APA 5th Edition Template
History of Clay County Schools
From 1850 until Present
by
Mark Leek
Acknowledgements and Author’s Note
This document of the History of Clay County Schools was a summer doctoral project in the Issues of Rural Education class at Western Carolina University. This account of the history of Clay County Schools is in no way completely comprehensive due to the limits of time and resources available to me as the author of this document. The purpose or intent of this document was to highlight historical educational events in the county as I was able to uncovered within the given time period. It was at no point my intent to leave out or omit any part of the history in creating this document.
I wish to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for all the individuals from both Clay County and Western Carolina University who contributed information, time, and efforts to assist in the completion of this project of History of Clay County Schools. Their contributions to this project were invaluable.
Mark Leek
Doctoral Student
Western Carolina University
July, 2003
Table of Contents
Introduction 4
Chapter One 6
Brief History of County Origination
Chapter Two 8
Education from 1850 until 1899
Chapter Three 23
Education from 1900 until 1929
Chapter Four 44
Education from 1930 until 1959
Chapter Five 58
Education from 1960 until 1989
Chapter Six 63
Education from 1990 until Present
Chapter Seven 67
Conclusion
References 68
Appendix A 72
From Log Cabins to One Campus: History of Schools in Clay County, North Carolina
Introduction
As the Clay County School System enters the 21st Century, it becomes important to stop and reflect back on the history of the school system. This reflection will not only record the past for posterity, but it will also enable the school system to have a better understanding or picture of time and place. This history may better enable the school system and the community to chart the future of education in the county.
The Clay County School System, not unlike many rural school systems all across the nation, has undergone extensive and diverse changes during the past 150 years. The school system persevered and flourished in the face of many issues that have been commonplace for many rural and urban schools alike over the past century. Such issues consisted of consolidation, segregation and integration, busing, funding, facilities, politics, and other such issues involved in providing the highest quality education available.
However, in examining and researching the history of schools in Clay County, there are certain historical aspects of the educational process, the evolution of the schools, and the system in general that were unique to this rural, mountainous county in the southwestern tip of North Carolina. There is little doubt that education and the schooling of their children were and still are a major priority in the lives of Clay County residents. According to Padgett J. (1976), Clay County residents view their youth as their most important resource and export.
In examining and researching the history of schools in Clay County, it becomes essential to have a general overview of when and how the county originated. This assists in viewing the educational history in proper context as the first accounts of schools pre-dated the county’s origination.
Chapter One
Clay County’s Origination
According to Padgett J. (1976), the first white settlers arrived in the Tusquittee section of what was then to become Cherokee County, North Carolina in the early 1830s. As the population continued to move westward, Cherokee County and what was to become Clay County were taken from what was then part of the Macon County territory in 1839 to accommodate this increase in population. Padgett further states that the origination of Cherokee County closely coincided with the Federal Government’s action of the removal of the Cherokee people from their native lands to the Oklahoma Territory. The federal soldiers, under the command of Captain Hembree, constructed Fort Hembree in 1839 for the purposes of capture and removal of the Cherokees. After the removal of the Cherokees, the fort remained and served as a hub for the community in terms of civic and business opportunities, as well as protection from the Cherokees that escaped capture.
What is now Clay County remained a part of Cherokee County until 1860. According to Padgett (1976), George Hayes of the Tomotla section of Cherokee County was running for state representative from Cherokee County. He was encountering a great deal of difficulty in generating enough support from the constituents in his home territory. He then moved his campaign efforts to the southeastern end of Cherokee County and what was to become Clay County. Padgett further states that this gave George Hayes an opportunity to listen to the concerns that these county residents had about being residents of Cherokee County. He found out that the constituents on this end of the county had a major concern with the county seat being located in Murphy. Their concerns revolved around the principle that it took over a day to journey to the county seat and back in order to transact business. It must be remembered that the only mode of transportation during that time period was by foot, horseback, or a horse-drawn vehicle. Padgett explains that George Hayes promised these citizens that if elected, he would introduce legislation to create a new county. This won him the election, and the 1861 North Carolina General Assembly created Clay County from the southeastern part of Cherokee County. The county seat was named Hayesville, in honor of George Hayes, and was located just outside of the Fort Hembree area. However it was not until 1864, that the first local county government was organized ( Genealogy Foundation, n.d.). This delay in governmental action was primarily due to the unrest caused by the United States Civil War (Padgett J.).
Chapter Two
Education from 1850 until 1899
Although Clay County originated in 1861, it can be found that schools and the education of children existed years before this action. Although many people contributed to the efforts of developing schools in the region, the history of education in Clay County would not be complete without mentioning the efforts of John O. Hicks (Padgett, 1976). From all of the available history on schools in Clay County, it can be said that John O. Hicks was the father of education in the area.
According to Padgett (1976), John Hicks arrived in the Tusquittee section of Cherokee County, later to become Clay County, in 1850, at the age of twenty-five. Padgett goes on to state that John Hicks was born in Burke County, North Carolina and received his education in small, one-room schoolhouses until the age of twelve. However, some of the other research disputes the claim that Hicks was born in Burke County. According to the 1860 Federal Census conducted in Cherokee County, John Hicks birthplace was in McDowell County, North Carolina (Morrison, C., 2002). However, the census information is in agreement with the other research on John Hicks’ age and occupation. It reveals that John Hicks would have been twenty-five in 1850 and that his occupation was that of a schoolteacher.
Padgett (1976) states that after his arrival in the Tusquittee section of the county, John Hicks began opening one-room, log cabin pay schools in the area. The first of these schools was opened on the farm of Alec Martin. Later, John Hicks opened schools on A. G. Moore’s farm, the Bristol Cove, and Shiloh respectively. Pay schools required fees for tuition from the students in addition to purchasing the required textbooks from which they would study. Padgett goes on to explain that Hicks taught in all of these schools using Webster’s Old Blue Back Speller, Smith’s Grammar, Davis and Fowler’s arithmetic, and penmanship with the goose quill pen and pokeberry ink. The literature and research is unclear as to whether or not these schools continued when John Hicks would leave one school and establish and teach at more schools. There is no mention of Clay County public schools in the literature researched during the period of the 1850s.
As time moved on into the 1860s so did John Hicks. He eventually found his way toward the Fort Hembree area, which was a hub of community action for the citizens of the southeastern section of Cherokee County. The fort had been built by the federal government in 1839 to assist in the removal of the Cherokees to the Oklahoma Territory but now served as the center of community and business affairs. He had also moved towards the Lick Log Creek section where it is believed that he opened another one-room pay school. By 1868, Hicks had established a good reputation in the area and had gained sufficient stature in the newly formed county (Padgett, 1976). It also appears that Hicks’ prestige as an educator exceeded the boundaries of the county and extended into other areas of western North Carolina. Robert Lee Madison, founder and president of Western Carolina Teachers College, writes that John O. Hicks was among the most prominent pioneer educators in the area and his accomplishments and efforts greatly assisted in creating the educational system that was in place today (Western Carolina Teachers College, 1939). This stature had gained him enough support to be elected as the first representative from Clay County to the North Carolina General Assembly. He served two terms in the legislature from 1868-70 and 1874-75 (Clay County, 1981).
During his first tenure in the North Carolina General Assembly, John Hicks purchased land near the Fort Hembree area to establish a school. Unknown to John Hicks at the time, this land purchase and school establishment would be Hicks’ long-lasting contribution to the school system in Clay County. According to Padgett (1976), on August 12th, 1870, John Hicks purchased two tracts of land on which to build Hicksville Academy that was later to become Hayesville High School. The land which John Hicks purchased to open Hicksville Academy would have had a view similar to the one in the photo that follows taken thirty some years later.
[pic]
Picture was obtained from the Clay County Historical Museum.
Although this date of 1870 coincides with the founding date of Hayesville High School, the school and property changed hands numerous times and it was not until years later in the early 1900s that the name of the school was changed to Hayesville High School. It is also believed that during this time period Hicksville Academy was another pay school that eventually boarded students and was not to be considered a public school.
However, it appears that other “public” schools coexisted with the academy during this time. As early as 1863, the North Carolina Government recognized the need for public schools in each of its counties. In 1863, the North Carolina General Assembly proposed a bill for the establishment of public schools in each county (North Carolina General Assembly, 1863). As Clay County moved through the beginnings of the reconstruction period after the Civil War, it should be understood that all schools in the state and nation were segregated by race and schools would remain segregated in Clay County as well as North Carolina for the next 100 years.
