58 Louis F. Moench realized the predicament in which the school found itself and in the month of August 1894 made application to the Board of Education for the principalship. His past experience in difficult school situations made him feel that the Weber Stake Academy could be made to prosper. His offer was accepted at a Board meeting on October 27, 1894. This proposition was to open the school upon his own responsibility, except that control of the Board of Education was to be as formally, and that the tuition fees should go to help pay the faculty salaries. A faculty, consisting of William H. Jones, Dr. George F. Phillips, Mosiah Hall and specialists, Squire Coop for Music and Carl Anderson for Art, accepted the offer to teach. Circulars and announcements were prepared and sent out to all wards in the city and county. The school, whose doors in September and October had failed to open, was ready for registration on November 5, 1894. By this time many students had entered the Ogden City Public Schools, the University of Utah, the Brigham Young College, the Brigham Young Academy or the Agricultural College. In view of these disadvantages and the unusually hard times and the "damaging reputation the school had received from unfriendly school people, no one expected more than 25 students, if even that number."1 To the surprise of all, about 60 young men and young women were in attendance the first day. Financial difficulties began when the Weber Stake Academy opened in 1889 and they continued to be a problem. They seemed almost unsurmountable in 1894. Even in June a few days before the school closed for the summer vacation Charles F, Middleton states that: I went with President Shurtliff and Brother Stanford to Salt Lake City and had a meeting with the First Presidency on business pertaining to our Stake Academy. I was mouthpiece in presenting our business which was to ask for some relief financially. They consented to allow us twenty per cent of all the tithing collected in our stake during the present year to apply on our obligations of the past.2 Again Mr. Middleton states: I met with the Stake Academy board. We made arrangements with Professor Moench to run the church school for the tuition fees, thereby relieving the board of financial liability.3 This financial relief by the church helped materially, but the relief was for past obligations. The future was still very doubtful. 1. Historical Journal of Louis F. Moench, p. 97. 2. Historical Record, Charles F. Middleton (Unbound Volume). 3. Idem.