The little one-room, two teacher school called Rough Creek, District #8 in 1895, District #16 in 1909, attracted fine educators who taught readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic and did not spoil the child by sparing the rod.  Its first teacher was Professor Spiegel, followed by Colonel Mobley, W. C. Rickard, Professor Hall, J. M. Griffith, A. B. Martin, Misses Eliza Robinson, Allie Couch, Bowers May, Lexie James, Beulah Wright and Lieba Payne, who taught piano.  On April 19, 1905, when Miss Allie Couch was teaching, several boys felt the call of spring and nature, and slipped away for a swim in the Ward tank.  Two sons of Mr. and Mrs. I. E. Deakins were drowned that day in the tank that had been dug with a mallet and a shovel and the dirt hauled out with a wheel barrow to the depth of ten feet.

W. C. Rickard taught at Rough Creek two different times.  The first was in 1885-1886, with the trustees J. Conger and C. Thompson.  Families who had children in school were Benton, Birdwell, Bull, Barnett, Couch, Cope, Conger, Clement, Fletcher, Hodges, Hayley, Henry, Harvick, Kegans, McFarland, Powers, Reddin, Taylor, Thompson, Wadzeck, Ward and Wright.  His second term was in 1908-1909, and he was assisted by Miss Belle Lowrie and A. J. Fisher; the trustees were J. M. Barnett, J. M. Snell and W. B. Owen.  Families who had children in school were Barnett, Beard, Birdwell, Bond, Brooks, Brown, Burton, Casey, Deakins, Farmer, Gorman, Hill, Hyman, Ivey, Lowrie, Loyd, Morris, Owen, Owens, Posey, Pringle, Rathmell, Snell, Summers, Sprinkles, Sneed, Welbomn, Williams and Whitley.

The last year of Rough Creek School was 1927-1928 and the last two teachers were Grace Wyatt of Silver Valley, Principal, and Lella Griffin of Coleman, primary teacher.  There were eight grades and about 40 to 45 pupils.  J. H. Kellet was County School Superintendent at that time.  Rough Creek consolidated with Novice in 1928.  The Rough Creek School building was moved to Novice.