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Milton Hershey School

Coordinates: 40°16′12″N 76°37′36″W / 40.27000°N 76.62667°W / 40.27000; -76.62667
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Milton Hershey School
Address
Map
1201 Homestead Lane

Hershey
,
Dauphin County
,
Pennsylvania
17033

United States
Coordinates40°16′12″N 76°37′36″W / 40.27000°N 76.62667°W / 40.27000; -76.62667
Information
Former nameHershey Industrial School
School typeIndependent boarding school
Religious affiliation(s)Nonsectarian[1]
Established15 November 1909 (1909-11-15)
FounderMilton Hershey
StatusOpen
CEEB code391760
NCES School ID01200519[1]
PresidentPeter G. Gurt[2]
PrincipalsPK–4: Amanda Smith[3]

5–8: Tara Valoczki[4]

9–12: Bob Ebert[5]
Faculty222.1 (on an FTE basis)[1]
GradesPK–12[1]
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment2,171[1] (2019–2020)
 • Pre-kindergarten10[1]
 • Kindergarten31[1]
 • Grade 154[1]
 • Grade 289[1]
 • Grade 3104[1]
 • Grade 4128[1]
 • Grade 5154[1]
 • Grade 6181[1]
 • Grade 7205[1]
 • Grade 8226[1]
 • Grade 9261[1]
 • Grade 10268[1]
 • Grade 11257[1]
 • Grade 12213[1]
Student to teacher ratio9.8[1]
Hours in school day7.3[1]
Campus size7,500 acres (3,000 ha)
Color(s)Brown & gold[6]    
NicknameSpartans[6]
Endowment$15.91 billion[7]
Revenue$1.44 billion[7]
AffiliationsThe Hershey Company, NAIS, & TABS
Websitewww.mhskids.org

The Milton Hershey School, formerly the Hershey Industrial School, is a private boarding school in Hershey, Pennsylvania for K–12 students. The institution was founded in 1909 by chocolate industrialist Milton Hershey and his wife, Catherine Hershey.

The school began with four students in 1910. Initially for only white male orphans, the school expanded in the 1960s and 70s to include girls, racial minorities, and "social orphans"—those with impoverished parents. About 2,000 students attended the school in 2020. Admission is restricted to low-income individuals aged 4–15 without intellectual or behavioral problems. Students live in group homes of uniform sex and similar age, with set schedules for elementary, middle, and high school students. The school has Christian elements but is officially non-sectarian.

The school is free for students and is funded by a trust containing most of Hershey's fortune, valued at about US$15 billion, making it the wealthiest U.S. private school. Nearly half of the trust's money comes from its controlling interest in Hershey's eponymous chocolate company.

History

[edit]

Milton S. Hershey, creator of The Hershey Company, was a chocolate industrialist and had founded the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania.[8] On November 15, 1909,[9] he and his wife, Catherine Hershey, signed over a 486-acre (1.97 km2) piece of farmland, forming the Hershey Industrial School.[10] The school accepted "poor, healthy, white male orphans" between the ages of four and eight, allowing them to stay until the age of eighteen.[10] The first four boys were admitted in September 1910.[11][12]

In 1918, following Catherine's death three years prior, Milton put most of his fortune—including his share of his company's stock—into a trust for the school, valued at $60 million altogether.[13][14] The school grew quickly, with about 60 boys in 1915,[11] 352 boys in 1931,[15] and 1034 boys in 1937.[9] Non-sectarian Christian religious training was mandatory.[16]

In 1933, the age range of admitted orphans was expanded from 4–8 years to 4–14.[17] In 1934, a junior-senior high school building was opened at the site with a capacity for 1500 students.[18] Hershey resigned from the school's board in 1944, a year before his death.[18] By then the school had acquired about 10,000 acres of land.[19] The school's name was changed from Hershey Industrial School to Milton Hershey School in 1953, reportedly to eliminate the possibility of "industrial" connoting a reform school.[20]

