(Insert 2003: Early 1920’s school picture of 1909 building [located on site of mid-1990’s elementary building] shows playground equipment of large-sized swing set, four swings with long metal slide at west end. The swing set is located south of the school building with a couple young trees a short distance away and the playground, including a baseball field area to the east. The swing set frame is steel pipe with two metal chains attached to each of the four separate swings that had wood board seats for children to sit or stand on for swinging. A few years later two merry-go-rounds and two teeter-totters were added. The same or very similar playground equipment was on the school ground in 1950’s with the swing set location slightly further south and no slide attached.)
July 14, 1927 Vocational Agriculture in Schools With the arrival of M. W. Erwin, in charge of the Vocational Agriculture department of the Collins schools, preparations are being made for a season of great activity in this important branch. We print below an article concerning this work by J. R. Hattery, president of the school board:
The more progressive high schools of the state are becoming of more service to the public than ever before. Collins High School now has a Vocational Agriculture department ready to serve the community. The local school board elected M. W. Erwin as instructor, who has four years teaching experience and a life of farm experience. M. W. Erwin is here on the job and is determined to put over a program of sound agriculture among the boys and girls and adult farmers. All agriculture services from Collins High School are free to all people of Collins community. The work is educational in its nature and anyone asking for aid will receive information that is not only helpful but information that will be permanently valuable. A program of Vocational Agriculture to be successful must first have an efficient instructor and second the people of the community must whole heartedly cooperate with the teacher and his boys. The local school board and superintendent are going to aid in every way possible the program of the Vocational Agriculture department. Collins has been without Vocational Agriculture for a year and has seen fit to put it in the school again because of the benefits a community can obtain from it.
July 21, 1927 School Bus Drivers are Selected At the meeting of the school board MonDay night, the bids of the following men were accepted for bus routes of Collins Consolidated School district for the ensuring year: Route 1 – W. G. Luing; 2 - Carl Day; 3 – E. F. Day; 4 – Earl Robinson; 5 – W. E. Brown; 6 – E. L. Shonk; 7 – John Halterman; 8 – Milo Pitcher. Spur route – Henry Stratton. J. G. Gingles was elected as janitor for the year.