Fairfax school district
Encyclopedia
Fairfax School District was formed May 6, 1891 it is located in Bakersfield, California
. In its first year, 1891-1892 the average daily attendance was 8 pupils. The school was destroyed by fire in 1929, right after Christmas
vacation. Approximately 100 pupils and 3 teachers had just gathered on the first day back at school when the fire broke out. The cause of the fire was traced to a defective brick
chimney
resulting from a dynamite
blast set off nearby in oil
exploration activity.
Fairfax Cafeteria service dates back to 1928 when Mrs. Rench, one of the founders of the Fairfax PTA began cooking food for children's lunches in her home and transporting them to the school in kettle
s. Fairfax remained a small rural
school until the late 1930s when it tripled in size going from an average daily attendance of 102 in 1934-35 to 312 in 1938-39. This rapid growth came as a result of many farm laborers coming into the area during the depression years. At times the student population would double overnight due to the seasonal influxes of migrant families. Large tents would be put up and temporary teachers were hired, as needed. School bus service began in 1936 when an old Reo
bus was purchased from the Kern County High School District.
An earthquake in 1952 rendered Fairfax School unfit for occupancy. This led to the construction of the present Fairfax School.
By the 1960s the average daily attendance for the District was 807. Currently the average daily attendance for the District nears 2000. Fairfax became a grade 4 – 8 school in 1999. In 2005 it became a grade 6-8 school and was renamed Fairfax Middle School.
Virginia Avenue School opened in January, 1953, with eight classrooms and the present cafeteria. Virginia Avenue became a k-4 school in 1999 and a K-2 school in 2005. Shirley Lane Elementary School opened in 2005. Six classrooms were added in 2006 to accommodate the rapid growth in the district. Shirley Lane Elementary is a grade 3-5 school.
The districts' student achievement continues to rank in the lower percentiles within the county, due to the small amount of funds spent per student ($3327 compared to the 2008 state average of $5512) and the districts' ongoing commitment to low wages paid to its certificated staff ($39301 compared to the 2008 state average of $63421).
Fairfax Middle School continues to overwork its 26 teachers.
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
. In its first year, 1891-1892 the average daily attendance was 8 pupils. The school was destroyed by fire in 1929, right after Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
vacation. Approximately 100 pupils and 3 teachers had just gathered on the first day back at school when the fire broke out. The cause of the fire was traced to a defective brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
resulting from a dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
blast set off nearby in oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
exploration activity.
Fairfax Cafeteria service dates back to 1928 when Mrs. Rench, one of the founders of the Fairfax PTA began cooking food for children's lunches in her home and transporting them to the school in kettle
Kettle
A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a small kitchen appliance used for boiling water. Kettles can be heated either by placing on a stove, or by their own electric heating element.- Stovetop kettles :...
s. Fairfax remained a small rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
school until the late 1930s when it tripled in size going from an average daily attendance of 102 in 1934-35 to 312 in 1938-39. This rapid growth came as a result of many farm laborers coming into the area during the depression years. At times the student population would double overnight due to the seasonal influxes of migrant families. Large tents would be put up and temporary teachers were hired, as needed. School bus service began in 1936 when an old Reo
REO Motor Car Company
The REO Motor Car Company was a Lansing, Michigan based company that produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. At one point the company also manufactured buses on its truck platforms.REO was initiated by Ransom E. Olds during August 1904...
bus was purchased from the Kern County High School District.
An earthquake in 1952 rendered Fairfax School unfit for occupancy. This led to the construction of the present Fairfax School.
By the 1960s the average daily attendance for the District was 807. Currently the average daily attendance for the District nears 2000. Fairfax became a grade 4 – 8 school in 1999. In 2005 it became a grade 6-8 school and was renamed Fairfax Middle School.
Virginia Avenue School opened in January, 1953, with eight classrooms and the present cafeteria. Virginia Avenue became a k-4 school in 1999 and a K-2 school in 2005. Shirley Lane Elementary School opened in 2005. Six classrooms were added in 2006 to accommodate the rapid growth in the district. Shirley Lane Elementary is a grade 3-5 school.
The districts' student achievement continues to rank in the lower percentiles within the county, due to the small amount of funds spent per student ($3327 compared to the 2008 state average of $5512) and the districts' ongoing commitment to low wages paid to its certificated staff ($39301 compared to the 2008 state average of $63421).
Fairfax Middle School continues to overwork its 26 teachers.