The first school at Talpa was a one room frame building located where the Immanuel Baptist Church is now (in 1983), built in 1901.  I. F. Harris taught the first school in the winter of 1901 - 1902 and had about 40 pupils.  Charlie Brown taught in 1903 - 1905, coming from the Shady Grove School.  J. C. Griffin started teaching in 1905.  This frame school building, 24 feet x 48 feet, was sold in 1907.

On August 15, 1905, certain territory (including a portion of Runnels County) was incorporated for free school purposes only, and was named Talpa Independent School District #50.  J. C. Griffin, Superintendent, E. M. Jones, Sidney Turner and Frank Hensley, Trustees, helped to organize the school district.  Bonds were voted and in 1906 a $6,000.00 rock school was erected where the present junior high school is, and on five acres of land given by W. P. Cusenbary.  This school burned January 10, 1918, due to a defective flue and during one of the worst sandstorms ever witnessed, before or after this date.

A bond and tax levying election was held at the Gem Theatre in Talpa on April 23, 1918, for the purpose of building a new brick two story school, in the amount of $10,000.00.  Trustees were L. C. Jameson, Sr., President, J. A. Guy, Secretary, W. I. Gregory, Will Hale, Ira
Deakins, J. I. West and L. C. Bouldin.  There were 57 votes cast, with 56 for and 1 against.  On August 16, 1918, bids on the building were considered, with W. E. Edgerton being allowed the bid of $11,000.00 and with the school to be finished by January 1, 1919.  School was held in the local churches while this building was being constructed.

On July 6, 1921, part of Spring Creek School consolidated with Talpa.  In 1929, Pleasant Valley School consolidated with Talpa and with this consolidation, buses were used for the first time.

Mr. Glynn Mitchell was elected Superintendent beginning with the school term, 1932 - 1933.  Earlier superintendents were: J. D. Clay, J. I. Ellis, E. E. Hancock, J. J. Grace and C. A. Freeman.  Beginning with the 1933 - 1934 school term, the Herring School consolidated with Talpa.

In May, 1934, the school board adopted to accept plans for a new school house and circulate a petition on a School District Bond.  When the votes were canvassed there were 94 for - 3 against.  In May 1935, W. R. Truss Contractors of Abilene were awarded the contract at $18,500.00.  W. R. Griffin of San Angelo was the architect.  Trustees were W. T. Gregory, President, Wayne Bennett, Secretary, Joe Bragg, Andy Broyles, J. W. Jeffreys, C. F. Cook and Curtis Beck.  Lots were secured for the new building from a Mrs. Wright.  The new high school was completed on November 15, 1935.  The two story brick building became the grammar school.  When the lunchrooms were initiated with the WPA in the 1930’s, one was established in the two classrooms upstairs.  The auditorium was also maintained by the grade school.  The roof on the new building (gymnasium) blew off during a windstorm on Easter Sunday in 1936.  Thomas and Thomas of Coleman were given the contract to replace the roof at the cost of $1,149.23.

Grady L. Richardson was the first Vocational Agriculture teacher beginning with the 1936 - 1937 school term.  A Miss Spradlin was the Home Economics teacher, followed by Miss Nannie B. McCormick, beginning with the 1938 - 1939 school term.

In August, 1937, the trustees of the Glen Cove School District met with the Talpa Board and it was agreed to run the Talpa bus to Glen Cove and pick up the 11th grade, a Galloway boy in the 9th grade, Wayne Huey, should he want to ride, and three Kincaid children who met the bus at Braggs Store.  In April, 1938, the Talpa board told the delegation from the Oxien School (in Runnels County) that they would receive their children into their district.

The first high school burned and bonds for the second were issued with the votes being canvassed July 11, 1939, with 61 for and none against.  Alston and Alston of Sweetwater were given the contract to build.  Don W. Smith of Sweetwater was hired as architect.  There was very little difference between the first and second school building.  The stage remained on the north side of the gym.  A brass plaque was placed in the second building with Glynn Mitchell, Superintendent, Trustees, H. E. Evans, President, Curtis Beck, Secretary, Rube Whitley, C. F. Cook, Andy Broyles, J. W. Jeffries (Jeffreys) and M. L. Stone, with 1939 construction date.

The second building burned in May 1942.  Don W. Smith again was hired as architect, Alston and Alston awarded the contract.  The brass plaque placed in the second building was also used in the third high school which was completed in the fall of 1942 or early 1943.  As we were then involved in World War II, and brass was no longer available, and since the superintendent and trustees were the same, it was decided to reuse the plaque.  There were some changes in this bulding, the stage is on the west side of the gym and this building is all brick, not using the native stone used on the first two, together with the brick.