The school's selection of students broadened in the 1960s and 70s. Following a 1968 decision upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ordered the racial desegregation of Girard College, Milton Hershey School admitted its first non-white student.[21][22][23] School official James E. Bobb, however, stated that the decision to admit racial minorities was unrelated to the ruling.[24] In 1976, the school expanded its definition of orphanhood to include "social orphans", those with single or divorced parents.[25] In November of that year, the school successfully petitioned the Dauphin County Court on allowing girls based on their charter.[26] The first eight girls arrived in March 1977.[27][28][14] Female admission was gradual, first restricted to those between kindergarten and fifth grade, then in the summer of 1977 to sixth through eighth grade, and finally to all grade divisions in the summer of 1978.[27] In October 1977, approximately 1100 boys and 60 girls were enrolled in the school;[27] by September 1978, female students made up 10% of the 1300 students.[29]

Cyndi Jacobsen wrote in 1989 in The Sentinel that "students chafe under the rules, the lack of privacy and individuality, and the anachronistic dairy barns ... [b]ut graduates tend to look back at their experience as a survival test". She said that house parents varied widely in their treatment, with some "rigid and authoritarian" and others "warm and affirming."[22] Later that year, the school's longtime tradition of requiring all grade 9–12 students to milk cows, twice daily, was rescinded, with strong approval from students and the board. Director of secondary education John Storm justified the change, stating that "the school revolved around the milking program, when in fact we wanted it to revolve around educational opportunities".[30][14]

In 2002, the school had about 1,500 students; over the next two decades, the school grew to about 2,000 students.[13][31]

In 2017, Milton Hershey School received its first accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) for its campus security. In 2020, Milton Hershey School received its second CALEA accreditation recognizing the school's Central Monitoring staff for excellence in Public Safety Communications.[32]

Controversies

[edit]

In 2010, the school settled in a molestation case involving sixteen children.[33] In late 2011, a 13 year old was denied admission to the school because he was HIV-positive.[34] While the school initially defended its decision, citing safety concerns, an anti-discrimination lawsuit filed by the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania led to a settlement of $700,000 for the boy's family and a reversal of the policy.[35][36]

In 2013, 14-year-old student Abbie Bartels committed suicide shortly after being denied attendance at the school's eighth-grade graduation. While the family brought a lawsuit against the school, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit refused in early 2021 to revive the lawsuit, agreeing that the case was tragic but that the school could not be held responsible for her death.[37]

In 2016, eleven former students sued the school for invasion of privacy, alleging that an employee had hidden a camera in a bathroom for senior male students. The employee admitted to filming the boys' showering and was sentenced to a year in prison.[38]

In 2017, former student Adam Dobson sued the school after the school expelled Dobson for attempting suicide. Dobson later stated that he was forced to watch a religious gay-conversion video. A court dismissed the lawsuit in 2020.[39]

Governance

[edit]

Finance

[edit]

Milton Hershey School's endowment was worth around $15 billion in 2020, about half of which comes from the school's controlling share of The Hershey Company's stock;[40][41][42] the school is the US's wealthiest private school (besides universities and colleges).[43] Only about 1.5% of this sum is used per year for educational programs, spending about $118,400 per year on each student.[44] The proportionally low spending has been controversial. Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor John Core called it "ludicrous", and Georgetown University law professor Brian Galle called it "indefensibly low". Galle said the low spending was because the school "can't seem to conceivably find any way to spend this pile of money". School officials countered that the school must adhere to the spending limits of Hershey's original deed.[44]

In July 2002, the company managing the school trust announced it was considering selling its share in the Hershey company. Alumni and residents criticized the idea; some accused the trust of long-term financial wrongdoing and incompetence, with 1980 graduate Ric Fouad calling it "the charitable-trust Enron".[45]

In 2020, Milton Hershey School invested $350 million to fund the development of up to six cost-free early childhood resource centers in Pennsylvania. Named Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning, the first center opened in 2023, and they serve children from birth to age five from economically disadvantaged and at-risk backgrounds.[46][47][48]

Partnerships

[edit]

In 2017, Milton Hershey School created a partnership with Penn State University, its seventh such partnership to offer graduates of Milton Hershey School support at the college level as first-generation college students.[49] Other similar partnerships are with Mansfield University, Shippensburg University, East Stroudsburg University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Millersville University.[49] In 2018, they signed a similar agreement with Dickinson College.[50]

School structure

[edit]

