Gilmer’s Schools
Twenty-eight years ago the public school system of Gilmer Independent School District was well established and the community felt that splendid progress had been made in free public schools. The High School building, which is still in use, was built in 1915, and used for the Gilmer high school classes for the first time in the term of 1915-16. The graduating class of 1916 was the first class to graduate in the new building.
Previous to that year, the entire school, from the first to the eleventh grade had been housed in the red brick school house on Scott Street, which has become known to the present generation as the “Old Ward School.” Mr. I. A. Costen was superintendent of the Gilmer public schools at that time.
In 1931, conditions again became crowded in the Gilmer High School and changes in methods and curriculum, and teaching made a gymnasium almost a necessity, so another building was erected on the high school campus. This building, now known as the high school gym, was built to house the home economics department, band room, a large gymnasium and dressing room and auditorium. A commodious stage is also in the building, and the gymnasium and auditorium serve for almost every large function in Gilmer.
The next building program was inaugurated in 1938 when Gilmer Parent-Teacher Association pointed out the crowded condition and anticipated facilities in the old ward school. In 1915 this building was crowded with eleven grades, but in 1938 it was too crowded for seven grades. There are two outstanding reasons for this growth. One was the discovery of oil in Upshur County, which increased Gilmer’s population, and another was the compulsory attendance law, which requires every child to attend school until they are sixteen years old. Twenty-five years ago, a child could stop school any time their parents gave their consent. After the movement had been thoroughly publicized by the P.-T. A. a bond election was held and the present handsome ward school building was erected in 1938. It was opened for school use with the September term of that year. In 1941, the old red building was torn down and the material salvaged to be incorporated with new material to build a Negro school in the southern part of the city.
Twenty-eight years ago, Gilmer had just become an Affiliated School with 16 credits. Now the Gilmer High School offers 36½ units of accredited subjects to their pupils, and each student can choose the most of his subjects.