In the late 1860s, the state superintendent pointed out in his report to the governor that Clay County had 770 white and 60 “colored” school age children and that the county had been apportioned by the state four hundred fifteen dollars for the operation of its public schools. The report also lists the county examiner for Clay County as A. B. Alexander (Ashley, S., 1869). Although it appears that public schools existed in Clay County in the late 1860s, no record other than that of the state superintendent’s report can verify their existence and the locations of the schools were not to be found in the existing research.
During the 1870s it appears that the Hicksville Academy flourished and had gained a solid reputation in the education of the students that attended. John Hicks apparently not only served in the state legislature during different periods of this decade, but also managed to operate and teach at the Hicksville Academy. Written records of the curriculum at the academy have not been found, however it is clear that the curriculum was more than just the basic curriculum of the day and surpassed the curriculums at the various pay schools that Hicks had established in the area previously. According to Padgett J. (1976), in 1872, John Hicks had sent to Kansas for a good music teacher to be employed at the academy. He later in 1874, married this music teacher. John Hicks superintended and taught at Hicksville Academy for eight years before leaving the area. It was not until 1878, that John Hicks sold Hicksville Academy to R. B. Chambers (Padgett, 1976). This real estate action further verifies that Hicksville Academy was not a public school and was under private ownership.
R. B. Chambers only owned the school for one year before selling it to N. A. Fessenden who served as the principal and head master of the academy (Padgett J., 1976). However it appears that the academy’s reputation continued to flourish under the new ownership. According to Genealogy Foundation (n.d.), a fine high school at Hayesville existed with Mr. N. A. Fessenden in charge after succeeding John O. Hicks. Another source also verifies the quality of the school. “The same school that John O. Hicks organized and built up at Hayesville is still in operation with an enrollment of over two hundred. The influence that has gone out from this school has permeated the whole county until the public schools of the county are unsurpassed” (Arthur, J., 1914, p. 15). This also verifies that public schools coexisted with the academy in the county.
However, Fessenden did not superintend the school for a long period of time. In 1883, N. A. Fessenden deeded the school and property to the Joint Stock Company of Hayesville High School (Padgett J., 1976). It appears that during this time period in the early 1880s, the name of the school was changed from Hicksville Academy to Hayesville Academy. In the early 1880’s, Dr. James Hual “Tobe” Crawford attended and graduated from Hicksville Academy before studying medicine at the University of Chattanooga (Morgan, L., 1996). However, according to a biography on George Washington Truett, George Truett graduated from Hayesville Academy in 1885 before moving to Texas and becoming a well-known Baptist minister (Powhatan J., 2002). Crawford and Truett were not the only students that lived distinguished lives after attending and graduating from this school or academy in Hayesville. According to Genealogy Foundation (n.d.), the Reverend Ferd. C. McConnell, along with Reverend George Truett, both became well-known Baptist ministers, and the Honorable George Bell of the Tenth Georgia Congressional district all attended and graduated from this academy during this time period.
Clay County also had other public schools operating in the 1880s. Although no written records have been obtained to name and verify the locations of the public schools in existence during this time, it can be concluded from the 1883-84 state superintendent’s biennial report that public schools did exist in Clay County in conjunction with the academy at Hayesville. For the school term of 1883-84, Clay County operated nine white public schools and one “colored” public school serving 884 white students and 36 “colored” students with the white teachers being paid $23.50 per month and the “colored” teacher receiving $20.00 per month. The school term lasted seventy days for both the white and “colored” schools (Scarborough, J., 1885).
During the late 1880s, the former Hicksville Academy was operated by the Joint Stock Company of Hayesville High School deeded the property to the Methodist-Episcopal Church, South which in turn granted the management and organization of the school and facilities over to Trinity College 1891 (Padgett J., 1976). At this time in 1891, the name of the academy was changed to Hayesville Male and Female College and courses were offered from the first grade through college courses with the general superintendence of the college belonging to Dr. John F. Crowell, President of Trinity College in Durham, North Carolina (Trinity College, 1891). Although the college in Hayesville formed in 1891, the founding date listed on the catalogue was 1850, which corresponded with the founding date of Trinity College of Durham, North Carolina (King, W., 2000). The courses offered at Hayesville Male and Female College consisted of primary courses, mathematics, algebra, Latin, English, geography, Greek, and history with the Reverend W. H. Bailey, A. M. serving as Head Master (Trinity College). Cottages were built for boarding students and tuition was charged. Tuition did not cover the cost of books or materials, which had to be purchased separately. Students boarded at the college and the enrollment for the 1891-92 school term was two hundred twenty-five students coming from six different states (Trinity College).
The relationship between Hayesville Male and Female College and Trinity College of Durham existed for two years. “In the year 1893, The Board of Trustees of the said College sold and conveyed all the buildings and property belonging to the College, to the Public School Committee of the Hayesville School District” (Hayesville College, 1898, p. 4). Trinity College of Durham no longer superintended the operation and management of Hayesville Male and Female College, and later Trinity College changed their name as well. In 1924, Trinity College of Durham, who had operated and managed the college in Hayesville, changed their name and became Duke University (King W., 2000).
Although the college in Hayesville was no longer operated and managed by Trinity College, it still continued to maintain the name Hayesville Male and Female College and offer courses from the first grade through college level subjects (Hayesville College). The college catalogue illustrates that tuition, room and board, and the cost of books still was assessed into the 1898-99 school term. This is different from the public schools of the time in the aspect of charging for tuition, room, and board, but public school students like the students at the Hayesville Male and Female College still had to purchase their textbooks. This practice of public schools students purchasing their textbooks continued in Clay County as well as the rest of the state into the 1930s (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1999).
As it can best be determined, the Hayesville Male and Female College proceeded through the 1898-99 school year and continued to charge tuition, room and board, and offer college level courses along with conferring the degree of Baccalaurei Artium (B. A.)(Hayesville College, 1898). It has not been determined through the available research as to the exact time or date that the school ceased to offer college level courses and degrees. However, it can be verified that the elementary education at this institution became free with no charge for tuition and the name of the institution was changed from Hayesville Male and Female College to Hayesville Male and Female College and Graded School. This was a result of a 1895 legislative action by the North Carolina General Assembly enlarging the school district and empowering the local government to levy a tax for the support of the graded school that offered ten months of instruction (Hayesville College). Ten months of instruction far exceeded the terms of instruction offered at the other public schools in the county. According to Mebane, C. (1900), Clay County public schools taught fourteen week terms in the public schools for whites and eight and one half weeks term for the “colored” students.
Although the Hayesville College transformed through the 1890’s, the reputation of the school still continued to grow. According to Hayesville College (1898), the enrollment was 201 students representing six states. Ms. Sue Haigler, whose father was a trustee of the school, stated that the school had a good reputation and offered a wide variety of courses for the day and had students attending from a variety of states (S. Haigler, personal communication, June 19, 2003).
During the 1898-99 school year, it can be concluded through the existing research that public schools in addition to the Hayesville Male and Female College and Graded School continued to coexist and operate in Clay County. It also appears that the public schools were developing in the other communities in the county. According to Mebane, C. (1900), in the state superintendent’s biennial report for the 1898-99 school year, Clay County operated eighteen public school houses serving 736 white students and 15 “colored” students. The exact names and locations of these schools were not verified in the existing research. This was an increase in schools and school buildings of 80% over the previous fifteen years.
It was also during this time period that the first mention of student discipline surfaced in the available research. It was found that students who exhibited inappropriate behavior would be issued demerits that could lead to expulsion from the Hayesville Male and Female College and Graded School (Hayesville College, 1898). However, as time progressed and the college became Hayesville High School, student discipline was in the form of corporal punishment, which appears through the research to have been the discipline form of choice for many years. Ms. Sue Haigler, a 1919 graduate of Hayesville High, recalls students being disciplined with a ruler slapping the palm of an outstretched hand. This method of corporal discipline continued in many classrooms for at least the next half of century, as Ms. Haigler employed this type of discipline in her own classroom. Ms. Haigler retired from teaching at Hayesville in 1967. Ms. Haigler also recollects that when the boys misbehaved, they would be given the assignment of digging up stumps on the school grounds or shoveling coal for the furnace (S. Haigler, personal communication, June 19, 2003).
Corporal punishment was not reserved for schools at Hayesville but was employed in the other schools in the county as well. Garnett Johnson, who attended the Fires Creek School from 1926 until 1934, recalled that the first task of the teacher to begin the year was to cut and bundle switches. This bundle was placed in the corner of the schoolhouse and he believed that it served as much as a deterrent for inappropriate behavior as it did for the consequence for such behavior. He recalls that during the late 1920s, he and another student at Fires Creek School would receive a switching on the back of the legs on a regular basis for writing left handed. This continued for two years and was eliminated when the next teacher was hired (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003).
