44 School Districts

The Teague Chronicle
September 9, 1937
FREESTONE COUNTY ONCE BOASTED OF 44 SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Interesting items and worthwhile facts are always to be obtained through a chat with County Superintendent, Furney Richardson and his assistant, Miss Shelma Carlisle, when they can be caught with a few moments on their hands. One such matter that came to the attention of this roving reporter was the fact that in 1912, when Mr. Richardson first became county superintendent, there were 44 different common school districts supporting schools for whites and these independent districts. The picture today shows 24 common and six independent districts. What became of the others? Consolidation provides the answer for most of them, with growth into independent districts telling the tale of the others. Improved highways and better methods of transportation plus increased state interest in rural education has made possible this decrease in school districts and it's accompanying increase in educational facilities.

Once a community fought tooth and toenail to keep its little one or two-teacher school, regardless of the decline in scholastics of the greater advantages to be obtained through consolidation or transfer. Today people realize that the education of the child is the important thing -- not merely the where of his schooling. When reminiscing about schools of yesteryear, Mr. Richardson mentioned that there were 44 such common districts and then proceeded to name them in numerical order with ease. Can you remember where all of them were?