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Our School History
The following
"School History" is a brief summary obtained from reports made by Mattie C.
Hines in 1951, and Susan Mahon in 1976. Their research and interest in this
history of our school is admired and greatly appreciated. Copies of their entire
reports may be seen at The Mitchell County Library and West Texas Museum.
Additional information has been added since then through research by
others.
The first schools of Mitchell County were organized under the
school laws of 1876 which provided that "one-fourth or less" of the occupational
and advalorem taxes was to be set aside for public schools. The people were
permitted to organize themselves into school communities to take advantage of
the benefits of the available school fund.
These communities had no
definite boundaries and could be reorganized each year. Even though the
boundaries could be changed, it gave some permanence to the schools and some
incentive toward building schoolhouses. Often the school buildings were shifted
from one location to another to accommodate the greater number of
children.
In 1884, this community school organization was discarded and
provision was made by the new school laws, for the organization of districts
with definite boundary lines. This new school law also permitted the people to
vote local taxes for their operation.
Mitchell county was originally
divided into two common school districts. On June 13, 1890, School District
Number One petitioned for an election to see if the citizens favored the levying
of taxes to the amount of twenty cents on the $100.00, to supplement the State
School Fund apportionment. On June 17, 1890, School District Number Two
petitioned for the same election.
This law, authorizing the local
districts to vote a school tax up to twenty cents on the $100.00 valuation,
further provided that two-thirds of the property owners had to vote in favor of
such a tax in order that it be established; therefore, few schools throughout
Texas voted any tax. The citizens of Mitchell County showed their eagerness for
better schools for their children by voting favorably on this issue. Not until
1908 was the two-thirds rule abolished.
There were several early schools
located in Mitchell County during the early 1890's, most of which were only
temporary, making the data hard to establish.
The first list of the
common schools of Mitchell County found in the Commissioner's Court Records of
February 15, 1908, cites these schools: Center School, North Champion,
Longfellow, Seven Wells, Valley View, Zellner, Shepherd, Looney, Rogers,
Cuthbert, Westbrook, Conaway, Union, Liberty, Fairview, Horn's Chapel, Iatan,
Daniels and Oliver.
These common schools were carried on in the two
independent districts of Colorado City and Loraine until May 17, 1908.
On
April 3, 1911, another subdivision took place and the following names were
applied to the common schools of the county: Longfellow, Shepherd, Valley View,
North Champion, Plainview, McKenzie, Zellner, Union, Rogers, Womack, Horn's
Chapel, Fairview, Cuthbert and Looney.
On May 9, 1911, Iatan Common
School District was sub-divided into two districts. Daniels, which had been a
part of Iatan, was made a separate district. These divisions remained for
several years, although sections of land were added to and subtracted from each
of them and new schools were organized until there were twenty-nine common
school districts by August, 1923, as follows: Longfellow, Lone Star, Carr,
Payne, Cuthbert, Rogers, Dorn, Spade, Buford, Seven Wells, Looney, Fairview,
Valley View, Shepherd, North Champion, Lowe, Horn's Chapel, McKenzie, Conaway,
Little Sulphur, Baumann, Landers, Silver and Hyman, Westbrook, Loraine, Colorado
City, Iatan and Daniels.
Most of the common school districts reached the
height of their progress by 1934-35 and began to consolidate with the three
independent school districts of Westbrook, Loraine and Colorado
City.
Consolidation for Loraine was as follows:
1. Lone Star - Highest
grades were transferred 1936-1937
2. Looney - All students living on the east
side of the district transferred for the term of 1943-1944.
3. Valley View -
All students transferred for the term of 1941-1942.
4. North Champion -
Entire school transferred for the term 1935-1936.
 <---5. Baumann - All students transferred for the term
1940-1941.
6. Landers - All students transferred for the term
1939-1940.
7. Silver - entire school transferred in 1937-1938
In
1934-1935, when the common school districts had reached their peak and began to
transfer their higher grades to the high schools, Loraine enrolled 392 pupils in
the eleven grades, 97 of whom were transfers from the adjoining common school
districts. As school bus transportation became a success it was proved that it
would be more economical to transfer and transport more grades to the nearest
high school, so by 1949 all the schools of the county were being sent to either
Loraine, Colorado City or Westbrook.
Loraine Independent School District
was increased from its original 25 square miles by the consolidation movement.
The common school districts of North Champion, Lone Star, Baumann, and a part of
Longfellow, Shepherd, Valley View, Looney, McKenzie, Silver and Landers became a
part of the Loraine Independent School District in the summer of
1949.
The enrollment, based on original entries for the year of 1949-1950
reached 478 with an average daily attendance of 378.7. Two hundred and
forty-five were transported by the five buses owned by the school. Eighteen
teachers were employed in the system.
