Throughout the 1850s and well into the early 1900s, we saw the creation of rural two-room schoolhouses scattered throughout the southside of San Antonio. These schoolhouses were the first public institutions to provide education to the children in the neighboring communities.
The schoolhouses are as follows:
- 1850 - Asa Mitchell School: Land donated and used for a schoolhouse.
- 1854 - Borrego School: Land donated by a family for their child's education.
- 1875 - Oakley School: Built on the grounds of the Battle of Medina.
- 1883 - Carmen School: Built in 1883, and one of the schools that took in the incoming students during the consolidation in 1949.
- 1899 - Thelma School: Established near Carmen School.
- 1914 - Carmen school II: Merged two unnamed one-room schools and used until 1950 when Southside Elementary was completed.
- 1915 - Buena Vista School: Members from the Mission Espada and Buena Vista Hamlet gathered to create Buena Vista School for the students in that small community.
(Martinez, pgs. 39-45)
The map showcases the previous Common School Districts boundaries before the consolidation in 1949 with the locations of the original school houses.
1909 in San Antonio:
The Bexar County Commissioners Court established over 40 Common School Districts in San Antonio on April 17, 1909 including:
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- Borrego Common School District No. 17
- Carmen Common School District No. 35
- Oakley Common School District No. 36
- Buena Vista Common School District No. 37
- Thelma Common School District No. 38
- Positos Common School District No, 36 1/2
(Bexar County Commissioner's Office, April 1909)
1911 at a State Level:
The Rural HS Law was passed, which established County Boards of Education, permitted the creation of Rural High Schools, and gave Common School Districts the ability to consolidate. Rural HS Law passed as a way to help expand financial aid to rural areas; it included state support for teacher salaries and school supplies. (Texas Education Agency)
1947 to 1948 at the Federal Level:
The attorneys of LULAC, League of United Latin American Citizens, filed and won the Delgado vs. Bastrop ISD case, ending the segregation of Mexican American students in Texas. This led up to the Gilmer Aikin Laws. (Berger and Wilborn)
Together, the ruling of Delgado v. Bastrop ISD and the Gilmer Laws took a significant role in addressing School Districts' efficiency and financial issues. The bill also included the creation of a State Board of Education (now known as the Texas Education Agency, TEA). All steps taken towards raising the general level of school standards and starting to eliminate inequalities. (Texas Education Agency)
1949 at Southside:
This nationwide education reform led to a petition, signed by community members in Barrego, Oakley, Buena Vista, Thelma, and Carmen Common School Districts, to be presented to Bexar County, requesting consolidation. Bexar County ordered an election, and on May 16, 1949, the votes tallied in favor, resulting in the individual Common School Districts to become Southside Consolidated Common School District #17.
(Bexar County Commissioner's Office, May 1949)
1950 at Southside:
On November 1st, 1950, the ‘Board of County School of Trustees of Bexar County’ ordered (Positos) Common School District #36 ½ to annex with Southside CSD to create a High School as one. This allowed the school districts to combine their populations, increasing their numbers. From there, the district was known as Southside Rural High School District No. 717.
As a result of becoming a Rural High School District, the southside community had the funds and students necessary to build a high school. (Bexar County Board of School Trustees, November 1950)
We see in the Bexar County School Board meeting from January 1952 that 8 Southside Rural HS District students were transferred to Harlandale HS for the school year 1950-51. Those 8 students can be found in the first edition of Southside's yearbook in 1952, the year Southside High School first opened its doors. (Bexar County Commissioner's Office, January 1952)
1964 at Southside:
Southside's Board held an election for the community to vote FOR or AGAINST becoming an ISD. The community voted FOR and on September 28th, 1964, Southside Rural High School District became known as Southside Independent School District. (Bexar County Commissioner's Office, September 1964)
Click here to view references: Southside School Board Meetings Excerpts, Bexar County Archives, and more.
Have pictures or stories from this time period? Please contact the Communications team; we’d love to hear from you!