Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School (commonly known throughout the area as 'E. L. Meyers' or 'Meyers') was an urban, public school located on 341 Carey Avenue, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It was one of three public high schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Meyers was both a junior and seniorpublic high school, offering education to approximately 898 students in grades 7–12. The student to teacher ratio was approximately 12.6 students per teacher. Meyers' sports teams were called "Mohawks".
Located on 341 Carey Avenue, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School opened in 1930 and closed in 2021.[2][3] Both a junior and seniorpublic high school, it offered education to students in grades 7–12.[4] Meyers provided education to approximately 898 students in grades 7–12,[4] with a teacher ratio of approximately 12.6 students per teacher.[4]
By the early 21st century, the school was seen to be in disrepair from apparent neglect,[5][6][7] with safety structures erected in front of building façade[8] and repairs needed for the attached stadium.[9][10][11] On June 10, 2016, the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board voted to consolidate the local schools, merging Meyers and Coughlin into a new 9th through 12th grade school to be built on the Coughlin site in downtown Wilkes-Barre. The 7th and 8th grades will be merged with Kistler Elementary to make that into a K-8th school.[12] The Board was unable to move forward with the plan to use the Coughlin site or another site in Wilkes-Barre.[13][14][15][16][17][18] In February 2018, the Board expressed a plan to use Meyers as a middle school.[19] On March 5, 2018, the Board voted to purchase land in Plains, Pennsylvania for the merged high school.[8]
The plans faced vocal opposition,[19][20][21][22][23][24] with some proposing that the school be turned into a charter school.[25][26] The school has been listed as an "At Risk" for historic preservation location by Preservation Pennsylvania, who noted that "[a]s a Depression-era construction project, the school embodies the grand design of early 20th-century public architecture. It serves a diverse neighborhood, and is located in a central location that children can walk to."[27] The school was sold prior to the opening of Wilkes-Barre Area High School, with the intention to become a assisted living center.[28]
Meyer has had visits from various famous individuals. John Philip Sousa performed in the auditorium August 31, 1931.[29]Amelia Earhart visited in spring of 1936 after the Meyers High School Women's Club brought her in to talk to students about "Adventures in Flying".[29]
More recently, the school had Travis Clark and Hunter Thomsen from We The Kings perform an acoustic set in October 2009. After winning a contest from local radio station 97 BHT, the two members performed a free show in the auditorium.[29]
The school's main stairway is made of Giallo d’Istria marble[3] with brass railings[30] and the main auditorium features a stained glass work, including a ceiling with the state seal of the 48 states in the United States at the time of the school's construction.[29] The exterior of Meyers is made of brick walls with terra cottalintels and stonecornices, and a number of parapets—some of which were removed for safety in 2007.[31] The school has space designated as fallout shelter.[32] It was flooded in 1972 from Hurricane Agnes and survived.
The student body of Meyers were collectively referred to as "Mohawks". Meyers had many traditions including Moving Up Day, a ceremony that officially marked the junior class move to senior status, as well as the senior class moving to the stage for graduation, which happened the day after in the school's auditorium.[29] The school also celebrated senior tea, a tradition that was started in the 1930s.[33]
The school offered many sports and activities for students to participate in. Traditionally having a similarly sized student body that pitted them against each other in numerous activities, Meyers and G.A.R. High Schools enjoyed one of the longest standing sports rivalries in the Wyoming Valley.
Meyers offered sports in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. Those sports included; cross country, field hockey, football, golf, boys' and girls' soccer, girls' volleyball, boys' and girls' basketball, swimming & diving, wrestling, baseball, softball, and track & field.[34]
Meyers offered year-round clubs for students. The clubs ranged from Meyers-specific clubs, such as the Elmprint Club (newspaper) and Colophon Club (yearbook), to national clubs and organizations, such as F.B.L.A. and National Honors Society.
Other clubs offered include the Art Club, Chess Club, Computer Club, Diversity Club, Drama Club, Envirothon, F.B.L.A., Key Club, Math Club, National Honors Society, Scholastic Scrimmage, Ski Club, Spanish Club, Speech and Debate,[35] Stage Crew, Student Council, and Watershed Project.[36]
The school obtained grants to start a STEM lab in 2014, which includes a 3D printer and zScape machine.[37][38] Additionally, it hosts Adam Iseman's BEST Awards, a popular STEM competition which has produced a working phone, arachnoid robot, and 3D printed Lazarus hand.
^Moran, Malcolm (October 6, 1991). "Seminoles Flatten Syracuse". New York Times:New York Edition. p. 8.1. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
^ abWiley, Ralph (September 25, 1989). "The Light And The Lightning". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. p. 4. Archived from the original on August 16, 2010. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
^ abJenkins, Sally (October 19, 1992). "Call Him Qadry". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
^Anderson, Dave (November 1, 1990). "The Rocket: Caring, Shy, Compelling". New York Times: New York Edition. p. B13. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
