May 1, 1968 School Merger Vote

Voters in the Interlaken Central School District and the Ovid Central School Districts went to the polls in a special election. They were voting on the question to merge the two districts.

As a high school student, I was aware of the process, had even been through it before with other options. Looking back, I don’t recall any of the discussions before the vote and only a feeling of disappointment after the approval. Some of us had been ICS students since Kindergarten. Now with three years to go changes would be coming.

There are boxes of materials at the Interlaken Historical Society on the whole process of the election, and copies of articles written by people who were involved in the decisions and what happened in the years following.

In this year of celebrations, one more date to remember, and yes, I suspect celebrate. In 1968 the new school didn’t have a name; that came in the following year as suggestions were taken for a name and mascot.

Happy Birthday South Seneca Central School!

Dewitt’s Diary, Wednesday May 1, 1968

Temperature 37 rainy. Some rain early this morning. We drove to Canandaigua and Geneva. Exchanged a part for the plow so we have the correct piece.

Bought some onion plants in Geneva. Leland got the oil changed in the car in Geneva.

Temperature 44 at noon. Home at 1 o’clock. We voted on the proposed Ovid-Interlaken school merger today at 2 o’clock.

Misty rain today at 5 o’clock and temperature 40.

The school merger was voted O.K. but not O.K. by the tax payers.

Cooler at the end of the month so was no record for warmth.