The City of Manchester’s first Board of School Committee meeting was on September 08, 1846. There were seven members, each representing the seven wards that the City was comprised of at that time. The committee oversaw and administered the public schools and all related educational issues for the City of Manchester.
More recently, the board is comprised of fourteen members: one each from the twelve wards and two from the city at-large. The mayor is an ex-officio member with all the powers and privileges of the other members, and is chairman of the committee.
Collections
This collection consists of records of the Manchester Public Forum program, which was administered by the Superintendent of Schools in conjunction with the United States Office of Education during the Great Depression. Public forums were held which allowed citizens to discuss issues and topics that were relevant and important to them during the time.
This collection consists of directories created by the Board of School Committee for the city's public schools. The directories listed members of the School Board, as well as the names of each school's faculty and staff. Some early years include lists of retired teachers and janitors, and the salaries of teachers.
This collection consists of annual reports of the City of Manchester’s Board of School Committee. The records were created by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, other members of the board, and school faculty/administrators for the purpose of reporting its business activities of the past year to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The reports include a narrative statement about the status of Manchester’s public schools; statistical data on students, teachers, and schools within the district; rosters of teachers; photographs; and other related information. Content varies throughout the reports, but all records contain content related to public education. The collection provides a linear history of the general activities, issues, and decisions made by the city government in relation to public education from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s.
A digital gallery consisting of images digitized from this collection is available online: Public Education, 1946-1957.
This collection consists of early records of the Board of School Committee, including records before Manchester became a City in 1846. It is organized into two record series: meeting minutes and school records. It focuses on early educational issues and activities in the City of Manchester.