Alvin C. York Institute

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Address
Alvin C. York Institute
701 North Main Street Jamestown, Tennessee, 38556 USA
Information
Oversight	Tennessee Department of Education
Superintendent	Phil Brannon
Founder	Alvin York
Dean	Jason Tompkins
Staff	~70
Enrollment	~700
Funding type	State
Grades	9-12
Campus	rural
Campus size	400 acres (160 ha)
Hours in school day	7
Athletics	Football, Basketball, Baseball, Bowling, JROTC, Softball, Track...etc
Slogan	Home of the Dragons
Motto	Prepare and Excel
Mascot	Dragon
School Colour(s)	Purple and Gold
Newspaper	Pine Needles
Established	1920s
Dedication:	To the end that my people of Pall Mall and of Fentress County and the boys and girls of this mountainous section may enjoy the liberating influences and educational advantages which were denied me, I dedicate this institution and my life to its perpetuation, and seek from the American people support in keeping with the great need. -- Sgt. Alvin C. York
Homepage	http://www2.york.k12.tn.us/

Alvin C. York Institute, also known as Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute or York Institute, is a high school in Jamestown, Tennessee, founded as a private agricultural school by World War I hero Alvin York and later transferred to the state of Tennessee, which operates it as a public high school.

1 History
2 Curriculum
3 Campus
4 Honors and awards
5 Notable alumni
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

Alvin York established the school that carries his name during the 1920s in the county seat of his home county of Fentress. His goal was to give rural children the chance to obtain a high school education. Beginning in 1919 he toured the United States raising funds for the school, using his status as a war hero to get public attention and raising a total of $10,000.^[1]^[2] He also solicited and received funds from the state legislature^[3], which contributed $50,000, and from Fentress County, which pledged $50,000.^[2] Classes began in 1929 and the school operated privately until 1937,^[3] when financial pressures related to the Great Depression led York to transfer the school to the state of Tennessee, which continues to operate it as a public school.

[edit] Curriculum

The school enrolls students in grades 9 through 12. It operates on a block schedule, in which the fall and spring semesters are each divided into four blocks, and students take four classes each semester. York also offers vocational programs including agriculture, automotive technology, residential construction technology, metal technology, nursing, accounting, and information management systems.^[4]

York Institute was one of nine Tennessee school districts to participate in the Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership, funded by the National Science Foundation with the goal enhancing science, mathematics and technology education in Appalachian region schools with low socioeconomic status and student achievement.^[5]

[edit] Campus

The school sits on a campus of over 400 acres that is designated as a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency wildlife management area and includes a working farm where students participate in managing a herd of Limousin cattle.^[6]^[4] Five ponds on the campus are used for livestock watering, sport fishing, and waterfowl feeding and nesting.^[4]

Campus buildings currently in use include the Main Administration Building (c. 1980), Social Sciences Building (a later addition to the original school), Science Building, Alvin C. York JROTC Building (c. 1940s), and Fentress County Vocational Training Center (c. 1970s).^{[citation needed]}

The Jamestown Community Center and Jamestown Community Park are located near the school on York Institute land.^[6]

Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Location:	Jamestown, Tennessee
Coordinates:	36°26′32″N 84°56′10″W / 36.44222, -84.93611Coordinates: 36°26′32″N 84°56′10″W / 36.44222, -84.93611
Built/Founded:	1928
Architectural style(s):	Classical Revival
Added to NRHP:	September 20, 1991
NRHP Reference#:	91001378^[7]
MPS:	Fentress County MPS
Governing body:	State

The original two-story brick administration building, built in 1928,^[8] is the centerpiece of the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The school building was replaced with a new building in the 1980s and subsequently has deteriorated. In 2005 the Tennessee Preservation Trust listed it on its yearly list of the state's "most endangered" historic sites.^[1] In January 2008 the Tennessee Department of Education proposed that it be demolished, and estimated the cost of demolition at $3.6 million, while renovation would cost $3.7 million. ^[9] Due to safety concerns, state officials blocked off access to the old building and all areas within 50 feet of the walls, thus preventing the use of four classrooms in the school's current main building, which is adjacent to the original building. ^[10]

[edit] Honors and awards

In 1989 York Institute was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.^[8]^[11] In 1992 it was one of 140 public secondary schools recognized by Redbook magazine as "America's Best Schools."^[12]