One of the very early schools at Santa Anna was taught in the farm home of Mrs. J. H. Austin; probably to educate her only child, Gertrude.  The children near enough to walk there were fortunate to have the influence of this cultured woman, who lived on her farm more than a mile from town.  The first school in town was taught by a man named Fry, about 1880, the building of one room being southeast of the stores by a half mile.

In 1884 there was a small school house which was 14 feet square.  About that time it was added to and made about 36 feet by 16 feet.  The lumber for this building was hauled from Lampasas and Baird.  The first trustees were Dr. J. P. Matthews, J. W. Herndon, and O. F. McGonigal.  In 1885 the teachers were Ed Martin, Charley Cox, and Miss Emma Martin.  At that time the building was located where the civic center (old armory) now stands.  It was used for preaching services, Sunday school, occasional dances, and for public meetings of all kinds.  In 1887 more room was needed for the school, and another frame building was erected.  Mr. Hackney was employed to teach the school and the new building came to be known as the ‘‘Hackney Annex.’’  By this time the seats were homemade but nicely finished and answered the purpose until the first stone building was erected in 1890.

The first stone building in Santa Anna consisted of four rooms (two upstairs and two down) and cost $4000.00.  It was known as the “college” and was paid for by public subscription for the most part.  The stone used in the building was hauled from Mr. Herndon’s pasture, which was a few miles east of town.  The first principal of the school to use the new building was L. D. Borden.  Four teachers were employed at that time.  Borden graded the school and improved the school system in many ways.

Most of the pioneer teachers were young girls, perhaps with only an eighth grade education, who studied for the county examinations or attended a summer normal of three to six weeks and made a grade of at least seventy-five on the tests and received a certificate to teach, and when accepted by the trustees of some district, were launched on a career in education.  Romance usually entered the picture, and the girl taught a year or two or three before becoming another housewife - farmhand - mother.

In 1904, six rooms were added to the four room school building at Santa Anna.  Much of the stone for the addition was said to have come from the “rock pasture” in the northeast corner of the Land farm.  In the early part of the century, the school did not provide any frills.  Everyone had to buy his own lunch, or go home for lunch if he lived in town.  There were no organized athletics, but there was no lack of spontaneous play, which included baseball, townball, a sort of Rugby football, marbles, and top spinning.

Some of the turn-of-the-century teachers were J. E. Hickman, who in 1894, was 22 years old and had had four years experience; Henry Campbell was 28 and had 10 years teaching behind him; E. K. Thomson, McDoler Bell, Josie and Mamie Baxter, Bessie Munn, Annie Kidd, Daisy McAnelly, Emma Daugherty, Robert C. Hollingsworth, Retta McDaniel, Ruby Grady, Blanche and Lena Boyd, Jettie Kirkpatrick, and Daisy Robin all had county papers, but C. W. McDonald, from Tennessee, had had training at a college and a Permanent Certificate, the goal of all but reached by few.  Then there were Dovie Polk, Connie Erwin, Hugh Davanay, John and Neill Banister, Mamie Banister, and Mattie Hunter.

Santa Anna was classified as a first class high school in 1911 and was fully accredited with the universities of the state in 1914.  J. C. Scarbrough came to Santa Anna as superintendent of schools in 1922, and under his directions many improvements were made.  A new grammar school building was erected in 1928 and a new high school building was built in 1930.  By 1937, there were students from thirteen outside districts in attendance at Santa Anna; Mayo and Featherston were sending their entire student bodies.  Under Scarbrough’s supervision, thorough and efficient work was done in school; but, the extra-curricular phase was not minimized.  Students were urged to take part in such activities as Interscholastic League, Boy Scouts, Future Farmers of America, homemaking, dramatics, and journalism.  Ten clubs in 1937 provided for these extra-curricular activities:  homemaking, Spanish, debate, football, dramatics, tennis, Future Farmers of America, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts.  In 1949, Leedy, Line, Mayo and Plainview were classed “dormant” school districts and were consolidated with Santa Anna; in 1952, Trickham followed this route; Buffalo in 1955; and Rockwood in 1957.

Cullen Perry served as superintendent from 1955 to 1975; R. C. Smith has served since 1975.  Total enrollment today (1983) at Santa Anna is about 375 students.  Today, Santa Anna is well known for its tennis teams.  R. C. Smith serves as tennis coach and has twice been named Texas Tennis Coach of the Year, in 1981 and 1983.  He has coached 35 state qualifiers and 5 state champions in his 11 year tenure of coaching tennis.  In 1983 Tommy DeLeon and Paulie Vasquez won the Class A title, which was Santa Anna’s second time in a row to win the state tennis championship.  In 1982, Tommy DeLeon and Junior Salazar won this honor.