Booker T. Washington School, created in a spirit of goodwill about 36 years ago, has bloomed into a difficult spot in the social landscape of this community. The Supreme Court’s recent decision to outlaw racist segregation in public schools has prompted the local National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People to renew their effort to make the 17th Avenue building a mixed institution...

For the third consecutive year a group of area teachers will spend part of their summer vacation learning techniques of pushing schools closer to community life, especially the industrial segment. Twenty-seven Middletown and Lemon Township teachers have signed up for Miami University’s community resources workshop this year.

Corporal punishment in Middletown schools is strictly taboo - unless the little "monster" deserves it and his parents approve of the whacking. The school board's official policy on the matter states that bodily punishment can be used when discipline, in the opinion of both parent and teacher, can be secured in no other way. Only during the past year has that been a board policy. Before that, however, it was the practical method in the school system, Acting Superintendent of Schools Hugh Butler points out...

Middletown schools, unlike the overstuffed halls of learning all over the nation, are expected to have more vacant seats in September 1954 than at the beginning of the current school year. This local quirk does not mean that baby production in Middletown fell off greatly during 1949 while it was booming throughout the United States. Less five-year-olds than usual will enter kindergarten in 1954 because of a change in Board of Education bookkeeping...

A local American Legion committee is attempting to enlist public support for a drive that will keep “horror” comic books out of the hands of Middletown youngsters. Donald Alstaetter, chairman of Post 218’s youth activities committee, wants leaders of community organizations to join him in setting up a program that would not allow local merchants to sell juveniles these books...

The Supreme Court's decision yesterday to outlaw racial segregation in the nation's public schools probably will not affect Booker T. Washington School in Middletown, R.H. Snyder, president of the Board of Education, predicted this morning. 'I can't see how the decision would affect the school in any way, "the president stated. 'School boards in Ohio have a right to set districts. The problem is a districting one in Middletown..

Seniors at Middletown High and in fact, high schools all over the nation have more scholarship school opportunities than the boys and girls who went to school 10 years ago. Most of the additional funds, Miss Helen Hartman, supervisor of guidance at MHS, explains, comes from industries who are trying to fill the nation’s need for engineers, scientists and managers...

Two elementary school principals recently sat young and stiff and bored at the final session of a Middletown conference of their southwestern Ohio colleagues. The usual atmosphere of such meetings drowsily seeped into the room, causing the fellows to puncture the speeches with comments that were nasty although set in a proper tone... Hugh Butler, acting superintendent of Middletown schools then was introduced to the crowd, which greeted his appearance with soft, fingertip applause...

Although the minds of men bounce on different levels, all walk and eat in the same physical world. The business of schools is to train youngsters to take the best places their abilities will allow in this world. Most of the information the public gleans from schools concerns the vast body of boys and girls who act in plays or debate important questions or learn stenography or star in basketball or lead cheers or run for office or pass and flunk courses...

Middletown schools are staffed with teachers who have less training but more experience than the average faculty of city systems in Ohio. Differences however, between Middletown and the mean are slight. In fact, for cities with populations between 25,000 and 50,000 both Middletown's training and experience are a bit above average...

Sixth graders at Garfield School are taught by one-third of the city's staff of male elementary teachers. Since the corps numbers no more than three, however, the boys and girls are receiving the normal volume of instruction. Their teacher J. W. Riley Saylor is a man and thus, through none of his own design, possesses traits that are peculiar in the overwhelingly female elementary teaching set-up...

Harry E. Hadley and J. Howard Stalker, candidates for positions on the Board of Education, today announced they will support the board when it asks for a tax levy in November. The board said on June 3 that it would need the additional funds to adjust wages and salaries of school personnel...

In April, 1921, a preacher, forced by illness to give up his congregation, came to Middletown High School at the request of Principal Wade E. Miller, his college roommate. The Rev. Jerome C. Schulz was to fill in for a few months, but he stayed for 32 years until the legal retirement age of 70 pushed him out of the schools this June and back into preaching...

Middletown will not let its more than 300 June high school graduates jump blindly into this sometimes difficult world. For years the schools, industries and employment service have been cooperating to give youngsters proper vocational and educational guidance and placement. Middletown high school offers such a program under the direction of Miss Helen Hartman. Her offices, filled with vocational pamphlets, college catalogues, and bulletins from trade, business, art. music and nursing schools, are always available to interested students...

Foolishly, I ate a full meal before Middletown Y-Teens, representing the natives of seven different world areas, shoved films, dances, exhibits, songs, records, favors and food — mostly food — at me during their World Fellowship Party Thursday night at the high school. The girls had spent a month studying the different countries and preparing the activities. They w ere directed by Miss Veda McCray, faculty advisor. Miss McCray suggested that I move through the different rooms and survey world fellowship...