About Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute
Alvin C. York Institute, also known as Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute or York Institute, is a public high school in Jamestown, Tennessee, founded as a private agricultural school in 1926 by World War I hero Alvin York and later transferred to the state of Tennessee in 1937, which continues to operate it as a public high school. It is the only comprehensive secondary school in the United States that is financed and operated by a state government.
History
Alvin C. York established the school that carries his name during the 1920s in the county seat of his home county of Fentress. His goal was to give rural children the chance to obtain a high school education. Beginning in 1919 he toured the United States raising funds for the school, using his status as a war hero to get public attention and raising a total of $10,000. He also solicited and received funds from the state legislature,which contributed $50,000, and from Fentress County, which pledged $50,000.Classes began in 1929 and the school operated privately until 1937, when financial pressures related to the Great Depression led York to transfer the school to the state of Tennessee, which continues to operate it as a public school as a living memorial to York.
Vision Statement
The vision of Alvin C. York Institute is to serve as a model rural school of excellence where all stakeholders prepare and excel for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Mission Statement
The mission of Alvin C. York Institute is to educate, empower, and enable all students to become productive citizens by developing high expectations, fostering individual student success, and creating a community of respect, responsibility, and pride.
Motto
Prepare and Excel