Although corporal punishment has continued through the years and still remains permissible to date in Clay County Schools, it no longer continues to be the discipline form of choice. Other forms of student discipline have evolved such as written assignments, parent conferences, time out of activities, in-school-suspension, and out-of-school suspension (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003).
Another interesting aspect of public schools is the transformation in the administration of public schools. It appears that the earlier superintendence of public schools fell to the county commissioners. In the 1869 state superintendents report of public instruction, a letter was found from the state superintendent that all schools are to be superintended by the local governments’ county commissioners (Ashley, S., 1869). However, this appears to have changed sometime prior to the 1898-99 state superintendent’s report. According to Mebane, C. (1900), the superintendent of Clay County Schools in 1898 was T. H. Nancock (sic) and the board of education consisted of G. W. Sanderson of Hayesville and I. H. Chambers of Warne.
The inception of having a board of education developed sometime after 1870, with the local board of education being appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly, a practice, which continued for nearly one hundred years, until the local school boards were elected by the local population in a general election (D. Penland, personal communication, June 5, 2003). It appears that soon after the state began appointing local boards of education, the local boards of education not only appointed a local superintendent, but appointed committeemen to oversee the various schools in the county. This practice was found to be controversial from the beginning due to the created bureaucracy and politics involved with the appointments and a move to abolish this practice can be found as early as 1898. According to Mebane, C. (1900), the act of appointing committeemen should be abolished as schools have too many officers that burdened them down and that the practice of committeemen’s selection of teachers based on political and church affiliation has not provided the best for public education. Mebane goes on to list qualifications of committeemen, if the practice was to continue, and stated that all committeemen should be able to read and write as well as be in favor of taxes for schools in order to be successful as a school official serving in the capacity of a committeeman. It appears that Clay County Schools appointed and utilized the principles of assigning committeemen for each of their schools. The use of committeemen has been documented in Clay County from 1921 well into the 1960s (Clay County Schools, 1921- 2003).
Further qualifications and duties of committeemen can be found in other literature and research. In the Republican State Committee (1906), the handbook states that another responsibility of a committeeman was to take a census of school age children in their district or community. In many cases, committeemen were also responsible for seeing that wood was supplied for the purposes of heating the school with the wood stoves (S. Haigler, personal communication, June 19, 2003).
Another development in the late Nineteenth Century was the certification of teachers. In many cases, the teachers merely had to complete a grade as a student to be qualified to teach the grade. In many instances, the teachers were not much older than or as old as some of the older students in the school (N. Jarrett, personal communication, July, 2, 2003). John O. Hicks who began some of the early schools in Clay County only received formal schooling through the age of twelve in one-room schoolhouses (Padgett J., 1976). However, this was beginning to change in the late 1800s. The available research indicates that Clay County had an examiner in 1869 for the purposes of certifying teachers in the county. H. B. Alexander was appointed as county examiner (Ashley, S., 1869). According to the report submitted by Mebane, C. (1900), the examination for teachers to obtain a life certificate that enabled them to teach in public schools in any county in the state consisted of questions concerning geography, history, arithmetic, history and philosophy of education, physical geography, school law, botany, grammar, literature, algebra, civil government, physiology and hygiene, physics, and elementary psychology. The report further reveals that fifteen white teachers and one “colored” teacher in Clay County were examined and approved in 1899.
Chapter Three
Education from 1900 to 1929
Little can be found on schools in Clay County from 1900 until 1906. It is unclear if the Hayesville Male and Female College and Graded School continued to operate under that name and offer college courses, charge tuition, and board students beyond 1899. However, it appears that the high school at Hayesville continued to board students through the 1909-10 school year and sometime prior to 1909, the name of the school was changed to Hayesville High School. An extract from a report from D. M. Stallings, the principal of Hayesville High School, to the state superintendent details the need for dormitories to accommodate boarding students. “With dormitory to accommodate our boarding students and with more funds to increase our teaching force, we could double our enrollment for next year” (Aycock, C., 1910, p. 61). This also indicates that what has now become Hayesville High School continues to teach students not from the Hayesville area much the same way that Hayesville Male and Female College apparently did.
The length of the school term or year in the early 1900s was about four months unless it could be extended through additional local funding. The North Carolina Constitution required local taxes to be levied to provide for a four-month public school term (Republican State Committee, 1906). However, the four-month school term was to be mandated through the first compulsory attendance law. In 1913, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Compulsory Attendance Act that required all children between the ages of eight and twelve to attend school at least four months a year (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1999). This was to change within the next six years by extending the required time in school to six months. According to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the North Carolina Constitution moved the mandated four months compulsory attendance to six months in 1919 as well as developing the State Board of Examiners to be responsible for the certification of all teachers.
However, even though most of the funding for the operation of public schools was derived from local sources, the required length of a four-month school term was almost always accomplished in Clay County’s public schools for both the white and African-American students. This was quite an accomplishment with the lack of employment opportunities in the county during this time period. In Table 1, the number of schools in the county as well as the average length of the school term is illustrated for the years 1906 through 1918.
Table 1.
|Number of Schools and Average Length of School Term in Days According to North Carolina Department of Public |
|Instruction (1906-1919) |
| | White Colored |
| | | | | |
|Year |Schools |Term |Schools |Term |
|1906 |18 |70 |0 |N/A |
|1907 |17 |80 |1 |80 |
|1908 |16 |80 |0 |N/A |
|1909 |17 |80 |0 |N/A |
|1910 |18 |80 |1 |80 |
|1911 |14 |84 |1 |70 |
|1912 |15 |100 |1 |80 |
|1913 |15 |119 |1 |80 |
|1914 |15 |152 |1 |102 |
|1915 |15 |118 |1 |80 |
|1916 |13 |110 |1 |100 |
|1917 |14 |114 |1 |100 |
|1918 |14 |112 |1 |100 |
Clay County had as many as eighteen public schools operating and instructing students in the early 1900s. The available research does not provide the names or locations of these schools. However, in 1912, of the sixteen public schools operating in the county, thirteen of them were one-room schoolhouses (Aycock, C. 1910). It is assumed that many of these one-room schoolhouses were located in some of the more remote locations in the county that served some of the more isolated populations. For instance, on the wagon road over the mountain from Hayesville to Fires Creek, a one-room schoolhouse existed in a location referred to as the schoolhouse patch. This school employed Laura Lyons as a teacher and paid her $6.00 a month to teach at this school (N. Jarrett, personal communication, July 2, 2003). Other such schoolhouses existed in many of the remote locations of the county. Apparently similar schoolhouses existed in the Bristol Camp and through the Carver Gap sections of the county (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003). Berts Bristol was taught for a period of time by Star Bristol in a log cabin at the Bristol Camp. Star was paid a teacher’s salary for performing this duty (B. Bristol, personal communication, July 16, 2003). It can be assumed that the operating of one-room schoolhouses occurred in other remote areas of the county as well. The following photograph illustrates the students that attended Sweetwater School in 1906.
[pic]
Photo obtained from the Clay County Historical Museum.
The next photograph was a photo taken during the early 1900sof the students that attended Oak View School that was commonly known as “Chigger Hill School”.
[pic]
Photo obtained from the Clay County Historical Museum.
Although Clay County was able to operate their public schools for the required four months during this time period, the number of school age children between the ages of six and twenty-one attending school always fell short of the school age population. This may be attributed to the method of transportation that the students would have utilized to get to school. During the early 1900s, the mode of transportation was still by foot, horseback, or a horse-drawn vehicle (Padgett J., 1976). Table 2 provides the attendance data for Clay County’s public schools from 1906 until 1918.
| |
| |
| |
|Table 2. |
|Student Population and Student Attendance According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction |
|(1906-1919) |
| |White Colored |
| | | | | |
|Year |Pop. |Att. |Pop. |Att. |
|1906 |1507 |1189 |55 |37 |
|1907 |1400 |1220 |65 |53 |
|1908 |1430 |1043 |68 |35 |
|1909 |1435 |1093 |65 |55 |
|1910 |1440 |1104 |61 |80* |
|1911 |1200 |874 |53 |39 |
|1912 |1493 |1089 |53 |30 |
|1913 |1401 |958 |53 |36 |
|1914 |1326 |957 |52 |44 |
|1915 |1599 |1228 |58 |45 |
|1916 |1602 |1156 |52 |37 |
|1917 |1603 |1156 |52 |37 |
|1918 |1614 |1192 |50 |30 |
* An error occurred in reporting these figures.
Other reasons were found for school age children not attending the public schools. These reasons consisted of work, home schooling, and many of the public, one-room schools only provided for instruction through the seventh grade.
