In 1897 and 1898 the Warm Springs and Junction Schools were formally declared closed by the Superintendent of Schools. Due to that circumstance, no school existed in the extreme southern portion of Lassen County. In 1904, F.C. McDiarmid petitioned the County Superintendent of Schools, J.F. Dixon, to form a new school district in the southernmost portion of Lassen County. McDiarmid cited there were 21 school age children in the proposed district and that the majority of these children resided more than ten miles from the nearest schoolhouse. McDiarmid’s petition was submitted on March 14^th and required urgent attention. State law required all new districts be formed before the 5^th of April of any year. Dixon urged the Board of Supervisors to approve the District and noted that the Board would need to hold a special meeting to meet the State deadline. The Board of Supervisors held a special meeting on April 4^th, with three members in attendance, and approved the formation of the Constantia School District. The District boundaries included the Constantia Ranch and all the territory south to the Sierra County line. Continue reading Constantia School →

On November 28, 1913, the residents of Wendel petitioned for a school district, they named Caloreta, and the County Board of Supervisors approved it. On August 8, 1914, a bond election for $1,060 was held and approved by its fifteen registered voters. The school building itself is unique as it was constructed from native stone, whereas other rural schools were wooden framed structures. By 1919 the school was defunct. In 1922, the school re-opened, but not as Caloreta. When the Caloreta School District went defunct it was annexed to the Amedee School District. In 1922, the school operations at Amedee were moved to Wendel and occupied the Caloreta schoolhouse. Thus, the Caloreta School was now the Amedee School.

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In September 1909, there was a resurgence of prosperity in Amedee and the school re-opened its doors to sixteen students. In 1916, another attempt was made to build a schoolhouse. On April 7,1916, a bond election was held—a $1,500 measure. The bond was approved and it generated a 100% voter turnout, though four of the voters opposed it. Continue reading Amedee School, Part II →

In the spring of 1892, residents of Amedee petitioned the Lassen County Board of Supervisors to establish a school. The Board denied it. Not to be defeated, the residents opened a private school in September with an enrollment of eighteen students. The residents again petitioned the Board to approve a new district. The Board granted it on January 27,1893, and appointed L.W. Brubeck, E.C. Brown and C.D. Hemmenger as trustees. Continue reading Amedee School, Part I →

In 1916, the school was located on the Gibson/Haley Ranch and it was later relocated to Litchfield. On February 25, 1929, a $10,000 bond election was held to build a new schoolhouse at the Litchfield location and the bond was narrowly approved, 40 for and 37 against. The opponents retained an attorney, Ben V. Curler, to file a protest against the bond measure, the school district, and the County Board of Supervisors, the latter having had the authority to sell the bonds. The opponents argued that there were only 34 students and no prospect of any increase in student enrollment. In addition, they stated, the majority of the voters supporting the bonds were non-taxpayers and while most of the property owners favored a new building, they thought the proposed cost too excessive. On April 10, 1929, the school trustees and the County Board of Supervisors held a joint meeting to seek a solution. They agreed on a smaller school, only $6,500 in bonds was issued to construct the school. In 1951, Soldier Bridge, Standish and Bridgeport Schools were consolidated to form the Shaffer Union Elementary School District.

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The Soldier Bridge School was located a short distance from the present day Fleming Unit, of the California Department of Fish & Game. The district was established in March 1865 from a division of Susan River (Johnstonville). The first classes were held in the fall of 1865, with Miss Lurana Walker as instructor. In 1883, George W. Fry donated the land where the school had been built. At that time, Honey Lake Lodge #358 of the Independent Order of Good Templars was established and a hall was constructed next to the schoolhouse.

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One of the original six school districts established in 1864. The first classes were held in Shaffer’s warehouse. In 1865, the first schoolhouse was built through the efforts of Margaret Streshly and Mary J. Drake, who solicited donations of both building materials and money for furnishings.   Continue reading Richmond School →