As September approaches and schools open, I often think of a cold rainy Friday morning in March of 1952. I was in second grade and home sick with a sore throat. I liked school and was disappointed to be missing whatever was happening. My mother came into my room and told me that it was on the radio that school was closed for the day because of a fire. It didn’t really register with me,  just that I wouldn’t be missing much. Little did I know that life was about to change. This is the story of that fateful day in time as told in the Skaneateles Press and ‘ Out of the Ashes ‘ by. author, Fred P. Fundis, District Principal.

The fire was discovered by a rural mailman, Joseph Fisher,  who was on Elizabeth St. at about 6:40 am, a block away from the school on State St. “ I was on my way to see my mother, Hattie Fisher. I saw smoke coming out of the sky light in the middle-front section of the school. No flames but  I’d say that the fire had been going for some time before I saw it. I’d say that firemen got there in around five minutes. A little later there were lots of flames. “ 150 firemen from Marcellus, Mottville, Jordan and Elbridge were on the scene. The school, built in 1926,  was completely engulfed but within an hour the fire was contained leaving only the outer masonry walls. Fortunately there were no injuries. The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical.

Through all of the resulting turmoil, there was a positive side. The school district had been centralized in 1950, pulling students in from the outlying country schools. Plans had been made for completion of a new school building and were out for bid to accommodate the growing pupil population. However the immediate need for classrooms and instruction materials had to be met. There were outpouring offers from churches and community organizations to use their buildings as temporary classrooms. Principal, Fred Fundis and Board of Education President, Judson Gregory spent tireless hours putting together lists of specifications required by the Education Department to provide a learning environment. All of this was accomplished by March 31, ten days after the fire. The following buildings were used as temporary classrooms: Skaneateles American Legion,  St. Mary’s Church, Mottville Fire Hall, Presbyterian Church, Methodist Church, Baptist Church, St. James Church, Masonic Temple, Grange Hall, and Trabold and Russell’s Garage. 

As the Phoenix rose out of the ashes, the new Jr. High School and State St. School were completed in 1954. Two more schools were added as the population grew. Today Skaneateles Central School District is rated as one of the best school districts in New York State.