A WINDOW IN TIME
We have lived in an interesting time. We exist in the early wave of the generation called “Baby Boomers”, which is a term used to describe people who were born between 1946 and 1964. According to the July 2019 census report, “Baby Boomers” represent 73 million of the population in the United States. The sheer size of our presence created logistical problems for school systems that struggled to accommodate and educate us.
SCHOOLS
The physical infrastructure was strained.
- There were not enough schools
- Existing schools were too small
- Temporary grade schools and/or temporary additions were created to handle the overflow (i.e. Comstock, Hutton, Jefferson, Manito, Roosevelt, etc.)
- New junior high schools (i.e. Sacajawea) were built to accommodate grades 7-9. Primary schools retained grades 1-6
- New high schools were built to share the student population burden (i.e. Ferris)
- Case in point, in 1964-1965, the student population at Lewis & Clark was approximately 3,200. In 1967-1968 it had dropped to approximately 1,800.
TEACHERS
The teacher to student ratio was strained.
- There were not enough teachers
- Class sizes grew (# of students per class)
- School attendance in some places was staggered (morning and afternoon sessions)
- In some places grades were combined (i.e. 4th & 5th) and shared a single teacher.
In Spokane, geographic boundary lines for schools moved, thereby sending students to new schools versus the schools they would have attended in previous years. It was a time of some confusion, but in the midst of this lasting friendships developed between students who may have been together in grade school and junior high, but later were not together in high school. This was especially true for those of us who went to Sacajawea Junior High School, and then separated to go to Ferris or Lewis & Clark High Schools.
This is the time in which we grew up. This is why the project to collect school pictures on this reunion website was undertaken, because as you look at these pictures, you see friends who you knew at various times in your life, and you still enjoy seeing whenever possible. This is the history of grade schools, junior highs, and ultimately high schools.
The reason we get together when we have reunions, the Class of 1968 at both Ferris and LC, is because of how unique our experience has been. There was nothing like this before and nothing like it after, we were a unique window in time, a time that we remember.
To the left you can see links to the grade schools and junior high schools that sent students to both Ferris and Lewis & Clark. We hope that you enjoy looking at the photos.