Hillsboro Elementary School

 

The Hillsboro Elementary School has undergone several changes throughout its history, as detailed in the sources.

Early Days

• The first school at Cove Hill near Frost was built around 1894 by J.M. Barrett.
• The Hillsboro School itself was built in the winter of 1901 and January 1902 by Charles Acord and others. The first school term in the new building began in February 1902 and lasted for five months.
• In its early days, the school had a reputation for being strict.

Growth and Changes

• At some point, a new modern schoolhouse was built in Hillsboro.
• The sources mention a fire at the Hillsboro Elementary School, where the school bus burned to the ground within 15 minutes. The two bus drivers barely escaped with their lives.
• In 1976, a fire marshal's report listed 94 violations in county schools, and these violations included unsafe fire exits, combustible wood and glass classroom doors, and electrical wiring which did not meet the National Code.

Staffing and Curriculum

• The school has had many teachers over the years.
• In 1976, Mrs. Rebecca Ann Fleming was employed as a science teacher at Hillsboro Elementary School for the 1976-77 school term. Also in 1976, Mrs. Donna Barksdale was transferred from teaching the first grade at Marlinton to a Title I Reading Specialist at Hillsboro.
• In 1978, Rebecca Ann Fleming was hired as a classroom and science teacher.
• In 1978, Deborah Johnson was hired as a second grade teacher.
• In 1978, Kenneth Nottingham was transferred from the High School to Hillsboro to teach math.
• In 1978, Curtis Vick was employed as a seventh and eighth grade language arts teacher.
• A 1976 letter notes that many elementary children in Pocahontas County were in classrooms with plaster ceilings attached to wooden slats that were more than 50 years old, and large holes existed in the ceilings.

Recent Developments

• In 1976, the Pocahontas County Board of Education approved the request of the Oak Grove Presbyterian Church Women to use the Hillsboro cafeteria on May 29 for a banquet.
• The Board approved the Hillsboro second grade to visit the Edray Fish Hatchery and Edray Community Center for a field trip and class picnic.
• In 1978, the Board approved the use of the Hillsboro Library for a meeting.
• The Hillsboro PTA was given approval to purchase books for grades 3-8.
• The Hillsboro school cafeteria was also approved for use for a dinner in 1978.

The information from the sources shows that Hillsboro Elementary School has a long history in Pocahontas County, with different buildings, many teachers, and some challenges, and continues to be an important part of the community's educational system.