Barrier Ford School History # 4618
The first meeting of the Barrier Ford S.D. No. 4618 was held on April 13, 1925 with Fred Harn, chairman; M. Shurnyla, secretary; and trustees John Shurnyla and Louis Lafont. Some of the items discussed at this meeting were: the layout of the district, means of crossing the river for children from the south and the east, and the number of pupils in different areas. The site for the proposed school was decided upon - the SE corner of SE 19-41-12-W2nd. In the following three years, several meetings were held to decide upon a building plan and make financial arrangements. W. Palmer of Tisdale supplied the material and built the school for $1400.00 (material cost was $850.00).
On July 31, 1928, the new 24' x 32' school was opened, with Miss Marion Stewart of Eldersley, employed as a temporary teacher until a qualified one could be found. Her salary was $3.00 per day. In 1933, however, Mr. A. Herron of Mossbank was hired at a salary of $2.00 per day. During these years, the trustees struck their own mill rate (6-8 mills in the 1930's), did their own assessing, collected their own taxes, and were totally responsible for their finances. Very little cash was available hence most taxpayers paid part or all of their taxes by supplying cord wood, fence posts, rails or doing necessary repair work. In 1940, when the teacher's salary had risen to $700.00 per year, a quote from the minutes reads as follows: “The cash on hand was divided between the teacher and other bills to the best of the board's ability.”
Several students lived quite a distance from the school and came with horses thus in 1930, a 16' x 24' barn was built at a cost of $40.00. In 1951, a ‘little school’ for the junior pupils was built. There was actually a greater need for this in earlier years when one teacher taught up to fifty pupils from grades one to eight, but finances would not allow the cost of a second school and a teacher. A teacherage was erected in 1954. The district was part of the Tisdale School Unit when the school closed in 1964 and the students were transported to Bjorkdale.
The Teachers:
On July 31, 1928, the new 24' x 32' school was opened, with Miss Marion Stewart of Eldersley, employed as a temporary teacher until a qualified one could be found. Her salary was $3.00 per day. In 1933, however, Mr. A. Herron of Mossbank was hired at a salary of $2.00 per day. During these years, the trustees struck their own mill rate (6-8 mills in the 1930's), did their own assessing, collected their own taxes, and were totally responsible for their finances. Very little cash was available hence most taxpayers paid part or all of their taxes by supplying cord wood, fence posts, rails or doing necessary repair work. In 1940, when the teacher's salary had risen to $700.00 per year, a quote from the minutes reads as follows: “The cash on hand was divided between the teacher and other bills to the best of the board's ability.”
Several students lived quite a distance from the school and came with horses thus in 1930, a 16' x 24' barn was built at a cost of $40.00. In 1951, a ‘little school’ for the junior pupils was built. There was actually a greater need for this in earlier years when one teacher taught up to fifty pupils from grades one to eight, but finances would not allow the cost of a second school and a teacher. A teacherage was erected in 1954. The district was part of the Tisdale School Unit when the school closed in 1964 and the students were transported to Bjorkdale.
The Teachers:
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Lucy Davis |
1928-29 |
Louis Lercher |
1929-30 |
C. Martinovsky |
1930-32 |
M. Spencer |
1932-33 |
Albert Herron |
1933-34 |
Clifton Orser |
1934-35 |
K. Beatty |
1935-37 |
Ellen O'Connor |
1937-38 |
Gregory Dixon |
1938-41 |
Mary Koroluk |
1941-42 |
Grace Hanna |
1942-44 |
Helen Siemens |
1944-45 |
P. Omelchanko |
1945-47 |
Michael Pitzel |
1947-50 |
Margrita Miller |
1950-51 |
G. Goldsworthy |
1951-58 |
K. Palamaryk |
1951-52 |
Neil King |
1952-53 |
Wm. Zolkavich |
1953-54 |
Arlie Hunter |
1954-55 |
Ione Bergh |
1954-55 |
Joe Melia |
1955-58 |
Jeanette Lafont |
1958-60 |
Wm. Hegdus |
1958-60 |
P. Miezanko |
1960-61 |
Esther Sands |
1960-61 |
Jeanette Lafont |
1961-62 |
Mrs. F. E. Currie |
1962-63 |
Gail A. Stevens |
1963-64 |
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Abstracted from: A Season or So ... A history of the people of Bjorkdale and surrounding districts, 1983, Published by Bjorkdale Historical Committee.
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