Many school age children belonged to families that farmed for a living. Once the children were old enough to work on the farm, schooling became a second priority. The older children were needed on the farm to work and range the livestock (N. Jarrett, personal communication, July 2, 2003).
Other children were home-taught or schooled. Frankie Murphy recalled the “colored” school but did not attend as she was taught to read at home by her father. Her textbook was the Holy Bible (F. Lloyd, personal communication, June 27, 2003).
In many of the cases in Clay County, the smaller, one-room, public schools located in the various communities only instructed students through the seventh grade. In order to further their education, they would have to travel to Hayesville to attend classes beyond the seventh grade (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003).
Although a large number of schools in the county were one-room schoolhouses, larger schools did exist such as Hayesville, Elf, and Ogden and instructed students through at least a couple of years in high school. In May 1909, the local board of education made application to the state board of education for the establishment of a state high school at Hayesville. This was significant for the county students prepared to enter high school as it made the tuition for high school classes free of charge (A State High School, 1909). Apparently, the 1895 legislative act that created Hayesville Graded School did not apply to high school instruction. The newspaper article goes on to state that if Hayesville becomes a state high school, then a speedy restoration of the dormitories will be expected (A State High School).
High School instruction during the 1909-10 school year consisted of high school classes that were taught at Hayesville and Elf High Schools. Students could receive four years of high school instruction at Hayesville and three years of instruction at Elf. Hayesville High School had five full-time teachers and Elf High School had one full-time and one part-time teachers (Aycock, C., 1910). The photo below illustrates the faculty at Hayesville High School in 1915.
[pic]
Picture was obtained from the Clay County Historical Museum.
The 1910 graduating class at Hayesville was twenty-five students consisting of seventeen girls and eight boys (Aycock, C., 1910). Later between 1910 and 1919, high school classes were also offered at the Ogden School but students could only complete four years of study at Hayesville (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1906-1960).
In 1909-10, Elf High School, located in the Elf Community, had an enrollment of forty-one students, while Hayesville High School had an enrollment of 108 students. The high school at Hayesville was a framed, two-story building, and it is assumed that it was one of the original buildings that served Hayesville Male and Female College. The picture below was taken in the early 1900s of Hayesville High School and this building was dismantled in 1924.
[pic]
Picture was obtained from the Clay County Historical Museum.
Another interesting historical note was found in the training of teachers. At various points and times, teachers in Clay County would have to go to summer session or teacher institutes held in the county to further their training and possibly obtain or upgrade a teaching certificate (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003). It appears through the 1902 photo that follows, such institutes or summer sessions occurred early in the 1900’s and were conducted at the county courthouse.
[pic]
Picture was obtained from the Clay County Historical Museum.
Prior to the 1920’s, it can be concluded that five men served at different times as superintendent of Clay County Schools apparently beginning sometime in the 1890s. T. H. Nancock (sic) served as superintendent of Clay County Schools during the 1898-99 school year (Mebane, C., 1900). Nancock (sic) would be the first superintendent from the available records. Four other men served as superintendent of schools prior to 1921. The names of the men that succeeded Nancock (sic) have been determined but their tenure date as superintendent is uncertain.
Although these dates are not recorded, the approximate order in which these men served as superintendent can be speculated. These superintendents were G. M. Fleming, G. H. Haigler, T. C. Scroggs, and D. M. Stallings (Padgett, J., Penland, A., & Moore, J., 1961). G. M. Flemming (sic) and G. H. Haigler had served on the 1898 Board of Trustees for the Hayesville Male and Female College and Graded School apparently prior to serving as superintendent of Clay County Schools (Hayesville College, 1898). It could be speculated that these two men were to follow T. H. Nancock (sic) as superintendent of schools sometime after 1899. D. M. Stallings also served as principal of the Hayesville School. It can be determined that Stallings was principal of the school during the 1909-10 school year (Aycock, C., 1910). His tenure as principal was not to extend, beyond the 1913-14 school year, as Professor E. L. Adams served as the Hayesville principal beginning in the 1913-14 school year (Padgett J., 1976). It could be that after his tenure as principal, D. M. Stallings had been promoted to superintendent. According to Padgett, T. C. Scroggs served as superintendent of schools in Clay County up until 1921.
By 1921, the tenure of the superintendents can be determined. Beginning in 1921, Allen J. Bell served as superintendent of schools. His tenure as superintendent would last for thirty-five years until 1956 and the school board consisted of three members that were appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly (Appendix A).
Clay County Schools in the 1920s dealt with a variety of issues affecting the operations of the schools in the county. One of the issues the school system faced was the move to consolidate some of the smaller schools that occurred during the latter part of this decade. According to Clay County Schools (1921-2003), during the 1920s, it can be concluded that the following schools were in existence at one time or another. These schools consisted of Pisgah School, Buck Creek School, Fires Creek School, Sweetwater School, Ogden School, Pinelog School, Oak View School (also known as Chigger Hill), Upper Tusquittee School, Shooting Creek School, Elf School, Curtis School (also known as Lick Skillet), Lower Tusquittee School, Hayesville High School, and Hayesville Colored School. Downings Creek School can also be added to this list as apparently it operated during the 1920s (N. Jarrett, personal communication, July 2, 2003). These fifteen schools would also collaborate with the statistics obtained from the state superintendent’s biennial reports from the 1920s (Table 3). The only exception is that fifteen schools are identified from the Clay County School Board Minutes and as many as sixteen schools are found in the state superintendent’s biennial report in the early 1920s.
Table 3.
|Number of Schools and Average Length of School Term in Days According to North Carolina Department of Public |
|Instruction (1920-1929) |
| | White Colored |
| | | | | |
|Year |Schools |Term |Schools |Term |
|1920 |15 |120 |1 |120 |
|1921 |15 |150 |1 |120 |
|1922 |15 |148 |1 |120 |
|1923 |15 |130 |1 |85 |
|1924 |15 |134 |1 |120 |
|1925 |15 |135 |1 |120 |
|1926 |14 |142 |1 |120 |
|1927 |11 |- |1 | |
|1928 |11 |- |1 | |
|1929 |11 |- |1 | |
It is indicated by the data contained in Table 3 that after 1926 three schools were closed and consolidated into some of the other area schools. From Clay County Schools (1921-2003), it can be determined that Pisgah and Buck Creek Schools were closed in this time period. It is assumed based on locations of the schools that Pisgah School was consolidated with Ogden School and Buck Creek was consolidated with Shooting Creek School. According to Neal Jarrett, he said that he attended Downings Creek School from 1915 until 1924. He said that the school was closed one year after he stopped attending (N. Jarrett, personal communication, July 2, 2003).
Another significant event in the 1920s was the accreditation of Hayesville High School. According to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (1906-1960), Hayesville High School received accreditation in 1924. Padgett J. (1976) even discusses the fact that some of the high school’s former graduates returned to graduate from an accredited high school.
From the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (1906 -1960), it can also be determined that as many as eight of these schools were one-room schoolhouses. It is also apparent that in these one-room schoolhouses, instruction only included first through seventh grade with a curriculum consisting of arithmetic, spelling, writing, reading, history, geography, and grammar (N. Jarrett, personal communication, July 2, 2003). As it can best be determined, students would have to travel to Hayesville or Elf to receive high school instruction. Garnett Johnson remembers only one student from Fires Creek School District in the late 1920s and early 1930s graduating high school and that was because the student was able to board through the week with his older sister who lived in Hayesville (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003).
These smaller one-room schoolhouses dealt with other issues besides a limited curriculum and instruction that were unique. During the 1920s all of the schools in Clay County had outdoor plumbing (Clay County Schools, 1921- 2003). However, in the smaller one-room schoolhouses, water would have to be carried from a local spring as far away as five hundred feet in some instances. Different students would also be assigned to going into school early to build a fire in the wood stove that supplied heat to the schoolroom. In addition to these physical differences that were characteristic of one-room schools was that of instruction. One teacher would teach all of the different grades and subjects in a multi-aged classroom (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003).
It also appears that instructional organization was structured differently in some of the larger county schools that employed more than two teachers. According to Ms. Haigler, elementary instruction at Hayesville was self-contained instruction throughout her career, which spanned from 1921 until 1967 (S. Haigler, personal communication, June 19, 2003). Some of the other larger elementary schools such as Ogden, Shooting Creek, and Elf utilized combination grade classrooms that assigned one teacher to teach two different grades at the same time in the same room. It is suggested that this organizational structure of instruction continued until all of the multi-teacher schools were finally consolidated approximately fifty years later (D. Jones, personal communication, July 8, 2003).
