Pioneer Education in Randolph County, Indiana
1842 the Randolph County Seminary opened on West Franklin Street in Winchester.
1851 the State of Indiana made provision for public education.
The Society of Friends conducted the first schools. Quaker schools were established at White River, east of Winchester, and Dunkirk, west of Winchester. "Subscription schools" were held intermittently for students in other parts of the county.
1865 there were 37 one-room schoolhouses in Franklin, Ward, and White River Townships.
1873 the towns of Winchester and Ridgeville governed the schools in their towns.
School Consolidation in Randolph County, Indiana
Lee L. Driver, County Superintendent of Schools
Consolidation of one-room schools into rural high schools.
White River Township:
Lincoln, west of Winchester, in 1908-09.
McKinley, east of Winchester, in 1911.
Ward Township:
Jefferson School, built in 1911, served the western part of the township,
Saratoga School served the eastern part of the township.
Franklin Township:
Ridgeville School in 1923.
The School City of Winchester:
Winchester High School and Central Elementary, built in 1898,
Frances E. Willard Elementary School, built in 1906-07.
Oliver P. Morton Elementary School, built in 1915-16.
Present public schools of Randolph County, Indiana
History of current Monroe Central School Corporation
Consolidation 1956: Green Township, Stoney Creek Township, Parker, and Farmland schools.
Monroe Central Elementary (529 students in 2017)
Monroe Central Jr./Sr. High School (531 students in 2017)
Stoney Creek School grades 7-12 transferred to Farmland, Fall 1958.
Green and Stoney Creek schools continued as elementary schools, until the Fall of 1961.
Green School closed Fall 1961.
During the school years of 1961-62 and 1962-63,
Parker school for grades 1-4
and 7-12 for Green and Parker students, during 1961-61 and 1962-63.
Farmland school for grades 1-4 and 7-12 from Stoney Creek and Farmland, during 1961-61 and 1962-63.
Stoney Creek school was used by all fifth and sixth graders in the corporation during 1961-61 and 1962-63.
Monroe Central Junior-Senior High School, grades 7-12, new building dedicated 1963.
Stoney Creek was phased out and Farmland and Parker continued as elementary schools
Monroe Central Jr.-Sr. High School was destroyed by a tornado, Wednesday, April 3, 1974,
School began on Monday, April 15, 1974, for teachers and on April 16 for students; 3 days of school missed as spring vacation was during the week of April 8.
Parker Elementary School served as the corporation elementary school for the remainder of the 1973-1974 school year. Parker students attending classes in the morning and Farmland students attending classes in the afternoon.
Monroe Central students in grades 7-12 used the Farmland elementary building, as well as rooms in the nearby United Methodist and Christian churches. The gymnasium was partitioned into four classrooms with the use of filing cabinets and portable bulletin boards.
Fall of 1974, a Federal Disaster Grant provided funds to purchase fifteen relocatable classrooms.
Parker elementary students attended the Parker school; Farmland elementary students and corporation junior high students were housed in the portable units; and grades 9-12 used the Farmland elementary building.
New high school built on the same site as the old high school, was first occupied in April of 1978, four years to the month after the first MCHS was demolished by the tornado.
Expansion included the new Millennium Wing that contains several new classrooms and a large meeting room. New auxiliary gym named for Mr. Larry K. Hall, a retired teacher and principal at Monroe Central.
New elementary school built west of high school, and closed the Farmland and Parker buildings, 1983.
History of current Randolph Eastern School Corporation
Township(s):
Cities/towns: Union City
Union City High School (400 students in 2017 for Middle and High School combined)
West Side Middle School
North Side Elementary (502 students in 2017)
First public school in Union City, through grades 8, 1855 at site of the "old Branum Restaurant". School destroyed by fire, 1857.
Second school built, 2-story brick building with 3 rooms at current site of West Side elementary building, 1858.
Addition to school for 2 more stories and 2 rooms, 1868.
First high school class of 13 students, 1872.
Addition to school, wood, 2-stories and 2 rooms, 1875.
First high school graduation, 4 graduates, 1876.
Addiiton to school, wood, 2-stories, 4 rooms, late 1800s. Description: 8 large school rooms, one office, a pump room, and stairway, narrow hall space.
Demolition of "1858 School", 1891.
West Side School built, 1891.
West Side school building destroyed by fire, 1919.
New West Side building constructed, 1920.
West Side school building changed to Hoosier Place, a senior apartment complex with 31 apartments, October 4, 2006.
Southside building erected, 1895.
Union City and Wayne school consolidation, 1957-1958 school year,
History of current Randolph Central School Corporation
Randolph Central School Corporation merged 1962.
Township(s): Franklin, Ward, White River.
Cities/towns: Winchester, Ridgeville, Saratoga.
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1882 - South Ward School, South Meridian Street, Winchester, Indiana. A two story, four room building. In
1898 - Winchester High School and Central Elementary built. It followed the consolidation of one-room schools. Located in White River Township.
1906 - 07 - Frances E. Willard Elementary School was built. A result of consolidation of one-room schools. Located in White River Township. New school constructed in 1969-71.
1907 it was replaced with Willard School. Current site is Beeson Park. (2021)
1908- 09 - Lincoln High School, west of Winchester was built 1908-09. Built as a result of the consolidation of one-room schools. Located in White River Township. In 1950 Lincoln High School students transferred to McKinley High School. Lincoln elementary students to McKinley in January 1957.
19__ - North Ward School, Third and North Main Streets, Winchester, Indiana. In 1917 it was replaced with Oliver P. Morton School. The site was Gulley Ford dealership for several years.
