Schools: Kilbourne High School, Early History
Source: West Carroll Gazette 1935
Submitter: Bonnie Cook  JAN 2002




**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 
 






                 Kilbourne School History


  In the year 1900 a small one room building stood just west of the 
present plant of the Kilbourne High School.Here Mrs.J.L.Thompson nee
Hattie McDuff taught the few boys and girls of Kilbourne community.In 
order to keep school open an average attendance of ten pupils had to be
maintained.There were not enough children in the community to maintain 
this average,and the Mall family in Arkansas was induced to send it's 
children here so that the school would not be closed. 

 A short term was taught here each year until 1907, when the people of
the community decided that school facilities for their children should 
be improved.I.J.Franklin and F.C.Keyland went to Greenville,Miss. and 
secured from the owner the building site where the Methodist church and
the remains of the old school building was erected at a cost of$8000.00
ninety-two dollars of which was contributed by the Parish School Board.
The balance was raised by popular subscription.While this building was 
under construction classes were taught by Mrs.H.E.Griffith in a tenant 
house near the home of Miss Ella Franklin.

 The enrollment increased until the one-room would no longer accomodate
the pupils.Another room was added. A year or two later the enrollment
increased so much that a third room was added.Gradually the curriculum
was extended until there were eleven grades,but the building and equip-
ment were entirely inadequate for high school work.

 The year 1922 was a memorable year in the history of the Kilbourne 
school.The citizens voted a building tax for the construction of the 
present plant.This plant which was constructed at a cost of $40,000.00 
was considered adequate for all future needs.Since the new building was
not completed,the 1922-23 school term opened in the old frame building,
and upon the completion of the new building,the school was transferred 
to it.The faculty for that year consisted of D.W.McBride  principal, 
Mesdames A.F.Byrd and D.W.McBride, and Misses Vera Jackson, Alma Bivens,
Adele Erwin. The graduating class consisted of the following members;
Audrey Dosher,Aline Edwards,Willie McJohnson,and Irma Herring.

 During the years that followed the school was gradual until 1939 when 
each yearly enrollment seemed to increase by leaps and bounds.Conditions
were as crowded during the year 1932-33 then the School Board added a 
two room frame building costing $3,000.00 in which the first and second
grade are housed. At present there is a faculty of eleven teachers,L.H.
Willis Principal, J.A.O.Russell,Willie King,Helen McKoin,H.T.McTyre,A.C.
Fryday,Isola Butler,Bernice Joyce,Wilma Overby,Velma Albritton,and Fern
Brown,with an enrollment of 386 pupils.

 The school board has done an extensive repair job on the building this
year consisting of putting a coat of stucco on the outside walls and 
paint on the inside walls,thus having Kilbourne community a school 
plant of which they should be exceedingly proud.In addition to the 
above mentioned improvement a three-room frame building is to be con-
structed in the near future,two rooms of which will house the home 
economics department and the third room will be used as a class room.




This was copied from the  Mar. 28, 1935 
issue of the West Carroll Gazette