Transportation of students was another and novel issue facing Clay County Schools in the 1920s. Early forms of transportation consisted of what was referred to as school trucks and contracts were awarded by the board of education through a bidding process. Although school trucks would run routes to transport children to school, these routes mainly consisted of transporting students to the larger schools of Hayesville and Ogden only (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003). Students who attended the smaller one-room schools would have to walk to and from school (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003). According to Ms. Sue Haigler, who taught school at Hayesville from 1921 until 1967, as many as five school trucks transported students to the various schools during the 1920s. These trucks were an early style pickup truck with some having a canvas cover tied over the bed of the truck to shelter the students from the weather. Bus duty or truck duty by the teachers made for an extremely long day, as the transportation was both slow and unreliable (S. Haigler, personal communication, June 19,2003).
Funding for the schools was another major issue that the school system had to contend with. Throughout the 1920s as in years before, the majority of the funds for school were derived from local taxes. There were instances during the 1920s that the school fund was in a deficit and the local board did not have enough funds available to pay teachers and vouchers were issued (Clay County Schools, 1921- 2003). Sometimes it was difficult for teachers to get the local merchants to sign off on the vouchers in order for teachers to purchase goods (S. Haigler, personal communication, June 19, 2003).
Teacher qualifications and personnel was another issue that Clay County Schools was faced with in the 1920s. The school board passed an action on December 5, 1921 that ordered no second grade teachers be allowed to teach as long as the schools can be supplied with other teachers. The board further stated that all second grade teachers that are allowed to teach must have completed high school (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003). The board minutes further state, in 1928, the problem with the scarcity of high school teachers with four years college training.
Another major issue that faced Clay County Schools in the 1920s was the increase in student enrollment and attendance at the various schools in the county. As indicated in Table 4, the attendance significantly increased from the previous decade.
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|Table 4. |
|Student Population and Student Attendance According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction |
|(1920-1929) |
| |White Colored |
| | | | | |
|Year |Pop. |Att. |Pop. |Att. |
|1920 |1440 |1052 |65 |45 |
|1921 |1484 |1179 |62 |43 |
|1922 |1518 |1348 |30 |30 |
|1923 |1554 |1372 |52 |37 |
|1924 |1549 |1392 |25 |25 |
|1925 |1543 |1310 |33 |29 |
|1926 |1673 |1495 |36 |28 |
|1927 |1685 |1495 |41 |20 |
|1928 |1770 |1505 |28 |23 |
|1929 |1647 |1520 |37 |26 |
The student attendance data from Table 4 indicated a growth in the white student population but a decrease in the African-American population by the close of the decade. However, it is interesting to note the number of students that would have attended the one-room Hayesville Colored School ranged from fifty-five students in 1909 (Table 2) to twenty students in 1927 (Table 4). Although this appears to be a large number of students in a one-room, one-teacher school, it apparently happened in most of these small schools in the county. According to Johnson, in the late 1920s, the one-room, one-teacher school at Fires Creek had student attendance ranging from thirty to forty-five students.
Clay County in the 1920s was predominately agricultural. In some instances school would close for various agricultural responsibilities and work that the children of the home would be expected to perform. School would generally close for two weeks at the beginning of September for foder and would also close for the students to work in the fields and pick Clay Peas (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003). However, this practice of closing school ceased by the 1930s. The school board voted to not close school for foder in a 1929 meeting (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003).
Chapter Four
Education from 1930 until 1959
One of the most historically significant events that took place for Clay County Schools during this time period was the action initiated by the 1931 North Carolina General Assembly. In 1931, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the “School Machinery Act” that provided for a free and uniform education for all children of North Carolina (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1999). This legislation led to other state initiatives that benefited Clay County Schools in a variety of ways.
First, schools no longer had to depend solely on local funds to operate schools. The state would financially contribute to provide a uniform education throughout the state (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1999). This greatly assisted local school boards in the operation of schools. One area was that of teacher salaries. Once the state assumed the responsibility of teacher salaries, vouchers were never more issued and teachers could count on receiving their pay (S. Haigler, June 19, 2003).
Next, provided students with textbooks of which they previously had to purchase. Up until the 1930s students would have to purchase their textbooks. The “School Machinery Act” enabled students to rent their textbooks for 20% of the cost and by 1937 all student textbooks were provided free of charge (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1999).
Finally, state legislation provided for better transportation of students to and from school. “To ensure standardization, in 1931 the legislature required that all buses and bus bodies used in pupil transportation be ordered through the State Division of Purchase and Contract. In 1933 the General Assembly created the State School Commission which took over the administration of pupil transportation” (Thurman S., 2000, p. 35). This action began to improve Clay County Schools’ ability to transport students as it is noted in the board minutes that the number of transportation routes increased from five to eight routes by 1938 (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003). The buses utilized were much like the school bus style used today with the exception of size and interior design. The buses were much smaller and the seats consisted of four bench rows running the length of the bus instead of across the bus as they do today (E. Roach, personal communication, July 8, 2003).
However, it appears that the increase in transportation efficiency and availability may have led to further school closings and consolidations. According to Clay County Schools (1921-2003), Pinelog, Lower Tusquittee, and Curtis Schools were all consolidated in the 1930s. Table 5 illustrates the number of schools operating in Clay County in the 1930’s.
Table 5.
|Number of Schools According to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (1930-1939) |
| | White Colored |
| | | | | |
|Year |Schools | |Schools | |
|1930 |11 | |1 | |
|1931 |9 | |1 | |
|1932 |8 | |1 | |
|1933 |8 | |1 | |
|1934 |9 | |1 | |
|1935 |9 | |1 | |
|1936 |8 | |1 | |
|1937 |8 | |1 | |
|1938 |8 | |1 | |
|1939 |8 | |1 | |
Schools that were still in existence by the end of the 1930’s consisted of Ogden, Sweetwater, Fires Creek, Oak View, Upper Tusquittee, Hayesville, Hayesville Colored, Elf, and Shooting Creek (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003). It is believed that the photo below is of Sweetwater School taken in the late 1920s or early 1930s. The school was a two-teacher school at the time (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003).
[pic]Photo Obtained from David Anderson Collection of Gideon Laney Photographs
Another interesting historical note is that in 1937, the Elf School had burned down and the students finished out the school year at various locations in the Elf Community. During the following school year, the elementary students were assigned to the Shooting Creek School and the high school students were transported to Hayesville. When the Elf School was rebuilt, it only consisted of an elementary school as the high school students remained at Hayesville (R. Nichols, personal communication, July 8, 2003). From 1937 on, Hayesville was the only high school in the county.
The length of the school term was established by the state at the point of when the state began funding public schools. The school term in 1933 was established at eight months (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1999). According to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (1906-1960), by 1935, all schools in Clay County were open for eight months. Previous to this 1933 legislation, the school term for many of the schools in Clay County was only six months (N. Jarrett, personal communication, July 2, 2003).
The overall student attendance and population remained relatively steady from the 1920’s. However it should be noted that the African-American population and attendance continued to decline throughout the 1930’s. Table 6 reflects the student population and attendance during this time period.
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|Table 6. |
|Student Population and Student Attendance According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction |
|(1930-1939) |
| |White Colored |
| | | | | |
|Year |Pop. |Att. |Pop. |Att. |
|1930 |1862 |1354 |40 |24 |
|1931 |1819 |1326 |25 |20 |
|1932 |2035 |1416 |22 |16 |
|1933 |1878 |1228 |21 |20 |
|1934 |1905 |1359 |23 |18 |
|1935 |1895 |1313 |24 |21 |
|1936 |1966 |1358 |27 |18 |
|1937 |1996 |1308 |19 |16 |
|1938 |2003 |1430 |23 |16 |
|1939 |2155 |1436 |24 |17 |
Another issue affecting Clay County Schools in the 1930’s was qualification of teachers. Superintendent Allen J. Bell stated in a 1937 board meeting that Clay County’s teachers had the lowest qualifications in the state. Certificates at that time were in the form of an A, B, or C classification. (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003). In order for teachers to upgrade their classifications, they had to either attend summer school at a site designated by the board of education within the county or had to advance their degree at a university or college. Ms. Sue Haigler remembered traveling to Cullowhee, North Carolina, for three summers, to obtain her teaching degree from Western Carolina Teachers College in 1939 (S. Haigler, personal communication, June 19, 2003).
The 1930s also produced the first vocational instruction in the curriculum at Hayesville High School. The first vocational teacher was employed for the 1935-36 school year (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1906-1960). According to Clay County Schools, (1921-2003) the first vocational teacher taught agricultural classes.
It also appears that first mention of a school-sponsored athletic policy surfaces in the 1930s. This is not to suggest that school athletics did not exist prior to this decade as it was found that Hayesville fielded a football team in 1929 (Padgett J., 1976). However, the first athletic policy for Clay County Schools can be found in the school board minutes on April 4, 1932. The policy contains seven rules of eligibility of which the first rule was that the athlete must be a bona fide student (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003).
