Schenck High School

Garrett Schenck Jr., High School is a public high school in East Millinocket, Maine. It is a part of the East Millinocket Schools. It serves East Millinocket, Medway, and Woodville.[1]

Name and history

It is named after Garrett Schenck, who made a large donation to build the first Schenck High School building in 1927. Schenck, who was vice president of the International Paper mill at Rumford Falls, helped establish the first Katahdin-region paper mills in East Millinocket and Millinocket.[2]

In 1957 the current campus was built, and it opened the following year.[1] The previous campus was renamed Opal Myrick Elementary School.[3] In 1966 an addition in the current Schenck building opened. In 2011 Opal Myrick Elementary School moved into the Schenck campus; the enrollment in the elementary school declined, so the district decided to close the standalone Myrick building.[1]

In early 2014, it was suggested that the school be renamed after Gloria MacKenzie, an area woman who donated $1.8 million to fix a leaking roof at the school after winning the powerball lottery. Renaming the school would also avoid using the word 'Schenck', which is commonly pronounced as the derogatory term "skank".[2] The Mackenize family later indicated that they did not want the school renamed.[4]

Sports

In Maine, high school sports are categorized by the number of enrolled students. In the mid-1980s, Schenck switched from Class B to Class C, a changed that ignited controversy. In 2005, Schenck High School was reassigned to Class D sports by the Maine Principals Association, which oversees school sports. In that year, Schenck's enrollment dropped below 230 students to 216.[5]

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 "East Millinocket Schools." Town of East Millinocket. Retrieved on December 17, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Sambides, Jr., Nick (January 27, 2014). "East Millinocket man wants to rename Schenck High School to avoid negative connotation, honor Powerball donor". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  3. "East Millinocket Schools." Town of East Millinocket. June 14, 2006. Retrieved on December 17, 2014.
  4. Sambides, Jr., Nick (January 28, 2014). "Powerball winner’s family doesn’t want East Millinocket school renamed to honor them". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  5. Sambides, Jr., Nick (January 12, 2005). "Schenck High School teams moving to Class D". Bangor Daily News. p. B2. Retrieved 25 October 2014.

Coordinates: 45°37′57″N 68°34′18″W / 45.6324°N 68.5717°W / 45.6324; -68.5717

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