Public Bullitt County Schools in the 1800's

According to Lyman Ginger, 1  writing in the Kentucky Encyclopedia, Kentucky's first system of free public education was created in 1838 by the General Assembly which provided for the first Superintendent of Public Instruction appointed by the governor. The county court was charged with establishing school districts within the county, but then in 1842 that responsibility was given to the county school commissioner.

This slow beginning ended abruptly with the Civil War. As Ginger wrote, "Teachers went to war and did not return. Schoolhouses fell into disrepair. Where schools operated at all, they were controlled by the trustees."

Following the war, the task of reestablishing school districts was again given to the county courts, but proved to be mostly unsuccessful. Then in 1884 the General Assembly enacted the Common School Law which established a plan of organization from the state down to the local school districts. It converted the county commissioner of education into a county superintendent and stipulated that the post was to be filled by election.

F. P. Straus had been selected by the Bullitt County Court Judge and the County Justices of the peace in October 1880 to serve as School Commissioner of Bullitt County. He was again chosen for another term two years later. 2 

In a report made to the State Superintendant at the end of his term in 1884, Straus wrote, "The common schools of this county are gradually improving in every respect. The grade of teachers is much better, School-houses and furniture are improving each year. The people are becoming more attached to the system of common schools; they see it is impossible to get along without them, but rely too much on the publie fund, and do not supplement it sufficiently. The common schools are doing a grand work for our State; and its welfare depends absolutely on the system." 3 

It appears that he was trying to paint a positive picture, but admitted to some problems.

Then, in 1884, with the law change an election was held and N. J. Weller was elected to fill the office of Superintendent of Common Schools for Bullitt County, as described in the county order book. 4 

In his first report to the State in 1885, Weller wrote, "Visited thirty-seven out of thirty-eight schools, and found them doing very well for the advantages. Houses, with few exceptions, are worthless, and interest taken in them, or in the schools, by the patrons is remarkably dull. The teachers teach principally for the public money, which averages them about twenty dollars per month; out of this, they must board and clothe themselves. The teachers are transitory, hardly ever teaching more than one or two sessions at the same place. This is a drawback to the school interest of the county. The County and District Associations are doing some good. The standard of education is not thought to be higher than it was eight or ten years ago, but there is some very good teaching talent in the county; though not properly encouraged. Besides the common schools, terms of three or four months are taught, at about the same wages as the common school term." 5 

There was however a growing interest in better schools, and the "worthless" school houses were slowly replaced with newer ones in the following decades. Below is a list of links to pages displaying deeds for school lots. Most of these were newer school constructions following the passage of the Common School Law. Where possible, we have identified the likely name of the school being built.

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1  John E. Kleber, Editor in Chief The Kentucky Encyclopedia (University Press of Kentucky, 1992), p. 800ff.

2  Bullitt County Order Book L, pages 68, 232

3  "Digest of the Epistolary Reports of County Superintendents concerning the condition, progress, and prospects of the Common Schools of Kentucky, 1884," Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Commonwealth of Kentucky with summaries of statistics from the school-year ending June 30th, 1881, to the school year 1886, page 7.

4  Bullitt County Order Book L, page 425

5  "Digest of the Epistolary Reports of County Superintendents concerning the condition, progress, and prospects of the Common Schools of Kentucky, 1884," Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Commonwealth of Kentucky with summaries of statistics from the school-year ending June 30th, 1881, to the school year 1886, page 45.

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