We've excerpted the following material from Joseph Boose's booklet entitled, HAMETOWN SCHOOL: History in Review and we use it with permission from the author for which we are grateful.

If you wish to obtain the entire booklet and/or provide material for Mr. Boose, click here.

On April 01, 1834 the Pennsylvania legislature passed an ACT that established the General System of Education by Common Schools. This ACT was to allow for the formation of school districts. It also provided for the district to levy and collect taxes for the running of said District. The county sheriff was to oversee the election of School Districts Directors.

These Directors were to oversee the needs of the school district and to determine how much school were needed. To hire teachers and workers as needed. Hire a district superintendent and to pay the salaries for all whom worked for the schools.

Starting on the first Tuesday of November 1834, delegates from each school district are to attend a convention....The first delegate elected from Shrewsbury Township was George Klinefelter. He attended the convention in 1836. This was the third and last convention held. George voted for the act and this was the start of Shrewsbury Township's one-room school system. The first school built in Shrewsbury Township was Bowser School.

During the early days of these one-room schoolhouses the teachers were paid an average of $13.00 per month.
. . . As a female teacher the law stated that you could not be married. This law changed during World War II when trained teachers were scarce, this allowed for former teacher who got married to return to the schools. During the summer months a teacher had to make personal visits to the School Directors and see if they would still have a teaching position at the start of the school year. You could be at the same school or at another school in the district. This was at the whim of the Directors and only they knew why decisions like that were made.

Consolidation.

Several school districts decided that to consolidate the school was a more practical way to educate the students. School districts across York County started talk of consolidation. Shrewsbury Township School District was one of those interested talking about doing this. So talks continued, Shrewsbury Township, Codorus Township, Shrewsbury Borough, Glen Rock Borough and New Freedom Borough, consolidated their school systems into the Southern York County School System. Construction started on a new school system, building four new elementary schools around the district and a central high school for the entire district. The new elementary schools would be in Shrewsbury, New Freedom, Glen Rock and Glenville. . . . The high school received the name of Susquehannock through a contest. By the end of the school year of 1951 the schools were nearly complete and the consolidation took place. The remaining one-room schools were closed.

You can learn much more from Mr. Boose's booklet.

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Disclaimer: The information provided herein is for convenience and informational purposes only. Shrewsbury Township assumes no responsibility for errors and omissions nor any liability for damage resulting from the use of information contained herein. Users are cautioned to consult the official records of the township for any changes, amendments or updates to any information provided herein.