African American Schools in Wayne County, KY
Start Year : 1868
End Year : 1955
According to an article in Overview, both African American and white settlers of Shearer Valley and Simpson Branch (then called Turkey Ridge) came together to build the first church/school house for colored and white children in Wayne County, KY. The school was built in 1868 and was named the Little Flock School and Church [source: History of Public Education of Wayne County, 1842 to 1975 by Ira Bell]. William Simpson, who was white, was the first teacher. The names of 76 Negro teachers, beginning in 1885, are listed on pages 18-19 in History of Public Education of Wayne County, 1842 to 1975 by I. Bell. There was one colored school in Wayne County in 1886, according to the Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Later other African American schools were established in the county in Dogwood, Duncan Valley, Mill Springs, Monticello, and Meadow Creek. According to the thesis of Harry F. Young, History of Education in Wayne County, pp.35-37 and 69-73, in 1890, all of the colored school buildings were log structures that in total were valued at $700. The schools were poor and the teachers were not very well prepared. From 1890-1927, the highest average enrollment at the colored schools was 191 during the 1920-21 school term. The lowest average attendance was 60 during the 1917-18 school term. There were never more than 8 teachers in the colored schools.  For more see "Negro Schools," Overview, vol. 13, issue 1, 1992. Overview is published by the Wayne County Historical Society in Monticello, KY.

• Colored School (1868)
• Dogwood School
• Duncan School
• Meadow Creek School
• Mill Springs School [photo on p.20 in History of Public Education of Wayne County, 1842 to 1975 by I. Bell]
• Monticello School
• Shearer Valley School
• Valley School

See 1937 photo image of Monticello School in the Kentucky Digital Library - Images.

Subjects: Education and Educators, Grade Schools & High Schools in Kentucky, African American Schools in Kentucky (Counties A-Z)
Geographic Region: Wayne County, Kentucky