Interest in One-room Schools Growing Nationwide

Google Alerts finds stories online with the term “one-room  school” in it for me and then emails me links to stories about one-room schools nationwide. Rarely does a day go by without some type of story appearing nationwide.

That was not always the case. When I first began researching one-room schools in Greene County about 20 years ago where wasn’t much scholarly research available and certainly no national conferences. Then about 15 years ago, the Country School Association of America was formed. I’m proud to sit on the board of the organization but there are many members of the CSAA who have been trailblazers in their states regarding one-room school restoration and use. They are the real heroes of the growing interest in this historical niche of rural life in America.

Today, I received my newest Google Alert and it contained links to 15 different stories where one-room schools are referenced. Some are in feature stories about individuals but several are about key restoration efforts that I think merit sharing here and with this group.

Historic Worden School being Moved (Sturgis, MI)

http://www.sturgisjournal.com/article/20140529/NEWS/140528937/-1/sports

Elkhart County History Museum focused on One-Room Schools

http://www.elkharttruth.com/living/Community-Blogs/Elkhart-County-History/2014/05/30/Learning-at-the-One-Room-Schoolhouse.html

African American Neely School moving out of the woods (newspaper story, China Grove, NC)

http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20140530/SP01/140539944/1184/neely-school-s-move-like-grandpa-s-coming-out-of-the-woods

Century-old School Pulled from the woods (television story)

http://www.wbtv.com/story/25652487/100-year-old-one-room-schoolhouse-pulled-from-woods-will-become-park

Explore York County History at One-Room School open house

http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_25864728/explore-york-county-history-at-tour-open-house

School museum hosting open house

http://www.tauntongazette.com/article/20140529/NEWS/140525702

Onieda School to be featured on CBS Good Morning show
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20140530/COMMUNITIES0204/305300042/strange-school-grand-ledge-cbs

Picnic to celebrate restoration at Haven School
http://www.tamatoledonews.com/page/content.detail/id/547526/Picnic-to-celebrate--Haven-one-room-school-set-for-Sat---June-21.html?nav=5006

Remembering One-Room Schools
http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/05/08/carroll-historians-remember-one-room-schools/ahfx9tk/

The Battle Over Moving Whonnock School
http://www.mapleridgenews.com/community/261152941.html

If you are interested in one-room schools and would like to see our network of one-room school enthusiasts in Missouri grow, I would like to recommend becoming a member of the Missouri Historic Schools Alliance.

Membership in the Missouri Historic Schools Alliance is now open to members of the public as well as local history enthusiasts and owners of one-room schools in the state of Missouri. You can read more about it at http://southwestregionnewsservice.blogspot.com/2014/05/community-effort-focused-on-saving-and.html

You can do that by downloading our membership form at: http://extension.missouri.edu/greene/documents/ruralschools/MHSA%20membership%20form.pdf

Members also receive a quarterly newsletter as part of their membership. Non-members can purchase a copy of the newsletter for May 2014 here: https://www.distribly.com/product/2449?aid=14114&aid=14114

Those interested in the national group, Country School Association of America, and learn more online at:  The website includes membership information as well as details about the upcoming national conference in St. Joe, Mo.

Membership form:

http://extension.missouri.edu/greene/documents/ruralschools/MHSA%20membership%20form.pdf

To regularly see updates on one-room schools as well as relevant news stories, follow the Missouri Historic Schools Alliance on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OzarksCountrySchoolsAssociation