19__ - Central School, Winchester, Indiana. Current site is Winchester Public Library.
1907 - Willard School, Winchester, Indiana. Replaced South Ward School.
1911 - McKinley High School, located east of Winchester, was built. It was built after the consolidation of one-room schools. Located in White River Township. McKinley School was razed in 1960.
1917 - Oliver P. Morton School, Fourth and Residence Streets, Winchester, Indiana. Replaced the North Ward School.
19__ - Jackson Township students were sent to the newly formed Randolph Eastern School Corporation.
1950 - Lincoln High School students transferred to McKinley High School. Lincoln elementary students to McKinley in January 1957.
1951-1952 - The Field House was erected.
1956-57 - White River High School built just west of McKinley. Cost: $251,913. White River High School name changed to Lee L. Driver Junior High School in the Fall of 1959. Lee L. Driver High School name changed to Winchester Community High School.
January 1957 - Lincoln elementary students to McKinley in January 1957.
1958 - White River Elementary School was built west of the high school in 1958. Cost: $250,000.
1959 - Metropolitan School District of Winchester-White River Township. Consolidation of School City of Winchester and White River School Township.
Fall 1959 - Winchester High School name change to Lee L. Driver High School. The school building was razed in 1972-73. The Field House remains on the original site as the home of many indoor athletics and graduation.
1960 - McKinley School was razed.
Fall 1962 - Ward Township secondary students were sent to Driver High School and Driver Junior High School.
1964 - Winchester Community High School.
A thirty-acre site, on North Union Street, Winchester, Indiana in1964. Cost of $2,848,839. Opened Fall 1967, dedicated April 1969.
Fall 1967 - Winchester Community High School.
A thirty-acre site, on North Union Street, Winchester, Indiana in1964. Cost of $2,848,839. Opened Fall 1967, dedicated April 1969.
April 1969 - Winchester Community High School, Winchester, Indiana.
Dedication of the building. A thirty-acre site, on North Union Street, Winchester, Indiana. Cost of $2,848,839. Opened Fall 1967.
1969-71 - Frances E. Willard Elementary School new school was built. Cost: $850,000. Baker elementary changed to lower grades and Willard elementary changed to upper grades in 1997.
1972 - 73 - Winchester High School building was razed. The Field House remains on the original site as the home of many indoor athletics and graduation.
Fall 1980 - White River elementary combined with Baker elementary. Baker served lower grades and White River served upper grades. White River Elementary School closed in Spring 1984. Intermediate students from White River were sent to Morton or Deerfield in 1984.
1981 - Winchester Community High School addition built.
Spring 1984 - White River Elementary School closed. Intermediate students from White River were sent to Morton or Deerfield.
Fall 1984 - Driver Junior High School name was changed to Driver Middle School.
1997 - Baker elementary changed to lower grades and Willard elementary changed to upper grades in 1997.
2017 - Winchester Community High School has 461 students. Driver Middle School had 325 students. Willard Elementary 254 students.
Oliver P. Morton Elementary School, built in 1915-16. (Consolidation of one-room schools. White River Township. The School City of Winchester.)
Morton lower grade students were sent to Baker elementary in 1984.
Intermediate students from White River were sent to Morton or Deerfield in 1984.
Morton Elementary School closed Spring 1992.
Building was razed Fall 1992.
Oscar R. Baker Elementary School opened, Fall 1959.
Baker Elementary (319 students in 2017).
Baker elementary and White River elementary, Fall 1980. Baker served lower grades and White River served upper grades.
Baker elementary changed to lower grades and Willard elementary changed to upper grades in 1997. Baker Elementary School, enlarged and renovated in 2001-02.
Deerfield Elementary School built 1981-82. Opened: Fall 1982. Replaced Ridgeville and Ward Elementary Schools. Cost: $2,532,299.17.
Deerfield Elementary (199 students in 2017)
Intermediate students from White River were sent to Morton or Deerfield in 1984.
Jefferson School in 1911.
(Consolidation of one-room schools. Western part of Ward Township,) Jefferson High School students to Saratoga, Fall 1955.
Jefferson elementary students to Saratoga, Fall 1958.
Saratoga School in 1911.
(Consolidation of one-room schools. Eastern part of Ward Township.)
Saratoga School name changed to Ward High School.
Ward School in Saratoga name changed to Ward-Jackson School,
Saratoga students grades 6-12 in Fall 1959.
Jackson junior and senior high school to Saratoga, Fall 1958.
Jackson students grades 1-5 in Fall 1959.
The Jackson building name changed to Ward-Jackson Elementary School, Fall 1961.
Ridgeville School in 1923. (Consolidation of one-room schools. Franklin Township.)
Ridgeville High School closed Spring of 1966, students sent to Winchester Fall 1966,
History of current Randolph Southern School Corporation
Township(s):
Cities/towns: Lynn
Randolph Southern Elementary (262 students in 2017)
Randolph Southern Jr./Sr. High School (245 students in 2017)
The High School was built in 1974.
Elementary school destroyed by a tornado in March 1986.
A memorial plaque is at the site of the former school.
Elementary construction was finished in 1991.
History of current Union School Corporation
Township(s):
Cities/towns: Modoc, Losantville
Union High School was the consolidation of Modoc High School, Losantville High School, Huntsville High School, 1952. All attended the Modoc school building.
New school constructed, 1957.
Addition bulilt, 1968. Added Blountsville School students to the consolidation.
Renovation to building in 2002.
Blountsville School closed, 1968.
Union Elementary (120 students in 2017)
Union Jr./Sr. High (118 students in 2017)