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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