History of the Sayre Area School District

Events in the history of the Sayre Area School District date back before the 18th Century. In the early 1800s a small log schoolhouse was the only source of education in what is now the Sayre Area School District.

In a corner of The Rest Cemetery (Bradford and Hoover Streets) a little schoolhouse served for years as the Milltown educational institution.

District Timeline

1808 -Log schoolhouse in corner of The Rest Cemetery burned down. A new school building was built on the corner of Shepard and Cayuta Streets in Milltown
1857 -Small schoolhouse built on Keystone Ave., dedicated as "School of the Plains," after the City of Pine Plains (now Sayre).
1875 -One-room school house built on Lockhart Street (late site of Central School Building). The First Citizens National Bank is there now.
1877 -Population of the school district numbered 33 students.
1882 -Sayre was incorporated as an independent school district February 28th of this year and the district included two buildings.
1887 -Sayre graduated its 1st class which consisted of 3 women and the first to participate in Sayre's Commencement Exercises.
1891 -The main school building was moved to S. Elmer Avenue and is now part of the New Park Hotel. Another new high school was constructed at a cost of $30,000 and later became the Central School.
1897 -The high school was renovated and an annex costing $12,000 was added.
1901 -The Sayre School District included four primary buildings and a high school.
1907 -1st Superintendent - J. G. Anderson 1893-1894; 2nd Irving F. Stetler 1894-1907; 3rd L. E. Delaney 1907-1933; 4th Horace H. Beach 1933-1983; 5th L. E. Delaney 1939-1946; 6th H. Austin Snyder 1946-1974; 7th Dr. Alan F. Jones 1974-1982; 8th Paul E. Kelley 1982-1992 and 9th Dr. Donald M. Houck 1992 to present time.
1916 -Two two-room portable school buildings were purchased at $2,975 each to accommodate the rapidly expanding student population.
1928 -The Sayre Junior-Senior High School was constructed on W. Lockhart Street at a cost of $500,000.
1950 -The school district was expanded under the influence of the Sayre Borough School District and in conjunction with the Parents Organization affected a jointure with Athens Township, Litchfield Township, and South Waverly Borough. The newly increased district would be renamed The Sayre Area Joint High School.
1967 -The jointure was abolished and the district became The Sayre Area School District.
1967 -A new Litchfield Elementary School was constructed and dedicated November 19th.
1969-1970 -The Sayre Area High School was renovated and an addition to enhance its facilities.
1973 -The H. Austin Snyder Elementary School was constructed and dedicated November 18th.