The school is split into three cohorts: pre-K through 4th grade, 5th through 8th grade, and 9th through 12th grade.[51] As of 2020, there are 180 student homes, each with 8 to 12 students of the same gender and similar age, and each led by house parents.[31] Upon entering 5th grade, students begin the Career and Technical Education program, which provides activities tailored to students' specialized interests.[52] The school offers college scholarships for some students and has special partnerships with about twenty colleges for student transitions.[53] 85 to 90 percent of students continue to post-secondary education.[54] In 2024, the school introduced ‘theme homes’ where high school students of similar interests live together and engage in experiential learning about potential career options.[55]

Admissions

[edit]

According to the school's website, students are admitted on five criteria: having a family income less than twice the federal poverty level, being age 4 to 15, having an IQ over 80, lacking serious behavioral problems, and being able to "benefit from the school's program".[56] The school is cost-free for students.[44] As of 2021, 73 percent of students are from the state of Pennsylvania.[56] The acceptance rate is low, around 14% in 1991.[57] Each year, an average of 12.5% of the student population leaves, mostly by graduating or being removed by their parents. A quarter to a third of departures are expulsions.[58]

Demographics

[edit]

The school housed 2,020 students in the 2017–18 school year. Of these, 44.5% were white, 33.8% were black, 8.7% were Hispanic, 1.0% were Asian, and 11.0% identified with two or more races.[59] There were 395 students in pre-K through 4th grade, 545 students in grades 5–8, and 950 students in grades 10–12.[59] According to the school's website, there are roughly an equal number of boys and girls.[51] While in 2000 only about one tenth of students had a deceased parent,[25] nearly 90 percent of the school's come from single-parent homes as of 2020, with an average income of $22,000.[31]

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity 2019–2020[1]
White Black Hispanic Two or More Races Asian American Indian/Alaska Native Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
843 693 374 221 29 8 3

The Compass Project enables Milton Hershey School students to develop leadership skills and build character.[60] The school's Multicultural and Global Education program allows high school students to travel internationally and gain worldly experience and global awareness.[61]

Non-sectarian Christian religious training has been mandatory since the school's beginning.[16][62] School guidelines prohibit pressuring students to convert faiths; some students, however, have reported being proselytized by their house parents.[63]

Campus

[edit]

The school's address is 1201 Homestead Lane, Hershey, Pennsylvania, just off U.S. Highway 322.[6][64] As of 2015, the school trust owns 10,174 acres (4,117 ha) of land, about 7,500 acres (3,000 ha) of which are school campuses. Of the eight campuses, the main campus is by far the largest at 3,340 acres.[65]

Awards and recognition

[edit]

In 2016, Milton Hershey School's science curriculum supervisor Dr. Jaunine Fouche received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.[66] In 2017, the Law, Public Safety and Security program at Milton Hershey School was recognized as the Advance CTE National Program of Excellence.[67] In 2019, Milton Hershey School's elementary innovation lab instructor Joel Crowley received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.[68]

