The first school term consisted of a three month session, but by 1858,
a summer
and a winter term was inaugurated. The summer term was usually taught by
a wom-
an teacher, while the winer term was taught by a man teacher. By 1860, an
eight
month term was maintained as a single term, being one of the first districts
to do so.
The voters also decided "that school shall be taught no more than five
and one-half
days per week". Although a German settled community, this district did
not vote to
teach German in the school until 1865, when it was decided to teach German
one-
half of the time. In 1875, it was decided to teach German one-half hour per
day. By
1893 this language was taught only one-half day per week. The records indicate
that
the teaching of German was discontinued in 1903.

    The earliest record of enrollment was found for 1858 when 33 pupils attended.
The attendance has always fluctuated, more or less, but in 1874 there were
106 chil-
dren of school age enrolled, the youngest being three and one-half years
of age and
the oldest seventeen. Centerville No. 5 has always been considered a "large
school",
but the rural factors affecting all rural districts has had its effect on
this qchool. The
average enrollment for the last few years has been about thirty pupils.

    In 1894, the voters agreed that no child shall attend school unless he
or she fur-
nish evidence of satisfactory vaccination against smallpox. That act shows
that the
people of this district were leaders indeed in progressive movements. Records
show
also that for many years the teacher would have to pay for broken windows
-if he or
she could not make the children pay or collect damages from the parents!
In the past
years the district allowed children from other districts to attend this school
upon pay-
ment of tuition in advance, said tuition ranged from seventy-five cents to
a dollar
per month.
    Early settlers of this district as shown in the Centerville assessment
record of
1856 were the Wagners, Schneilers, Eickhoffs, Schultes, Huhns, Sachses, Werners,
and
the Mills. Otto and Evers owned much of the land in the village and in the
surround-
ing area. Most of the settlers were farmers, but many families lived in the
village
where the men worked in the pioneer industries of Centerville.
    The men elected to the schoolboard have been progressive and deeply interested
in the welfare of their school. A few of the officers who served prior to
1906 were
August Mill, Charles Keune, G. Mill, Peter Werner, John Sachse, W. T. Albers,
Wm.
Strattmann, and members of the Schneider family. The record books show that
some
member of the Mill family has been on the board almost continuously since
before
1870.
    The list of teachers from 1852 to the present time is complete due to
the excellent
records which have been kept. The names of these teachers in order of their
succes-
sion up to 1906 are: Susan Gretz, Mrs. Susan Hawkins, Catherine Skelley,
Adelaid
Blin, Gustave Markwardt, Mina Wolter, Edward Carberry, Owen Hillman, J. T.
Cum-
mings, Charlotte Edwards, T. H. Baker, Peter Werner, W. Quehl, Ida Schaffland,
Sherwood Hayes, Thomas Gallogly, W. Elfred, Ferdinand Lonsdorf, W. T. Albers,
Henry Deters, Joseph Guidinger, R. C. Nicolaus, Fred Dicke, W. G. Wehrwein,
A. H.
Zander, J. F. Walter, Fred E. Kolb, and Willie Engel. A. H. Zander later
became
city clerk of Manitowoc.
    School fairs were annual fall events in the early 1900's. These fairs
featured
farm and garden products as well as material made in the schoolroom. The
school
board~always appropriated prizes from the school treasury. Red Arrow students.were
always to be reckoned with in the township and county spelling and achievement
contests.
    Centerville has a great deal of history connected with it. Much of this
history
can be found in books written about the early-years of Manitowoc county.
The early
village was an important lake port and a fishing center. It once had a feed
and cider
mill, a brewery, general and hardware stores, blacksmith shops, warehouses,
and
other business common to lake ports. Remains of the old pier are still extending
out
into the lake.


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