Information taken from the September 12, 1999 issue of The Portsmouth Daily Times, p. 7.A political war began between the Scioto County Board of Education and the Minford Rural School District in the Spring of 1930. The Wheelersburg Rural School District was also involved in the dispute.
County Superintendent McGowen hid information from the Boards of Education at Minford and Wheelersburg that new districts had been created for them. On March 15, 1930, without their consent, Superintendent McGowen and the County Board of Education changed the names of the districts to Minford Local School District, and Wheelersburg Local School District.
"By creating two new districts, superintendent Edward O. McGowen and the county board were thereby rid of some of their stuanchest political enemies on the rural boards." (1)
The two new school districts were not made aware of the change until a registered letter was received by the Clerk at Wheelersburg on at 6 p.m. on April 17, 1930. The law stated that the school districts had a 30-day period to argue against the change. This gave the districts one evening to canvass their respective districts to get 50% of the people to agree to fight the change. This, of course, would be impossible.
The two school districts took the matter to court, and they won their appeal in the Court of Appeals. The case was then filed with the Ohio Supreme Court, but the court refused to hear the case. The Ohio Supreme Court decided that the Court of Appeals decision was invalid. The new districts would remain in effect.
Lori McNelly, The Portsmouth Daily Times, September 12, 1999, p. 7.