Notable alumni

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for Milton Hershey School". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  2. ^ "Office of the President - Peter Gurt '85". Milton Hershey School. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  3. ^ Schad, Ben (August 17, 2021). "Milton Hershey School starts off school year with pep rally". ABC27.
  4. ^ Maisel, Matt (April 15, 2020). "Family First with FOX43: Parents helping students with online learning". Fox43.
  5. ^ Singleton, Brent (November 9, 2020). "Milton Hershey School celebrates the Hersheys' legacy and educational vision on its 111th anniversary". Fox43. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Kiner, Deb (September 9, 2016). "Spartan statues greet alumni for Milton Hershey School homecoming". The Patriot-News. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Form 990" (PDF). Return of Organization Exempt from Taxation. Internal Revenue Service. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  8. ^ "The Hershey Company: a brief history". The Patriot-News. June 30, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "M. S. Hershey is Host at Dinner". Elizabethtown Chronicle. Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. November 17, 1937. p. 1. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Hershey Industrial School: The Chocolate King's Latest Generosity". The Semi-Weekly New Era. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. July 9, 1910. p. 5. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Gormann, Robert F. (November 19, 1915). "Bids Fair to Become One of Most Important Orphan Asylums For Boys in the United States; Lads Taught to Do Things Which Will Profit Them in Actual Life; Now 60 Youngsters Being Cared For". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. p. 43. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  12. ^ "New Hershey Industrial School Building To Be Dedicated Nov. 15". The Daily News. Hershey, Pennsylvania. November 9, 1934. p. 11. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Town Built On Chocolate Worries Sweet Times Are Over". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Tyler, Texas. September 21, 2002. p. 30. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c Russell, Heidi (June 14, 1998). "Hershey's Legacy: Childless chocolate baron revered as a father figure". Standard Speaker. Hazleton, Pennsylvania. p. 6. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  15. ^ "Industrial School Opens At Hershey". Lebanon Semi-Weekly News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. September 10, 1931. p. 2. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Hershey Industrial School A Monument To Chocolate King: Boys From 4 To 18 Taught There For Life's Work". Sunday News. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. March 11, 1928. p. 9. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "Extend Age Limit for Hershey School Boys". The Evening News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. October 30, 1933. p. 17. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Highlights in Life of M. S. Hershey". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. October 16, 1945. p. 17. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  19. ^ "Hershey Orphans Home Might Kiss the Past Goodbye". Los Angeles Times. November 28, 2000. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  20. ^ "Milton Hershey School Is Now Official Name". The Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. December 26, 1951. p. 9. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  21. ^ "Timeline: Desegregation of Girard College". Temple University Libraries. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Jacobsen, Cyndi (February 23, 1989). "Hershey School a contrast". The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. p. 12. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  23. ^ Cowen, Richard. "The doors always were open at Good Shepherd". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. 26 July 1998. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  24. ^ "Ruling On Girard Said No Factor In MHS Decision". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. May 23, 1968. p. 56. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  25. ^ a b "Hershey school is following its charter, audit reports". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. December 10, 2000. p. 50. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  26. ^ "Girls at Hershey". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 20, 1976. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  27. ^ a b c Froetschel, Susan A. "Changes Are Important To M. S. Hershey School". Elizabethtown Chronicle. Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. p. 11. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  28. ^ "Milton Hershey School To Admit Girls". The Evening Sun. November 17, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  29. ^ McCarthy, Dan (September 9, 1978). "Milton Hershey's Girl Population Doing Fine". The Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. p. 26. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  30. ^ Kolus, Howard (April 17, 1989). "Changing Time... No More Milking for MHS Students". The Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  31. ^ a b c Yonkunas, Rachel (November 23, 2020). "FOX43 Reveals: A stepping stone out of poverty". Fox43. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  32. ^ "Milton Hershey School Receives Second Accreditation from CALEA". Campus Safety Magazine. November 4, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  33. ^ "Milton Hershey School paid $3 million settlement to students in molestation case, newspaper reports". The Patriot-News. May 20, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  34. ^ "Lawsuit: Pa. school rejects boy for having HIV". CBS News. December 1, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  35. ^ Boccella, Kathy (August 7, 2012). "Milton Hershey School apologizes to HIV-positive student". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  36. ^ "Hershey settles HIV suit with 14-year-old student denied school admission". CBS News. September 13, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  37. ^ "Milton Hershey School isn't legally liable for suicide of 14-year-old ex-student, U.S. appeals court agrees". pennlive. February 2, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  38. ^ Fernandez, Bob (May 27, 2016). "Attorneys: 11 former students prepare to sue over digital camera hidden in Hershey School bathroom". