Country Schools in South Dakota (Lennox, Tea: houses, college, plumbing)

[egg man]

I taught in one room country schools across our state over the years. I'm curious how many people here attended a one room school in our state. If you care to share, where was it? There are still a number of one and two room schools in this state.

I don't think there's anything like a country school. I have yet to run into anyone who didn't have a good experience in country school.

I have a webpage on one room country schools where I've posted pictures of them. I have some that I'm looking for yet.

So, let's hear about our country school experiences.

[itsMeFred]

Not in SD, but I taught in country school in Nebraska in the mid 90s for a couple of years. Loved it.

[Chris19]

Many of the country schools in Lincoln county are either converted into houses or the buildings were torn down. There are a couple southeast of Lennox that are houses and one can tell that they were country schools by the roof and structure of the building (most of them were squared buildings with an entrance sticking out and high roofs). I remembered one two plus miles west of Tea on SD 17 that was there when I was a small kid (it was abandoned at the time) and was torn down in the late 1980s.

The country schools were way before my time, but I hear my grandmother talk about her expereinces of the country school in the 1940s.

[Jammie]

Oh Chris, you just dated yourself.

Fred, how interesting that you used to teach in a country school. I spent all 8 years of grammar school in a little one room schoolhouse. We did have an entryway for our jackets and boots though. Unfortunately, we had no plumbing either.

[itsMeFred]

Yeah, there's still quite a few country schools in the Sandhills in Neb and the panhandle. And a handful scattered about elsewhere.

My school was pretty uptown though. We had a boy's and girl's RR, kitchenette with stove, sink and fridge and a computer for the classroom. I remember trying to talk my board into Internet, but in '96/'97/'98 it was still just early enough they didn't see the point. lol I'll bet they have it by now.
I had K/1/2/3/6(2kids)/7/8 my first year and K/1/2/3/4/7(same two)/8 my second.

We were 40 miles from a town and went to library once a month up in town. In the spring, we'd have a country-schools-only track meet. We'd have multi-district music programs and plays. We'd get together for game days, presentations, etc.
It was a neat experience for a teacher, too.

[Jammie]

Computers??? We had never heard of them when I went to grade school. Of course, that was back in the 60s.

You guys had it pretty uptown with indoor bathrooms and stuff.

[sdgoldpanner]

I have some fond memories of those country one room school houses.
Spent all of 8 years in one. But it was not in SD, it was Nebr. District #30,
in the Panhandle of Nebraska. Thinking back, I believe the discipline was probably
better than the large schools in town. If a child done wrong during the day, the
parent was called in for a visit when they picked their child up after school. I can
honestly say my parents were never called in, and those that did, did not happen
very often. There were 14 kids in Dist 30, and I can still remember all their names.
Oh, for the good old days.
Bob

[downthathighway]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

Not in SD, but I taught in country school in Nebraska in the mid 90s for a couple of years. Loved it.

My sis followed her dream and taught at a rural one room for a couple years after college. But had a hard time with the 'politics', certain families controlling all the activities,expenses,etc in that district. She has taught in a city district since then.

My parents went to one room schools and I for one would not consider their education 'inferior'. (e/g I don't think theyr'e stupid )

Pity, isn't it, that Nebraska's Senate decided the rural districts had to be merged with biger districts? And when the issue went to the voters later that the courts overrode 'the will of the people'.
'Another piece of America lost'

[DannyBanany]

One good thing about merging all those rural schools is that now they can get more funding and they can have more activities and sports for students. I think it's a great idea.

[itsMeFred]

But had a hard time with the 'politics', certain families controlling all the activities,expenses,etc in that district.

It's been my recent experience that this is true in small town schools, too.
Though I will agree that if you don't get along with one of the families in country school you're pretty much done for. Either they'll get rid of you directly, or make you so crazy you want to leave.

Pity, isn't it, that Nebraska's Senate decided the rural districts had to be merged with biger districts?

I'm not sure this was a bad thing. If nothing else, the politics you just mentioned about certain families controlling things in country school is harder to do because the district is actually run from town.
What, I think, was unfortunate, were the dissolution of districts that weren't really needed, but were a nice alternative. Ie, the ones that were close to towns.

--Erin