By JUDY SHERARD

jsherard@dailynews.net

Besides classrooms full of students, Kennedy Middle School, located at 1309 Fort Street, has hosted fund raisers, stirred controversy and welcomed famous visitors.

The Hays USD 489 board of education is considering closing the school at the end of the 2011-12 school year.

The original section of the Kennedy Middle School building was a two story brick building constructed in 1914 on the south end of the current structure. It cost $16,755, housed grades 1-8, and was named St. Joseph's Grade School. A parochial school until 1941, the parish then rented the building to the Hays School District No. 1, now part of USD 489, and renamed it Jefferson School, according to an article in At Home in Ellis County.

There wasn't a Catholic grade school in Hays again until 1963, said Tony Dreiling, St. Joseph's Church business administrator and Kennedy alumni.

However, the majority of the students were Catholic, and it was "a major feeder to St. Joseph's Military Academy and Girls Catholic High School," said Tim Schmidt, who attended the school in the 1950's.

"That was the parents' goal. We never had an option," he said.

Terms of the first nine-month school year lease were $200 a month, or $1,800 annually, and the parish was responsible for heat, lights, electricity, janitor service and building maintenance, according to the article.

That arrangement continues; however, by 1982 rent had increased to $82,853, according to the article, and $287,742 for the 2011-12 lease.

"The relationship between the church and school is a win-win," Dreiling said.

The school district shares some expenses that are education related, but if something happens to the boiler or roof, the parish pays, he said.

Nuns remained on staff of the public school, and a nun served as principal. Lay teachers joined the staff in 1949, and completely replaced the nuns by 1969, according to the article.

"The routine of the school day was church first. We had mass every morning, and sat with our class. We left church as a group and went to Jefferson for religion class," Schmidt said.

The nuns lived next door to the school in what is now Marian Hall, he said.

Having the Sisters of St. Agnes as teachers in the public school was a unique experience, Dreiling said.

"I thoroughly enjoyed going to Kennedy. The teachers were people you knew and you knew their families .... The people who taught me are still friends," he said.

Four of the school's seven principals have been nuns. Al Riedel, who died a few days ago, was the first lay principal, according to an article in At Home in Ellis County.

"Al was a teacher and coach of mine at Kennedy," Schmidt said.

He remembers him as strict, but a good guy.

The parish built a $200,000 addition between 1948-49. It included a cafeteria, gym and 16 classrooms which allowed junior high grades to be added.

In 1954 a church-school complex was built at 1800 Milner. That school also was leased as a public school and named Jefferson East. Jefferson School became Jefferson West School, according to the article.

Schmidt left to attend grades fourth through sixth at Jefferson East before returning to Jefferson West for seventh and eighth grades.

Jefferson West was renamed John F. Kennedy Middle School in honor of a visit by presidential candidate Kennedy in 1959.

Dreiling recalls the name change in 1969, and the school becoming a middle school in 1972.

The school was used often for church events, including monthly breakfasts when Schmidt was a child.

"It was like it was part of the church," he said.

That has changed over time. The church still has the right to use the building occasionally, but rarely does.

"Since it's leased to 489, we don't use it a lot," Dreiling said.

Classrooms are used for religion classes on Wednesday nights for religion classes, and the cafeteria and gym occasionally.

"We respect that It's theirs to use. They have first rights," he said.

Four people are employed as maintenance staff for church property including the school, but Kennedy needs come first, Dreiling said.

"We're very proud of Kennedy and what the district has to offer there,"