1961-1980
Horace Mann
In 1961, Horace Mann Middle School was built at 1021 Oak St, Neenah, WI 54956 to serve as the new middle school for the city of Neenah. Because it was larger than Kimberly Junior High School, it better suited the student populace. At the time, Horace Mann educated students in grades 7th and 8th. All grades younger attended elementary schools around the city while high schoolers continued to attend Neenah High School (Shattuck building).
Because of this change, what had formerly been known as Kimberly Junior High School became the location of administrative offices and maintenance operations, as well as holding Neenah Vocational and Adult School in the same building.
Renovation
By 1962, the Neenah Joint School District merged the City of Neenah with the surrounding townships of Neenah, Clayton, Menasha, and Vinland. As the district’s population grew, the necessity to create a well established district with well established administration grew more prominent. The result of this need allotted for the renovation of the internal structure of the NJSD building, creating new offices, board of education facilities, classrooms, a district instructional materials center, maintenance shop, a central supply room for offices and classrooms, and limited vocational education facilities.
Modernization
As technology continued to grow throughout the late 1900’s, and as schools took advantage of a new learning tool, the NJSD building began to adapt to the changes by creating more space for such technology. Thus, in 1969, an instructional media center was added to the building above the gymnasium on the second floor.
Day to Day
In an e-mail to Duke Behnke, Steve Schultz, who was an 7th and 8th grader in the 1950s, recounts his experience in the Kimberly Junior High building. He reports, "The second floor auditorium also served as a study hall. We each had assigned seats and our lift-top desks were filled with all of our necessary school books, pencils, yo-yo's, marbles, jack knives, and everything else we needed to survive the school day." he says "There was a tiny little library in an alcove to the right of the stage. The principal's office was on the other side of the room to the left of the stage" (Schultz). Schultz also participated in the basketball team, he tells of his experience on the team saying, "The gym was a real crackerbox. Art Paff, former high school football coach, was our basketball coach and gym teacher. Our 7th and 8th grade basketball team played other public and parochial junior high schools in Menasha and Appleton. Because of the lack of seating in the gym, we played our home games at the Roosevelt School gym on the Island [Doty Island] (Schultz).
Horace Mann
In 1961, Horace Mann Middle School was built at 1021 Oak St, Neenah, WI 54956 to serve as the new middle school for the city of Neenah. Because it was larger than Kimberly Junior High School, it better suited the student populace. At the time, Horace Mann educated students in grades 7th and 8th. All grades younger attended elementary schools around the city while high schoolers continued to attend Neenah High School (Shattuck building).
Because of this change, what had formerly been known as Kimberly Junior High School became the location of administrative offices and maintenance operations, as well as holding Neenah Vocational and Adult School in the same building.
Renovation
By 1962, the Neenah Joint School District merged the City of Neenah with the surrounding townships of Neenah, Clayton, Menasha, and Vinland. As the district’s population grew, the necessity to create a well established district with well established administration grew more prominent. The result of this need allotted for the renovation of the internal structure of the NJSD building, creating new offices, board of education facilities, classrooms, a district instructional materials center, maintenance shop, a central supply room for offices and classrooms, and limited vocational education facilities.
Modernization
As technology continued to grow throughout the late 1900’s, and as schools took advantage of a new learning tool, the NJSD building began to adapt to the changes by creating more space for such technology. Thus, in 1969, an instructional media center was added to the building above the gymnasium on the second floor.
Day to Day
In an e-mail to Duke Behnke, Steve Schultz, who was an 7th and 8th grader in the 1950s, recounts his experience in the Kimberly Junior High building. He reports, "The second floor auditorium also served as a study hall. We each had assigned seats and our lift-top desks were filled with all of our necessary school books, pencils, yo-yo's, marbles, jack knives, and everything else we needed to survive the school day." he says "There was a tiny little library in an alcove to the right of the stage. The principal's office was on the other side of the room to the left of the stage" (Schultz). Schultz also participated in the basketball team, he tells of his experience on the team saying, "The gym was a real crackerbox. Art Paff, former high school football coach, was our basketball coach and gym teacher. Our 7th and 8th grade basketball team played other public and parochial junior high schools in Menasha and Appleton. Because of the lack of seating in the gym, we played our home games at the Roosevelt School gym on the Island [Doty Island] (Schultz).
.Behnke, Duke. "Century of Service." News-Record [Neenah] 19 Dec. 2007: 1+. Print.
"Back to School." Future Neenah Magazine n.d.: 6. Web.
“School History” by Neenah Joint School District Employee, Mrs. Helen L. Roberts. Compiled in December of 1997 and January of 1998
Schultz, Steve. "Kimberly School." Letter to Duke Behnke. 14 Jan. 2008. MS. NJSD Building, Neenah, Wisconsin
"Back to School." Future Neenah Magazine n.d.: 6. Web.
“School History” by Neenah Joint School District Employee, Mrs. Helen L. Roberts. Compiled in December of 1997 and January of 1998
Schultz, Steve. "Kimberly School." Letter to Duke Behnke. 14 Jan. 2008. MS. NJSD Building, Neenah, Wisconsin