Mitchell and Richardson were given a leave of absence from their respective positions for the duration of the war.  I. R. Damron was named Superintendent for the 1943 - 1944 school year.  Mitchell was once again employed as Superintendent for the 1944 - 1945 school year. 
In 1945, a lunchroom was built. The Talpa Farm Shop, which opened in 1943, was closed in 1947, with all the tools and materials going to the Agriculture class.  Grady Richardson returned as Agriculture teacher.  The war veterans were allowed the use of the vocational shop and tools.

The first annual published for Talpa was in the 1946 - 1947 school year and appropriately called the Owl.  Talpa’s colors were blue and gold, some say purple and gold.  The annual was dedicated to those who gave their lives for our country in World War II and had either taught in or attended Talpa schools.  They were: 1st Lt. W. I. Head, former Talpa coach; Staff Sgt. Thurman S. Beaver; Lt. Adrell Van Fisher; Gm 3/c Dewey C. Hensley; Pfc. Fred Jones; 1st Lt. Lowell C. Maxwell; 2nd Lt. Leroy A. Pearce; 1st Lt. Murry L. Summers and Pfc. Ransom Wilson.  The Talpa American Legion and Auxiliary placed a memorial of stone, with the names of local men killed in the armed services in World Wars I and II, on the school grounds in 1954.  The stone was donated by the Spreen family.

In July, 1949, a portion of the Benoit Common School District in Runnels County was consolidated with the Talpa School District.  In the school year 1949 - 1950, Glen Cove Common School District #6 was contracted to Talpa.  Glen Cove had not had school for two years.  They were consolidated in the 1950 - 1951 school year.  Monies from the Glen Cove Board were applied on a new bus.  Harry Canady was the bus driver.  The Talpa Board was in favor of asking the Coleman County School Board to deed the Glen Cove School and land to the Glen Cove community.  This was done in September, 1951.

On July 18, 1950, the dormant Crews Rural High School #2 was consolidated, with Winters Independent School District, Runnels County, Talpa Independent School District and the Novice Common School District, both in Coleman County.  In July, 1951, Don W. Smith of Sweetwater was retained as architect to draw up plans for remodeling the grammar school building.  The BCD Construction Company of Ballinger was awarded the contract.  The second floor was torn down and the first floor was remodeled using plaster to cover the brick.  A teacherage for Agriculture teachers was built in 1952.  In 1953, a new residence for the Supterindent was built, with the old residence (from Herring School and still in use) used for math teachers.

Football field bleachers were erected, with the school and Talpa Lions Club sharing the expenses.  In 1954, six lots were purchased from the Cusenbary Estate.  An addition to the west side of the gym for boys and girls bath houses was built, along with a duplex teacherage.  In 1955, a new 36 passenger bus was purchased and another duplex teacherage was built.  A double tennis court was also built.

On May 24, 1958, the Talpa and Centennial School Districts consolidated.  Mitchell tendered his letter of resignation.  Talpa trustees, when the election for consolidation was held, were:  E. E. Evans, President, Raymond B. Rush, Secretary, Kenneth McWilliams, Toppy Beaver, W. L. Allcorn, O. S. Sikes and Owen Bragg, with the last three resigning after the election and three trustees were appointed from Centennial to fill the unexpired terms, being Carroll Hinds, Cecil Horne and Howard Maedgen.  D. H. Grounds, who was Superintendent at Centennial, became the Superintendent of Talpa - Centennial.  Mitchell remained a few years as a teacher and principal, then resigned to teach in Coleman.  Two other Talpa teachers resigned, after teaching a few years after the consolidation, and taught in the Ballinger Schools, they were Hallie Trammell (Mrs. Lee) Parker and Evelyn Stobaugh (Mrs. Noel) Hale.  All are now retired.

A new three bedroom house with one and a half baths was built at Talpa for the Superintendent Phil Burroughs and Barney Popnoe were elected coaches (Barney coming from Centennial) and Sherwood Downey the Vocational Agriculture teacher (coming from Centennial).  All were required to live in the school houses at Talpa.

The high school at Talpa remained the high school; grade school at Talpa became Junior High and Centennial became the elementary school.  Improvements were made at the Centennial school.  The Agriculture building at Talpa was rewired.  It burned in 1968 and a new one built.  There were also two teacherages at Centennial, one rock (once the Superintendent’s, now the elementary principal's house) and one frame.  Talpa-Centennial (T-C) became known as the Rams and the colors red and blue and was one district beginning with the 1958 - 1959 school year.

D. H. Grounds resigned, followed by Dave Smith, and presently, Warren McCarson, who has been Superintendent there for six years.  Present (1984) attendance at Talpa - Centennial is about 125 pupils.