Consolidation of schools was the most prevalent in the 1940s. Clay County had consolidated from eleven schools in 1940 to four schools by the close of the decade. Table 7 indicates the number of schools operating through the time period.
Table 7.
|Number of Schools According to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (1940-1949) |
| | White Colored |
| | | | | |
|Year |Schools | |Schools | |
|1940 |10 | |1 | |
|1941 |9 | |1 | |
|1942 |7 | |1 | |
|1943 |7 | |1 | |
|1944 |7 | |1 | |
|1945 |7 | |0 | |
|1946 |6 | |0 | |
|1947 |6 | |0 | |
|1948 |4 | |0 | |
|1949 |4 | |0 | |
The first school to be closed in the 1940’s was the Hayesville Colored School located on the old Mauldin Place (J. Nicely, personal communication, June 18, 2003). It was closed after the 1944-45 school year (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (1906-1960). Although the school was closed, the students attending this school were not consolidated with any other school in the county as schools were still racially segregated. The Clay County African-American students were bussed daily to Murphy, North Carolina at first on a pickup truck and then on a little school bus to attend an all-black school located in the Texana Community (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003). Ms. Elma Dennis, who was originally from Texas, had taught for a number of years at the Hayesville Colored School before serving as the principal/teacher at the Texana School (J. Nicely, personal communication, June 18, 2003).
Students could not graduate from Texana School as instruction was only provided from the first through the tenth grades. If an African-American student in Clay County wished to attend and graduate from high school, they were assigned to Asheville City Schools (Clay County Schools 1921-2003). Students were boarded at the schools within the Asheville City district and were allowed to come home on holidays and between school terms (B. Dorsey, personal communication, June 18, 2003).
Other schools to be closed and consolidated in the 1940’s consisted of Upper Tusquittee in 1941, Oak View in 1946, Fires Creek in 1948, along with Sweetwater in 1948 (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1906-1960). Upper Tusquittee was consolidated with Oak View that in turn was consolidated with Hayesville five years later. Fires Creek and Sweetwater were consolidated with Hayesville. This left only four schools remaining consisting of Hayesville, Ogden, Elf, and Shooting Creek (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003). Most of the consolidations were welcomed as it provided the students in some of the more remote areas an opportunity to attend high school. However, this was not the case with the closing of Sweetwater School. Garnett Johnson remembers this closing being hotly contested by the citizens of the Sweetwater Community as they did not wish for their children to attend the Hayesville School (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003).
The increasing student population trends that developed in the 1920s and 30s began to decline as time progressed through the 1940s. The student population is illustrated in Table 8 and it should be noted that the criteria for school age population moves from six to twenty-one prior to 1942 to six to twenty in 1942 (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1906-1960).
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|Table 8. |
|Student Population and Student Attendance According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction |
|(1940-1949) |
| |White Colored |
| | | | | |
|Year |Pop. |Att. |Pop. |Att. |
|1940 |2016 |1468 |20 |10 |
|1941 |2023 |1420 |9 |6 |
|1942 |1902 |1278 |12 |2 |
|1943 |1927 |1091 |10 |8 |
|1944 |1784 |1043 |- |- |
|1945 |1855 |1246 |- |- |
|1946 |1843 |1343 |- |- |
|1947 |1680 |1314 |- |- |
|1948 |1609 |1304 |- |- |
|1949 |1701 |1407 |- |- |
From Table 8, it is also illustrated that at the point in time when Hayesville Colored School was closed that the student population at that school had decreased drastically from the previous decades. A couple of reasons have been suggested for the decreasing student population that began in the 1940s and continued through the 1960s. The first reason was that the family size of the average Clay County home was decreasing. This was primarily due to the shift from agriculture as a major source of income for families in the county. Therefore, families did not have as many children to assist with labor on the family farms (N. Jarrett, personal communication, July 2, 2003). Another reason was the lack of viable employment opportunities in the county and the pursuit of employment opportunities elsewhere caused an out-migration pattern in Clay County (D. Penland, personal communication, June 5, 2003).
Although the school age population was decreasing, the attendance was increasing in relation to the population. This could probably be attributed to the state changing the compulsory attendance age from fourteen to sixteen during the 1940’s (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1999).
Another major issue that was addressed in Clay County Schools during the 1940s was a teacher shortage. In 1942, the opening of school was delayed for one week due to a lack of available teachers. Later, in 1949, emergency teachers had to be employed in order for school to be opened at the scheduled time (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003).
During the 1940s, the length of the school day was shortened by thirty minutes. Beginning with the 1940-41 school year, the school day was from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. which was a decrease from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003).
The 1950s brought a great deal of change to Clay County Schools. Clay County operated four schools during this decade of which all four had elementary education and Hayesville offered high school courses (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1906-1960). According to Padgett, J., Penland, A., & Moore, J. (1961), all four schools’ facilities were the recipients of physical improvements as new schools were constructed at Hayesville and Shooting Creek and renovations occurred at Ogden and Elf Schools.
Another change was found in teacher qualification and the curriculum. By the close of the decade, twenty-two percent of all teachers and administrative staff in Clay County Schools possessed a master’s degree (Padgett, J. Penland, A., & Moore, J., 1961). This was a tremendous change from the teacher qualification concerns expressed in the board meeting just twenty years previously. The curriculum expanded through the 1950s from twenty-seven high school courses to thirty-nine. The vocational department was also increased to four teachers (Padgett et al., 1961).
School transportation also improved drastically by the close of the 1950s. Padgett, J. Penland, A., and Moore, J. (1961) cite that in 1950 Clay County Schools operated ten buses and by 1960, twenty-one buses were in operation traveling 914 miles daily and transporting 1253 students.
However, during the 1950s, Clay County Schools continued to experience a decline in school age population and enrollment. According to Padgett, J. Penland, A., and Moore, J. (1961), the total school enrollment in 1950 was 1604 students and by the close of the decade this enrollment had decreased to 1443. This constituted a decrease of approximately ten percent.
The administration of Clay County Schools also changed in the late 1950s. Allen J. Bell, who served as superintendent beginning in 1921, died while holding this position in 1956. Bell was replaced by Scott Beal, who was currently serving as the principal of Hayesville High School (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003).
Chapter Five
Education from 1960 until 1989
During the next thirty years, Clay County Schools experienced many changes and potentially controversial issues. Although many improvements were made to the school system and the education of students, some major obstacles had to be overcome as the schools entered into the last half of the Twentieth Century.
One historically significant change occurred in 1965. It was in this year that Clay County Schools, as well as the other North Carolina Public Schools, became racially integrated. Although the United States Supreme Court in the 1954 Brown verses Board of Education ruled that segregation was unconstitutional, it was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that finally integrated schools in North Carolina (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1999). Up until this year, African-American students were transported to Cherokee County or boarded in Asheville, North Carolina to attend high school at Asheville City Schools (Clay County Schools, 1921- 2003).
In 1965, Jay Tee Nicely, Jr., first African-American student, enrolled in Hayesville High School as a sophomore. His father, Jay Tee Nicely, Sr., remembers Guy Wheeler, the principal of Hayesville High School, visiting his wife and him that summer and telling him to “send that boy to school and not to worry about a thing”. The integration transition for the student and the rest of the school was smooth and Mr. Nicely remembers the experience being nothing but positive. Jay Tee Nicely, Jr. went on to graduate from Hayesville High School two years later (J. Nicely, personal communication, June 18, 2003).
Another historical event that occurred during the time period was that by the late 1970s, Elf (1967), Ogden (1975), and Shooting Creek (1978) had been closed and consolidated into the Hayesville Schools (Clay County Schools, 1921-2003). This left an unique situation in that the only elementary and high schools in the county where located on the same campus. The last consolidation efforts were contested only slightly as most of the county’s students were attending Hayesville Schools with only about fifty students attending Shooting Creek at the time of its closing (D. Penland, personal communication, June 5, 2003).
Politics and the political practices involved with operating a school system had been prevalent in Clay County since the early beginnings of public school. If a person did not belong to the political party in power at the time, the prospect for obtaining employment with the school system was extremely bleak. Also, these employment opportunities with Clay County Schools ranged from wood contracts and transportation contracts of the early days of the Twentieth Century to janitorial, teaching, and administrative positions (G. Johnson, July 6, 2003). The power wielded by politics in the hiring and firing process was awful (S. Haigler, personal communication, June 19, 2003).
