Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School

Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School (commonly known throughout the area as 'E. L. Meyers' or 'Meyers') is an urban, public school located on 341 Carey Avenue, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It is one of three public high schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Meyers is both a junior and senior public high school, offering education to approximately 898 students in grades 7–12.[2] The student to teacher ratio is approximately 12.6 students per teacher.[2] Meyers' sports teams are called "Mohawks". Meyers and Coughlin High Schools have one of the longest standing sports rivalries in the Wyoming Valley.

Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School
Address
341 Carey Avenue

Wilkes-Barre
,
Pennsylvania
18702

United States
Coordinates41°14′21″N 75°54′31″W
Information
TypePublic Junior-Senior High School
Motto"Steadfast Forever, Meyers High"
Established1930
School districtWilkes-Barre Area School District
PrincipalRobert Watkins
Staff61.75 (FTE)[1]
Grades7–12
Enrollment875 (2018-19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio14.17[1]
Campus size>3 acres
Color(s)Royal blue and Gold    
NicknameMohawks
RivalsGAR Memorial Junior Senior High School, James M. Coughlin High School, And Holy Cross High School
WebsiteSchool website

History

Located on 341 Carey Avenue, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School opened in 1930.[3][4] Both a junior and senior public high school, it offers education to students in grades 7–12.[2]

The exterior of Meyers is made of brick walls with terra cotta lintels and stone cornices, and a number of parapets—some of which were removed for safety in 2007.[5] Attached to the school is Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium, which contains a track and American football field used for all of Wilkes-Barre Area School District's public high schools and Holy Redeemer High School.[6]

The school's main stairway is made of Giallo d’Istria marble[4] with brass railings[7] and the main auditorium features a stained glass work, including a ceiling with the state seal of the 48 states in the United States at the time of the school's construction.[8] The school has space designated as fallout shelter.[9] It was flooded in 1972 from Hurricane Agnes, but survived.

By the early 21st century, the school was seen to be in disrepair from apparent neglect,[10][11][12] with safety structures erected in front of building facade[13] and repairs needed for the attached stadium.[14][6][15] On June 10, 2016, the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board voted to consolidate the local schools, merging Meyers and Coughlin into a new 9th through 12th grade school to be built on the Coughlin site in downtown Wilkes-Barre. The 7th and 8th grades will be merged with Kistler Elementary to make that into a K-8th school.[16] The Board was unable to move forward with the plan to use the Coughlin site or another site in Wilkes-Barre.[17][18][19][20][21][22] In February 2018, the Board expressed a plan to use Meyers as a middle school.[23] On March 5, 2018, the Board voted to purchase land in Plains, Pennsylvania for the merged high school.[13]

The plans have faced vocal opposition,[23][24][25][26][27][28] with some proposing that the school be turned into a charter school.[29][30] The school has been listed as an "At Risk" for historic preservation location by Preservation Pennsylvania, who noted that "[a]s a Depression-era construction project, the school embodies the grand design of early 20th-century public architecture. It serves a diverse neighborhood, and is located in a central location that children can walk to."[31]

Demographics

Meyers provides education to approximately 898 students in grades 7–12,[2] with a teacher ratio of approximately 12.6 students per teacher.[2]

Traditions

The student body of Meyers is collectively referred to as "Mohawks". Meyers has many traditions that are still practiced today including Moving Up Day, a ceremony that officially marks the junior class move to senior status, as well as the senior class moving to the stage for graduation, which happens the day after in the school’s auditorium.[8] The school also celebrates senior tea, a tradition that was started in the 1930s.[32]

Visits

Meyer has had visits from various famous individuals. John Philip Sousa performed in the auditorium August 31, 1931.[8] Amelia Earhart visited in spring of 1936 after the Meyer’s High School Women’s Club brought her in to talk to students about “Adventures in Flying”.[8]

More recently, the school had Travis Clark and Hunter Thomsen from We The Kings perform an acoustic set in October 2009. After winning the High School Hookup V2.0 from local radio station 97 BHT, the two members performed a free show in the auditorium.[8]

Extracurricular Activities

The school offers many sports and activities for students to participate in. Traditionally having a similarly sized student body that pit them against each other in numerous activities, Meyers and G.A.R. High Schools have one of the longest standing sports rivalries in the Wyoming Valley.

Sports

Meyers offers sports in the Fall, Winter, and Spring that is open for all students to join. Those sports include; cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, boys' and girls' soccer, girls' volleyball, boys' and girls' basketball, swimming & diving, wrestling, baseball, softball, and track & field.[33]

Clubs

Meyers offers year-round clubs that students can sign up and participate in. The clubs offered range from Meyers specific clubs, such as the Elmprint Club and Colophon Club, to national clubs and organizations, such as F.B.L.A. and National Honors Society.

The school offers two clubs dedicated to publishing the school newspaper, Elmprint, and producing the yearbook, Colophon. Other clubs offered include the Art Club, Chess Club, Computer Club, Diversity Club, Drama Club, Envirothon, F.B.L.A., Key Club, Math Club, National Honors Society, Scholastic Scrimmage, Ski Club, Spanish Club, Speech and Debate, Stage Crew, Student Council, and Watershed Project.[34]

In terms of musical groups, the school offers chorus, jazz band, marching band, and orchestra.[34]

STEM

The school obtained grants to start a STEM lab in 2014, which includes a 3D printer and zScape machine.[35][36] Additionally, it hosts Adam Iseman's BEST Awards, a popular STEM competition which has produced a working phone, arachnoid robot, and 3D printed Lazarus hand.

Speech and Debate

E. L. Meyers High School is known across the country for its speech and debate team. Founded in 1997, Meyers hosts the Martin Luther King Open Speech and Debate Tournament every January. The team was tied for a national championship with four other schools in 2009 at the National Catholic Forensic League championships held in Albany, New York.[37][38][39]

The team offers students a host of events to choose to compete in. Some of the events that the team hosts include Lincoln–Douglas debate, policy debate, public forum debate, extemporaneous speaking, declamation, oral interpretation, original oratory, duo interpretation of literature, and dramatic interpretation.[39]

Notable alumni
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

References
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  2. "Elmer L Meyers Junior/Senior High School". SchoolDigger. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  3. Skrapits, Elizabeth (February 21, 2012). "Options for new Wilkes-Barre Area high school come with a price". Citizens Voice. Citizens Voice. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  4. By Lydia McFarlane, Newspaper In Education student columnist. "History of Elmer L. Meyers High School remembered". www.citizensvoice.com. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2018-03-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "WB Memorial Stadium to be closed for start of high school football season - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  7. "The History Of Meyers High School Should Be Preserved | Reading Eagle - AP". Reading Eagle. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
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  9. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2018-03-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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