Loraine was a Class B accredited
high school with 32 affiliated units. The elementary school was also accredited.
There were 88 pupils enrolled in high school during the 1949-1950
session.
University Interscholastic League reclassified all schools
during the 70's and Loraine was reclassified from Class B to Class A. Due to the
drop in enrollment for the school year 1986 Six Man Football was initiated and
is currently played. Currently there is an enrollment of approximately 175
students, with approximately 15 teachers and teacher aides.
In 1989, the
Loraine track team consisting of: Shawn Finley, Rudy Sanchez, Joey Lujan,Luis
Leija, and Anthony Williams won the first 6-man state track meet . They won the
400m and the 1600m relays. They were unable to defend their title in 1990 due to
injuries.
 In 1893, a small group of students were taught in a little red
school house. It stood somewhere near the train depot. This began the education
for young people of Loraine.
 The second school house was a white frame building located at the
foot of the hill from where the present school is located. This building was
built in 1905. In 1907 a concrete block school was built, which was used until
1924.
A two story red brick building was built and classes were held in
"OLD RED" from 1924 - 1952.
A picture of our current school, as shown on the web site, has been used
since 1953.
Recorded in the Mitchell County Court House is the
following:
Grantor: Sim J. Drake et al, Warranty Deed dated July 17,
1907, Filed November 7, 1907, Book 33, pg 273.
Grantee: Loraine Ind.
School, Price $1.00, consists of lots 3, 4, 5, 6, in Block 37, East of Lightfoot
and South of Market Ave.
This is the corner where the Baptist Church now
stands. There was a school building located in this area according to one
historical account. It was a temporary school after moving from downtown (west
of the ice house and south of the tracks) and before the two-story concrete
block school on the hill was completed.
Also, another school
pruchase:
Granter: Charles J. Canda, Sim J. Drake, Sigmund Neustadt,
Warranty Deed dated January 16, 1911, Filed January 24, 1911, Book 33, pg
372.
Grantee: Loraine Ind. School, Price $180.00, $60.00 down plus two
notes #11445 and # 11446 each for $60.00, interest at 6%, consists of lots 5, 6,
7, 8, in Block 29 located at corner of Hinson and Campbell.
What was built on
this land is not known. It is by where the Catholic Church stands
today.
In 1941-42 the high school students edited an annual, "The
Lorainian", and a weekly newspaper, "The Mastiff", which was published as a part
of The Mitchell County News. All phases of athletics are carried on: football,
volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis, basketball and track. The athletic teams
are still known as the "Bulldogs". In 1962, the annual became know as "The
Bulldog".
 An artist's drawing of the plannned gymn in 1938. This
gymn is what is now the old gymn used for Basketball games.
The Loraine Parent-Teachers' Association, organized in 1918,
was and is still a very active force in the school's history. A Band Club,
organized in 1949 for the purpose of buying uniforms for the members of the
band, was another club that played an important part in the school's program and
success.
Mrs. Jim Johnson, a retired schoolteacher who lived in Loraine
for 57 years, wrote this poem about Loraine and its early settlers.
Eighteen hundred and eighty one,
The railroad trains began to
run
Where Loraine stands.
This opened up the vast domains,
And migrants
came to view the plains
And buy the land.
Not only did they come by
train
To settle here around Loraine,
To make a home -
But day by day in
wagon loads
they traveled on the dusty roads,
And stayed no more to
roam.
But soon they found they needed much
To give the place a homey
touch,
And work began.
New Homes were built and streets surveyed
With
church and school foundations laid.
To fill each plan.
So thus our
town grew apace,
And soon became a happy place
For all to see.
So many
persons of renown,
Have helped to build our little town,
That we should
grateful be.
Our doctors, lawyers, farmers, preachers,
Bankers,
merchants, school and teachers,
Helped it grow.
And after three score
years and ten,
We carry on "through thick and thin"
With hearts
aglow.
And, thus, through many happy years
Our own hometown deserves
our cheers
With might and main.
We have no reason to be sad,
But many
things to make us glad
We Live in Loraine.
School
Song:
Sing cheers for Loraine High
Echo her name
Sing praises
to the sky and
Laud her courage, sing her fame and
Wave high the gold and
black
Colors so true
And til the end we'll sing and
Bring our faith and
future hopes to you.
Please click on the link below to hear our
school song music (MP3 format).
School Song
Fight
Song:
On ye Bulldogs, On ye Bulldogs
Fight right through that
line
Throw the ball around the field
A Touchdown sure this time
On ye
Bulldogs, On ye Bulldogs
Fight'em For Your Fame
Fight Bulldogs, Fight,
Fight, Fight
You'll Win This Game
Please click on the link below
to hear the Bulldogs Fight Song (MP3 format).
Fight Song
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