The political practices involved in the hiring and firing processes of Clay County schools escalated by 1970. It was in this time period that the state government had relinquished the authority to appoint local school board members and require school board members to be elected in the general elections held in each county. From 1898 until the local school board appointment power was relinquished by the state, the Democrat Party held control of the state government as well as the local boards of education (D. Penland, personal communication, June 5, 2003).
This all began to change with the 1970 school board elections, which brought on a continual changing of political control in Clay County Schools for the next twelve years. Not only did the school board’s politics change, but also the number of board members increased from three to five (Appendix A). The superintendency also changed hands several times from 1973 until 1980. Scott Beal, Ed Phillips, Kyle Beal, and Scott Penland all served at different times from 1973 until 1980 as Clay County Schools Superintendents (Appendix A). Apparently the political hiring and firing practices did not only consist of superintendents, but also affected teachers, custodians, bus drivers, and other administrative positions as well (G. Johnson, personal communication, July 6, 2003).
In the mid 1970s, the tenure law protecting the firing of schoolteachers provided some relief to the political hiring and firing practices. But it was not until the early 1980’s, that the political practices in the hiring and firing process of school personnel had subsided in Clay County. The 1983 Federal Lawsuit brought against the Clay County Board of Education was settled out of court in favor of the plaintiffs. This action appears to have put an end to the political hiring and firing practices in Clay County Schools (D. Penland, personal communication, June 5, 2003).
Another historically significant event for Clay County Schools was the creation of the middle school in 1989. Up until that time, only Hayesville Elementary (Kindergarten through 6th grade) and Hayesville High School that was a combination of junior and senior high (7th grade through 12th grade) existed on the same campus. In 1989, Hayesville Middle School was created and the students were regrouped in the following manner. Hayesville Elementary consisted of kindergarten through fourth grade, Hayesville Middle had fifth grade through the eighth, and Hayesville High consisted of ninth grade through twelfth; all were housed on the same campus. The results of the middle school creation were two-fold; students were grouped more age appropriately and test scores for all three schools improved dramatically (D. Penland, personal communication, June 5, 2003). With the addition of the middle school, a new facility on the same campus was built to house the elementary school.
The student population and enrollment in Clay County Schools remained relatively consistent from the mid 1960’s throughout the 1980s. According to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (1965), Clay County Schools had an enrollment of 1180 students during the 1964-65 school year. Table 9 indicates the Clay County School enrollment through the 1980s and a slight overall increase in population is noted from the enrollment in 1965.
Table 9.
|Clay County School Enrollment from 1982 until 1989 According to Clay County Board of |
|Education |
| |Student Enrollment |
|Year |Enrollment | |
|1982 |1215 | |
|1983 |1232 | |
|1984 |1196 | |
|1985 |1227 | |
|1986 |1195 | |
|1987 |1185 | |
|1988 |1195 | |
|1989 |1195 | |
Chapter Six
Education from 1990 until Present
Clay County Schools has experienced new growth over the past decade. Some of this growth is evident in the new construction and renovation of existing facilities. The new middle school created in the late 1980s moved in the early 1990s into the renovated high school facility with the high school moving into a new facility built on the east end of campus. Other building projects consisted of a new high school gymnasium, baseball field, outdoor classroom, and a facility for the alternative learning program and the middle school after-school program. The elementary rock gymnasium has been renovated to contain classrooms and a physical education facility for the elementary school.
The student population during the 1990s and early Twenty-first Century has remained relatively constant with a slight increase over the student enrollment of the late 1980s. Table 10 indicates the student enrollment in Clay County Schools.
Table 10.
|Clay County School Enrollment from 1990 until 2003 According to Clay County Board of |
|Education |
| |Student Enrollment |
|Year |Enrollment | |
|1990 |1195 | |
|1991 |1214 | |
|1992 |1190 | |
|1993 |1184 | |
|1994 |1177 | |
|1995 |1200 | |
|1996 |1211 | |
|1997 |1238 | |
|1998 |1259 | |
|1999 |1254 | |
|2000 |1262 | |
|2001 |1258 | |
|2002 |1228 | |
|2003 |1232 | |
Clay County Schools during the last thirteen years not only offered instruction in elementary, middle school, and high school courses, but other programs include pre-school, day care, after-school programming, as well as a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. All three schools offer a wide-range of courses in their curriculums that includes a basic curriculum supplemented by vocational education, computer technology, music, chorus, art, and foreign languages. Hayesville High School offered three programs of study, which include college preparatory, technical preparatory, or occupational study (Thomas, L., 2003).
Teachers’ qualifications have improved dramatically from the impressive totals of the 1960s. Clay County Schools exceed state averages in graduate degrees held by faculty and staff. According to Clay County Schools (1921-2003), 37.1% of the faculty and staff hold a master’s degree, 2.9% have a sixth year degree, and 2.9% a doctorate. This exceeded the state averages as indicated in Table 11.
Table 11.
|Highest Degree Held by Instructional Personnel for 2000-01 School Year According to |
|Clay County Board of Education |
| | |
|Highest Degree Held |Clay Co |NC |
|Less than B.S. |3.8% |0.1% |
|Bachelor’s |53.3% |63.5% |
|Master’s |37.1% |33.6% |
|Sixth Year |2.9% |2.1% |
|Doctorate |2.9% |0.7% |
In 1996, the State Board of Education developed and mandated accountability measures that have been assessed by standardized tests throughout the state. By 1997, all state public schools were subjected to the accountability standards (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1999). During the 1990s and early part of the Twenty-first Century, Clay County Schools have consistently ranked in the top of the state based on these state accountability measures. During the 2002-03 school year, Clay County Schools ranked in the top 5% of all state schools (Thomas, L., 2003).
Chapter Seven
Conclusion
In the examination of the history of Clay County Schools, one would have to imagine if John O. Hicks realized what he initiated over one hundred thirty years ago when he broke ground to build Hicksville Academy. There is little doubt that the determination of John Hicks and others throughout history have dramatically impacted education in Clay County over the years and helped the schools to persevere through some difficult times.
As the Clay County School System enters the twenty-first century, it has become obvious that the school system has successfully progressed from a series of one-room schools to a highly effective one campus school system that offers a high quality education to all of its members. There is little doubt that the community has played a vital role in the accomplishments of the school system and that the school system has been blessed with a multitude of talented individuals throughout its rich history. Although Clay County Schools has and will have other needs that must be met, it can be concluded that the history of Clay County Schools has been one of tremendous progress and significant change. It should be with that same spirit exhibited by the leaders, faculty, and community of the past that Clay County Schools will address the challenges brought on by the needs of the twenty-first century.
References
A State High School for Hayesville. (1909, May 14). Clay County Courier, p. 1.
Arthur, J. P. (1914). County History. In History of Western North Carolina (8). Retrieved June 20, 03, from History of Western North Carolina Web Site:
Arthur, J. P. (1914). Schools and Colleges. In History of Western North Carolina (17). Retrieved July 8, 03, from NRN isnet Web Site:
Ashley, S. (Ed.). (1869). Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of North Carolina for the Year 1869 (Vol.). Raleigh, NC: M. S. Littlefield. Retrieved July 14, 03, from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries Web Site:
Aycock, C. (Ed.). (1910). Biennial report of the superintendent of public instruction of North Carolina for the scholastic years 1909-10 (Vol. ). Raleigh, NC: State Publisher and Binder.
Clay County Schools (1921-2003). Clay County Board of Education Minutes.
Clay County. (1981). In North Carolina Government 1585-1979: A narrative and statistical history. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Department of Secretary of State.
Hayesville College. (1898). Hayesville Male and Female College and Graded School [Brochure]. Franklin, NC: Author.
King, W. (2000, October 26). Duke University's Relation to the Methodist Church. In Duke University Archives (). Retrieved June 26, 03, from Duke University Archives Web Site:
Mebane, C. (Ed.). (1900). Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of North Carolina for the scholastic years of 1898-99 and 1899-1900 (Vol. ). Raleigh, NC: Edwards, Broughton and Uzzell. Retrieved July 24, 03, from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries Web Site:
Morgan, L. C. (1996). 1900 Census Listing. Golden Branches Genealogical Books (). Retrieved July 8, 03, from Western NC Genealogy Resource Center for Cherokee County Web Site:
Morrison, C. (2002). Cherokee County, NC 1860 Federal Census. In USGenWeb Archives (). Retrieved July 18, 03, from USGenWeb Archives Web Site: 1860/1860cher.txt
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (Ed.). (1906-1960/1965). Biennial Reports of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Vol. ). Raleigh, NC: State Printer and Binder.
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (1999). Reconstruction through 1990. In History of education in North Carolina (). Retrieved June 27, 03, from North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Web Site:
North Carolina General Assembly (1863). A Bill to Provide for the Establishment of Graded Schools in North Carolina. 1863 North Carolina General Assembly, Section 1-24. Retrieved July 22, 03, from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries Web Site:
Padgett, J. G. (1976). A History of Clay County, North Carolina. Hayesville: Padgett.
