Week 40: Free Public Schools

Last week, I shared about the establishment of six magisterial districts, intentionally named after Confederate leaders, in Shenandoah County, Virginia, in 1870 (Week 39: The Mask of Defiance). In addition to maintaining roads, managing the distribution of funds from state taxes, and eventually establishing a district tax to help with costs for schools and roads, another main purpose of each district was to establish its own volunteer school board, whose members were chosen by an appointed president, and which oversaw the public free school system. The free schools were described in a January 1871 local paper as something that "flourishes under various forms of government, and when once tried, is never abandoned, but on the contrary, is cherished and perfected more and more" (Shenandoah Herald, 12 January 1871, Vol. 51, No. 14, p.1).

The November 24, 1870 issue of the Shenandoah Herald shares the following information on the Public School System: "The State Board of Education are determined that the Public Schools shall be opened at the earliest practical moment. County Superintendents, and District Trustees have been appointed and preparations have been made to open the schools at once. The appropriation from State funds for this county will, it is thought amount to about four thousand dollars, which will be divided among the townships according to the number of children in each. The amount therefore, ranges from five to eight hundred dollars to the township. There being no county or district funds appropriated, the Trustees, to introduce the system with the limited funds in hand, must adopt one of two plans, - either to open from two to four schools in each township, or to call upon the citizens interested in each school to pay a portion of the Teacher's salary, and the trustees agree to pay the balance. By the latter plan many communities would receive the benefit of the State School fund, who otherwise would be deprived of it... The Public School System will employ no teachers who are not prepared to teach Orthography, Reading, Writing, Geography, Grammar and Arithmetic... In towns where Schools of a hundred scholars can be obtained, graded schools will be established, and where graded schools are kept open for ten months and properly supported by the citizens, liberal aid, independent of the State and County funds, may be expected. Several of the towns in this county are making laudable efforts to establish graded schools at once." (24 November 1870, Vol 51, No 8, p.2). 

According to an 1898 issue of the Edinburg Sentinel and Valley Advertiser, the public free schools taught the English language, lasted "eight months, and all children between six and fourteen years of age (were) compelled to attend" (4 February 1898, Vol 5, No 16, p.2). By 1900, the free public school of Shenandoah County was receiving $10,106.06 in State school funds, which increased by $220.41 - a trajectory of 2% - the following year. The Edinburg Sentinel and Valley Advertiser states, "this fund goes to the several school districts as follows: Lee, $1,698.98; Ashby, $2,076.37; Madison, $1,680.03; Johnston, $1,140.91; Stonewall, $1,531.42; Davis, $1,713.55; Woodstock, $485.21. The rate of distribution is $1.4571 per capita of school population, the school population of the county being 7,087" (12 December 1901, Vol. 9, No 8, p2). The article mentions textbook purchase was the responsibility of patrons to the schools.

Another 1900 article from the Edinburg Sentinel and Valley Advertiser, gives an idea of the public free school situation in the Ashby District, the largest district at the time, which received 20.5% of the apportioned state funds and had the following exact school listings:
- Mt. Jackson Graded School
- Conicville Graded School
- St. Paul Graded School
- Mt. Clifton Graded School
- Willow Grove
- Hawkinstown
- Orkney Springs
- Pine Church
- Ottobein Chapel
- Rochelle
- Hamburg
- Pleasant View
- Craigs
- Air Hill
- Hudson's Cross Roads
- Teaberry Point
- Hepner's
- Powder Springs
- Morning View
- Mt. Jackson, colored
- Hammon's
(27 September 1900, Vol. 7, No. 50, p2). The school names are most often derived from the names of communities or towns, sometimes with an environmental or geological landmark component and other times with the names of community founders or local educators.

While the number of schools opened and maintained by each of the districts changed over the next several decades, one thing remained the same: these schools were segregated, sometimes by gender, but always by race. An 1871 school census of Ashby Township revealed "between the ages of five and twenty one years, 779 whites and 64 colored" (Shenandoah Herald, 2 February 1871, Vol. 51, No. 17, p.3). And the Shenandoah Herald's January 18, 1872 issue highlights a male school, female school, polytechnic institute, female seminary, and a colored public school in New Market. The article also mentions a Wood's School House; another school on Valley Pike, two miles north of New Market; with "attendance at all the schools... quite large and at some... young ladies and young men of from 17 to 20 years of age who are just beginning to read" (18 January 1872, Vol. 52, No. 14, p.3).  The article continues by mentioning: Liberty School House, Forestville Male School, Forestville Female School, Flat Rock, Moore's Store, Fansler's School House, Barb's School House, Zirkel's School House, and Kipp's School House; as well as Lee Township having 14 public schools.


Even in 1872, members of our county feared unsegregated schools. An article in Shenandoah Herald reads: "Consider who compose the radical party of Virginia. They are principally Federal office holders, Carpet-baggers, negroes and men who are opposed to the native white population of the State. Are you willing that the State government should pass into the hands of this party? Are you willing that a negro shall fill the office of county judge? Are you willing for your children to be compelled to associate with negro children in school? The radical party in other states have forced mixed schools upon the people. Will they not do it in Virginia, if you permit the State government to fall into their hands? ... Our property as well as our liberties will be in the hands of our most bitter enemies... Let not Virginia be found wanting for the first time, in this great battle for political liberty" (17 October 1872, Vol. 53, No. 1, p.2). 

The local paper excerpts the New York Tribune on this issue, as well: "It seems to be decided, at least, that the fourteenth amendment does not provide for every possible conflict of opinion between white and colored people. In considering the education of the children of the two races in the same schools, two Northern courts have recently held that the question belongs to the school board for decision, and not to the amendment of the citizen. Their arguments are that any classification, which preserves substantially equal school advantages is not prohibited by either the State or Federal constitution; that they cannot dictate where and by what teacher his children shall be taught; and that 'equality of rights' does not imply that white and colored children shall be educated in the same school any more than it implies the education of both sexes in the same school" (Shenandoah Herald, Vol. 53, No. 8, 5 December 1872, p. 2).

Thus on the precipice of the 20th century, three decades after the establishment of the public schools system, Shenandoah County, Virginia, is poised to point out several key standards that will meet head-on over the next century: the stereotyped and biased perception of African Americans in the community as an ignorant, substandard class and the role of public schools in promoting true equality. As we will see, both will leave their watermarks on our public schools in the decades to come.