School Archives
Historical account
Growth and change across the district
The following account is adapted from the Maroa Sesquicentennial Book, published in 2004, and has been lightly edited for clarity and easier reading.
Many changes have taken place in the schools of the unit in the last 50 years. In 1960 an addition was made to the high school. The gymnasium was enlarged and several classrooms were added at this time. The west end of the gym was propped up with scaffolding which collapsed and several workers were severely injured. In this addition and remodeling, the gymnasium was changed from north to south to running from east to west, and many bleachers were added.
In January or February of 1973, the students moved into the new Junior High School addition, which was connected to the high school by an enclosed corridor. The two schools shared some of the rooms. At the time of the Junior High addition, land was purchased south of the existing high school for the Junior High addition and to make a new football field and track. Many improvements have been made at the football field: new bleachers, a building for storage of equipment, space for concessions at the games, rest rooms for both men and women, and improvement of the field itself are just a few.
Kindergarten was started in the 1966–1967 school year. The students attended for just a half-day. In the 1982–83 school year Kindergarten started as an all-day class. One group of children attended on Monday and Wednesday. A second group attended on Tuesday and Thursday. The two groups alternated attending on Fridays. In the 1986–87 school year kindergarten was held all day for all the students.
In 2001 the Maroa-Forsyth Board of Education called for a special election to seek approval to build and equip a new high school building, purchase the site, build and equip an addition to the junior high and improve both sites and pay the costs by issuing bonds for $8,500,000. A new high school would eliminate the oldest building in the district, the Maroa Grade School.
The Board of Education purchased 19.5 acres of land immediately west of the existing junior high/high school property. Ground breaking for the new high school was on March 11, 2002. The move into the new building was made during the weekend of January 17, unpacking on January 19, and the first classes in the new high school were held January 20, 2004. A dedication open house was held on March 4, 2004.
The new high school has 98,000 square feet, and the school district now has 203,792 square feet of space. The cost of the new high school was approximately $13,000,000. The State provided approximately $4,600,000 and the local unit approximately $8,500,000.
In the summer of 2000 an elevator was installed in the High School and in the Junior High to make them handicapped accessible. In 2002 the open court in the junior high building was enclosed which added 1,800 square feet of space.
In the 1995–96 school year Forsyth had grades Kindergarten, first, second, third, and fourth in the Maroa-Forsyth Unit. Maroa had Kindergarten, first, second, and all students in the Unit in grades five through twelve.
In the fall of 2004 all students in the unit in grades Kindergarten through grade three will attend Maroa-Forsyth Grade School in Forsyth. Pre-Kindergarten and grades four and five will attend the Intermediate School (in the old Junior High building). Grades six, seven and eight will attend the Middle School (in the old High School building) in Maroa.