Padgett, J. G., Penland, A. L., & Moore, J. W. (1961). 1861-1961 centennial history Clay County North Carolina. Hayesville, NC: Padgett, J., Penland, A., & Moore, J.
Powhatan, J. (2002). Biographies. In Southern Baptist Historical Library & Archives (). Retrieved June 27, 03, from Southern Baptist Historical Library & Archives Web Site:
Republican State Committee. (1906). Republican Hand-book North Carolina [Brochure]. Greensboro, NC: Author. Retrieved July 9, 03, from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries Web Site:
Scarborough, J. (Ed.). (1885). Biennial report of the superintendent of public instruction of North Carolina, for the scholastic years of 1883-84 (Vol. ). Raleigh, NC: Edwards, Broughton, & Company.
Thomas, L. (2003). Schools rank in top 5% in State. Clay County Progress, p. 28.
Thurman, S. W. (2000). "A rolling town": The long school bus ride in a rural Southern Appalachian county (Doctoral dissertation, Western Carolina University, 2000). Dissertation Abstracts International, 62, 35.
Trinity College. (1891). First Annual Catalogue and Announcement of Hayesville Male and Female College (1st ed.) [Brochure]. Hayesville, NC: Author.
Genealogy Foundation. (n.d.). History of Western North Carolina. In Genealogy Foundation (8-B). Retrieved June 26, 03, from WebRoots Library U.S. History Web Site:
Western Carolina Teachers College (1939). 1939 Catamount. NC: .
Appendix A
Clay County School’s Superintendents and Boards of Education from 1921 until Present
|Date |Superintendent |Board of Education |Other Officials |
|1868-69 | | |H.B. Alexander |
| | | |County Examiner |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|1897-98 |T.H. Nancock (sic) |G.W. Sanderson | |
| | |I.H. Chambers | |
|1900-1921 |G.M. Flemming | | |
| |G.H. Haigler | | |
| |D.M. Stalling | | |
| |T.C. Scroggs | | |
| | | | |
|1921-23 |Allen J. Bell |Sam E. Hogsed | |
| | |H.B. Varner | |
| | |M.L. Coleman | |
| | | | |
|1923 | |Sam E. Hogsed | |
| | |H.B. Varner | |
| | |Abner Chastain | |
| | | | |
|1923 | |Sam E. Hogsed | |
| | |Abner Chastain | |
| | |B. Neal Haigler | |
| | | | |
|1924 | |Sam E. Hogsed | |
| | |Abner Chastain | |
| | |H.M. Crawford | |
| | | | |
|1925-27 | |John O. Smith | |
| | |Ed L. Crawford | |
| | |J. Arthur Penland | |
| | | | |
|1927-29 | |Mark Weaver | |
| | |Wm. T. Bumgarner | |
| | |H.B. Patton | |
| | | | |
|1929-1932 | |H. B. Patton | |
| | |Mark Weaver | |
| | |Sam S. Hogsed | |
| | | | |
|1932-33 | |R.W. Crawford | |
| | |Mark Weaver | |
| | |Sam S. Hogsed | |
| | | | |
|1933-35 | |Mark Weaver | |
| | |John O. Smith | |
| | |Stanhope L. Ledford | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Date |Superintendent |Board of Education | |
|1935-37 |Allen J. Bell |Fred D. Pass | |
| | |John H. Brendle | |
| | |Frank C. Moore | |
| | | | |
|1937-39 | |Fred D. Pass | |
| | |John H. Brendle | |
| | |Frank C. Moore | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|1939 | |Fred D. Pass | |
| | |Fred Gribble | |
| | |Frank Rogers | |
| | | | |
|1939 | |George C. Jarrett | |
| | |Fred Gribble | |
| | |Frank Rogers | |
| | | | |
|1939-1944 | |George C. Jarrett | |
| | |Frank Rogers | |
| | |Perry D. Tipton | |
| | | | |
|1943-1947 | |Perry D. Tipton | |
| | |Frank Rogers | |
| | |Frank C. Moore | |
| | | | |
|1947-49 | |Frank Rogers | |
| | |Frank C. Moore | |
| | |E. Paul Caler | |
| | | | |
|1949 | |Frank Rogers | |
| | |E. Paul Caler | |
| | |Robert L. Long | |
| | | | |
|1949-56 | |R. L. McGlamery | |
| | |E. Paul Caler | |
| | |Robert L. Long | |
| |Superintendent | | |
|1956-1961 |Hugh Scott Beal |R. L. McGlamery | |
| | |E. Paul Caler | |
| | |Robert L. Long | |
| | | | |
|1961-1963 | |E. Paul Caler | |
| | |Norman B. Davenport | |
| | |R. L. McGlamery | |
| | | | |
|1963-1967 | |James T. Price | |
| | |N.B. Davenport | |
| | |Paul Caler | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Date |Superintendent |Board of Education | |
|1967 |Hugh Scott Beal |James T. Price | |
| | |Paul Caler | |
| | |Robert W. Alexander | |
| | | | |
|1967-69 | |James T. Price | |
| | |Paul Caler | |
| | |William T. Groves | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|1969-70 | |James T. Price | |
| | |William T. Groves | |
| | |Onley Edward Rogers | |
| | | | |
|1970-71 | |James T. Price | |
| | |William T. Groves | |
| | |O.E. Rogers | |
| | |Jerald Phillips | |
| | |Edgar C. Moore | |
| | | | |
|1971-73 | |James T. Price | |
| | |William T. Groves | |
| | |Jerald Phillips | |
| | |Edgar C. Moore | |
| | |Haig Davenport | |
| |Superintendent | | |
|1973-1976 |Ed Phillips |Jerald Phillips | |
| | |Edgar C. Moore | |
| | |Haig Davenport | |
| | |Wilburn G. Mingus | |
| | |Tommy Hooper | |
| |Superintendent | | |
|1976-1980 |Kyle Beal |Richard Scroggs | |
| | |Jack Sellers | |
| | |Neal Cabe | |
| | |Jerald Phillips | |
| | |Haig Davenport | |
| |Superintendent | | |
|1980-82 |D. Scott Penland |Robert Anderson | |
| | |Hoby Garrett | |
| | |Enoch Ledford | |
| | |Clarence Swanson | |
| | |Huston Nichols | |
| | | | |
|1982-84 | |Jimmy Nelson | |
| | |Corky Martin | |
| | |David Cheeks | |
| | |Enoch Ledford | |
| | |Huston Nichols | |
| |Superintendent |Board of Education | |
| | | | |
|Date | | | |
|1984-86 |D. Scott Penland |Jimmy Nelson | |
| | |Corky Martin | |
| | |David Cheeks | |
| | |Enoch Ledford | |
| | |Dennis Myers | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|1986-88 | |Bill Bradley | |
| | |Enoch Ledford | |
| | |Johnny Stewart | |
| | |Carl Patterson | |
| | |Dennis Myers | |
| | | | |
|1988-90 | |Bill Bradley | |
| | |Ed Ashe | |
| | |Johnny Stewart | |
| | |Carl Patterson | |
| | |Dennis Myers | |
| | | | |
| | |Dennis Myers | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|1990-92 | | | |
| | |Ed Ashe | |
| | |Richard Kelley | |
| | |Larry Rumfelt | |
| | |Dwight Penland | |
| | | | |
|1992-94 | |Dennis Myers | |
| | |Ed Ashe | |
| | |Richard Kelley | |
| | |Larry Rumfelt | |
| | |Dwight Penland | |
| | | | |
|1994-96 | |Dennis Myers | |
| | |Ed Ashe | |
| | |Horace McClure | |
| | |Larry Rumfelt | |
| | |Dwight Penland | |
| | | | |
|1996-98 | |Ed Ashe | |
| | |Jane Hindsman | |
| | |Dwight Penland | |
| | |Robert Hollifield | |
| | |Larry Rumfelt | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Date |Superintendent |Board of Education | |
|1998-2000 |D. Scott Penland |Ed Ashe | |
| | |Jane Hindsman | |
| | |Robert Hollifield | |
| | |Charles Penland | |
| | |Larry Rumfelt | |
| | | | |
|2000-02 | |Ed Ashe | |
| | |Jane Hindsman | |
| | |Robert Hollifield | |
| | |Charles Penland | |
| | |Larry Rumfelt | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|2002-04 | |Ed Ashe | |
| | |Jane Hindsman | |
| | |Robert Hollifield | |
| | |Charles Penland | |
| | |Michael Powell | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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