There were only a handful of proposed rural schools in Lassen County that were never approved. Spanish Springs School District was one of them.
On January 28, 1906, Lassen County Superintendent of Schools, J.F. Dixon, received a petition from August Penning requesting the formation of a school district, to be named Spanish Springs.. Penning stated he and his neighbors were too far removed from
the nearest schools at Cove in the eastern portion of the Madeline Plains and Secret Valley to the south. Dixon was concerned about the proposed boundaries, for it could jeopardize the enrollment
populations of the Cove and Secret schools. On the other hand, Dixon requested that the Board of Supervisors to consider Penning’s petition carefully, for he felt that the Spanish Springs residents would benefit from having a school. At the March 5, 1906 meeting, the Board of Supervisors declined to consider the petition, stating it was received too late. No attempt was made by residents press the issue any further.