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  39. ^ Fernandez, Bob. "Federal judge dismisses gay-conversion-related lawsuit by former student against Hershey School". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  40. ^ Fernandez, Bob (September 30, 2020). "Hershey School proposes $350 million network of six early childhood centers in Pa". Spotlight PA. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  41. ^ Golden, Daniel (August 12, 1999). "What Were Milton Hershey's Wishes? Question Hinders His Wealthy School". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  42. ^ Fernandez, Bob (December 27, 2017). "Hershey moves short of Pa. goals". The Philadelphia Inquirer. pp. 9, 10. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  43. ^ Fernandez, Bob. "Startlingly rich Milton Hershey School should expand mission with $12B". www.inquirer.com. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  44. ^ a b c Fernandez, Bob (November 6, 2016). "No candy-coating lack of charity at Hershey School". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  45. ^ Zehr, Mary Ann (September 18, 2002). "Hershey School Part of Fight Over Candy Giant". Education Week. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  46. ^ Davis, Joyce M. (May 4, 2022). "Catherine and Milton Hershey can't come too soon to Harrisburg".
  47. ^ Gregg, Cherri (January 3, 2022). "A look at Catherine Hershey Schools' $350 million initiative to boost early childhood education".
  48. ^ "Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning celebrates grand opening of first early childhood education center". Catherine Hershey Schools. September 20, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  49. ^ a b "Milton Hershey School partners with Penn State". pennlive. February 6, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  50. ^ "Milton Hershey School partners with Dickinson College". pennlive. February 1, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  51. ^ a b "MHS Fast Facts". Milton Hershey School. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  52. ^ Demps, Phinesse (February 22, 2017). "Milton Hershey School Commits to Career and Technical Education Exposure at Elementary Level". The Baltimore Times. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  53. ^ Ligiuori, Priscilla (November 24, 2019). "Milton Hershey School expands partnership program to help students transition into college". ABC27. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  54. ^ King, Joselyn (March 6, 2019). "Milton Hershey School for Disadvantaged Students Will Be Recruiting in Wheeling". The Intelligencer. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  55. ^ Viscount, Ireland (March 10, 2024). "Students live in 'theme homes' at Milton Hershey School". abc27news. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  56. ^ a b "Frequently Asked Questions". Milton Hershey School. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  57. ^ Jurgelski, Susan (June 13, 1991). "Milton Hershey School's sweet success". Lancaster New Era. pp. 25, 26. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  58. ^ Malawskey, Nick (February 20, 2012). "Milton Hershey School works to boost student retention rates". The Patriot-News. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  59. ^ a b "School Information – Milton Hershey School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  60. ^ "Milton Hershey School expansion moves forward in South Hanover Township". pennlive. November 5, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  61. ^ "Milton Hershey School Students Attend Global Leadership Summit in Peru and Win Team Competition". The Baltimore Times, Inc. Positive Stories. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  62. ^ "Religious Programs". Milton Hershey School. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  63. ^ DeJesus, Ivey (January 25, 2018). "Evangelizing at Milton Hershey: Is this what the Chocolate King envisioned?". The Patriot-News. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  64. ^ "Milton Hershey School". Milton Hershey School. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  65. ^ Miller, Barbara (November 5, 2015). "Milton Hershey School expansion moves forward in South Hanover Township". The Patriot-News. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  66. ^ "Expanding the STEM (or STEAM) Pipeline to Diverse Learners". Edutopia. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  67. ^ "Game Changer · SkillsUSA Champions". SkillsUSA Champions. April 30, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  68. ^ "Central Pa. teacher receives Presidential Award for Excellence". pennlive. October 22, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  69. ^ "2022 Alumna of the Year: Jocelyn Bioh '01". Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  70. ^ Armstrong, Jenice (April 28, 2015). "The new White House social secretary is a Philly home girl". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  71. ^ "Garry Gilliam, NFL lineman with the Seattle Seahawks, returns to Milton Hershey School". pennlive. February 25, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  72. ^ Zlatos, Bill (December 16, 2010). "Help support scholarship fund to honor Nellie King". Trib Live. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  73. ^ Hauck, Darren (September 24, 2019). "The Alan Krashesky Story You Won't Hear at 10". Chicago magazine. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  74. ^ "Trymaine Lee – Biography". Twitter. Retrieved January 29, 2021. Proud Milton Hershey School alum.
  75. ^ Malawskey, Nick (February 18, 2012). "Joe Senser joins board of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co". The Patriot-News. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  76. ^ Courogen, Chris A. (February 18, 2010). "Man who flew plane into Texas office building attended Milton Hershey School, studied at Harrisburg Area Community College". The Patriot-News. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  77. ^ "Entrepreneur rises above adversity to create three companies". Team Pennsylvania Foundation. November 5, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  78. ^ https://www.mhsalum.org/wp-content/uploads/200909_MHS_Alumnus_of_Year-Brochure-FINAL.pdf
[edit]

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