Community Corner

This Week in Winchester History: School Enrollment Fluctuates

In 1961 there were over 4,000 students enrolled in Winchester schools, but 1986 that number was under 3,000.

This is a regular column with items drawn from past editions of the Winchester Star.

1911

Resident Saved

Find out what's happening in Winchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Charles Church, who lived in an apartment along Main Street was smoking in bed. He fell asleep with the lit cigarette, which caught his bedding on fire. Church was able to get to the window of his upstairs apartment and break the glass before fainting due to the smoke.

The Winchester Fire Department entered the home and brought him outside, where a local doctor saved his life. Church suffered burns to his face and neck.

Find out what's happening in Winchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

1961

More buses

Residents that lived in the West Side of town want better school transportation for their children. The residents of Taft Drive, Oneida Road, Westland Avenue, Swan Road and High Street signed a petition complaining that it's not safe for children to walk to school in their neighborhood because there is limited sidewalk space.

New Schools

The and the enjoyed their first September this year. There were over 4,400 students enrolled in Winchester schools this year.

However, at the Wyman School, enrollment is so high that 80 students could be reassigned to a different school. 

1986

Enrollment Down

Winchester schools started 1986 with 71 fewer students than they did the year before. Overall, there were 2,986 students enrolled in Winchester schools this year. 

Price of Garbage

Winchester Town Meeting will be asked to appropriate $395,750. The town needed the money to operate the Transfer Station  and to pay the North Andover facility that incinerates the garbage.

The main reason for the increase in cost was the depressed price of oil.

No new parking

The Board of Selectmen rejected a parking proposal by the Town Engineer that would have 20-foot buffer zones between parking places and either streets or crosswalks. This would have cost the town 25 parking spaces in the Town Center.

All the information for this story came from the Winchester Star.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here