Mayberry Panthers

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Mayberry Junior High

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Mayberry School opened September 6, 1955 with an enrollment of 750 students and a staff of 35 teachers. The new structure was built at a cost of $1,259,300 by the Clarence Vollmer Construction Company. Hibbs, Robinson and Pettit were the architects. The school was named in honor of Lawrence Wallace Mayberry, who had been superintendent of the Wichita Public Schools from 1912 to 1943. Dedication ceremonies were held November 6, 1955.

On opening day students and staff entered an incomplete building, but one with which they were already familiar. Under the encouragement of Mayberry's first principal, Mr. Alden Salser, community parents, prospective students and staff members had made several trips to the structure and had been involved in meetings aimed at making the first day of school in the new building as smooth as possible.

Another of the organizational meetings was attended by a group of selected students from the four contributing junior high schools. The students toured the building and prepared to serve as tour guides for other students on the opening day of school. This was the beginning of an introduction procedure which was continued in subsequent years.

Soon after the beginning of school, the Student Council was organized using a system of representation from each home room. The first president was Keith Mitchell.

Feeder elementary schools for Mayberry included Lawrence, Eureka, Field, Meridian, Dodge, Payne and Martin. CThe enrollment reached a peak of approximately 1,000 from 1969 to 1971, and since that time there has been a gradual decrease to about 630.

In the fall of 1988, all ninth graders were moved to high schools leaving seventh and eighth graders. In the fall of 1989, all junior high schools became middle schools (6-8). During the 1991-92 school year, Mayberry and Brooks became global education magnet middle schools with different emphasis on curriculum.

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