherty Township was formed from parts of the New Sewickley and Pulaski Townships on January 27th, 1894. Brewer School was built about this time making fifty districts in Beaver County. The first County Superintendent was J.G. Hillman and his salary was 1,800 per year. The average school teachers salary was $40.13 per month. The earliest school directors of Daugherty Township were Samuel Holland, president; W.J. Jackson, secretary; James M. Ferguson; Frank Alcorn; L.C. Goehring and Charles H. McCreary. Some of the first permanent teaching certificates of Beaver County were issued to Miss Mary Aiken, New Brighton; Rhetta Hogan, Beaver; Lewis R. Glass, New Brighton; Elizabeth Phelan, New Brighton; Miss Sarah E. Jackson, Beaver Falls; Mary Smith, New Brighton; and John A. Keys, Beaver. Daugherty Township had 4 school buildings by this time and the average attendance at all schools was seventy five, the cost per student was $1.85. Mills levied was 2 and the total tax for school and buildings was $750.83 and the state appropriation was $520.59. The County Superintendent reported at the 1905 Beaver County Teachers Institute, that he is a firm believer in the country school and the influence it has had in the growth of the republic. The country school is falling behind the town and city schools because Allegheny County is taking our teachers with the incentive of better wages. The country schools are becoming experiment stations except for a few stout hearted teachers, who are really good, a nd who have an abiding interest in the country school and they remain. The Superintendent feels if there is a good teacher, we should have her no matter what the cost, because she is worth as much in the country as in town. Good school conditions also draw the teacher away. Of the one hundred schools visited, twenty five had no dictionary, only thirty had papered or painted walls, fifty had poor blackboards and eighty had no supplementary reading books. One of the great obstacles of the progress of the county school is a lack of system, and the best solution to this is a uniform course of study. A committee of five was appointed to reporathe next County Institute on a course of study for country and village schools and a satisfactory examination must be passed to continue on into higher learning. The Committee appointed was George W. Cleis, Patterson Heights; James Hendrickson, Economy Township; Jesse A. Wilson, White Township; S.F. Ewing, Raccoon Township; and I.H. Laird of Hopewell Township. The Brewer School one room building closed in 1929 and moved into the 2 room brick building. Daugherty Township is now apart of the New Brighton Area School District.