The Courier"For many growing up in the 30s and 40s, formal schooling began at the original Sam Houston Elementary School at Frazier and Lewis streets in Conroe. The school was built on 8.8 acres of land previously owned by Conroe pharmacist and civic leader Sam Hailey. The sale took place on Aug. 31, 1936 and Sam Houston Elementary was soon after built on the site.
“I used to walk the five blocks or so to school by myself, even as a youngster,” said Gertie Spencer. “Parents thought nothing about letting their kids walk to school or play outside unsupervised. Conroe was a small, safe place to grow up in.”
Sam Houston Elementary, constructed with a modern, art deco architectural style, was the first Conroe Independent School District facility to feature a dedicated cafeteria. Veteran CISD educator B.B. Rice was the school principal for many years.
Spencer, 79, rarely ate in the cafeteria, however, because she walked home - alone - for lunch.
Former Conroe City Councilman Toby Powell, recalled the meals as being both good and inexpensive.
“I think lunch was like 10 or 15 cents,” said Powell. “We’d eat lunch quick so we had more time to play outside before classes started again.”
Prior to the construction of Sam Houston Elementary, the J.O. Bennett School, built in 1912, provided public schooling for all grades. Conroe had a reputation as having the best school system in the state of Texas at the time, according to Larry Forester, chairman of the Montgomery County Historical Society.
Spencer recalls that Principal Rice, who had a disfigured hand in the form of a permanent fist from a childhood injury, would start the first day of school with an assembly.
“He held his hand up and told us he had worn out his hand paddling bad girls and boys,” said Spencer. “It’s kind of funny now, but it got our attention back then.”
Indeed, paddling was a common form of discipline when Spencer and Powell attended classes at Sam Houston Elementary and beyond. Most teachers kept a paddle handy in the classroom to handle infractions such as talking in school, pulling a girl’s hair or acting out.
“Sometimes the teacher would take you outside the classroom to give you a few swats,” said Powell. “Other times they’d do it in the classroom as a demonstration to keep the rest of the kids in line.”
Times have changed, however. CISD Superintendent Don Stockton said corporal punishment is prohibited throughout the district and paddling is long gone from schools. Spencer reflects that parents were much more involved in supervising kids back in the day. A call from the school about an unruly child would likely result in a second paddling at home, added Powell.
Stockton also pointed out the approach to education has changed since the early days of Sam Houston Elementary. Advances in technology and techniques allow educators to tailor lessons to the individual needs of the students - compared to teaching the same content the same way whether it met the unique learning needs of the students or not.
The old Sam Houston Elementary was closed a few years ago with opening of a new facility of the same name on north Thompson Street. The building now houses the Walter P. Jett Continuing Education Center for CISD, named for a veteran educator who spent 15 years at the school, 19 of them as principal.
“Conroe ISD believes in maintaining its facilities to the highest standards,” said Stockton. “As a result, we have a beautiful, historic building that is functional and also provides a sense of nostalgia to many who enter through its doors.”
For information on Conroe and Montgomery County history, visit www.heritagemuseum.us or call 936-539-6873."