History of Oak Island School in San Antonio, Texas explored.

Oak Island School is one of the many forgotten schools of San Antonio and Bexar County. The school itself has somewhat of an interesting history.


Oak Island School was established in 1852 inside a church called Oak Island Methodist Church (then Oak Island Methodist Episcopal Church) organized by Reverend John Wesley DeVilbiss. The school and church were located on Oak Island Drive near where Loop 1604 and Devilbliss Lane intersect. Official provisions for this school had been instituted in 1854. 2 more teachers were hired in 1856. (Ref: Fehrenbach 1968:303)

Oak Island School was a “field school” - a school which families had established by providing a building and hiring a teacher. Most rural schools in San Antonio and Bexar County had “field schools”. At this time Oak Island School was a rural school which educated students in grades 1 through 8.

(Ref: Chipped Stone and Adobe: A Cultural Resources Assessment of the Proposed Applewhite Reservoir, Bexar County, Texas)
(Ref: http://oakislandchurch.org/history)

However it was not until 1868 did the Texas State Constitution call for a centralized state public school system. That is when Oak Island School began receiving state funding. Oak Island School was still located in the church. Classes for school were held in Oak Island Methodist Church for a while until a school could be built.


Around 1880 is when a single story wooden-frame schoolhouse was built to house the Oak Island School. This wooden-frame building was located west of Oak Island Methodist Church on Oak Island Drive.

In 1918, it was decided the old school needed to be replaced with a new 3 room school. By then Oak Island School was operated as a Bexar County School and was financed by the county. Bexar County was responsible for the finances of Oak Island School. (Ref: http://oakislandchurch.org/history)

The summer of 1919 is when Oak Island School received a new school building. Its new school building was built at a cost of $5,000. This building was a c-shaped building. (Ref: San Antonio Evening News, Page 12, Wednesday, June 11, 1919)

Oak Island School educated students in grades 1 through 10 during the 1920s. When students graduated from this school, they would attend high school in Somerset or Poteet. Some students went to Brackenridge High School and South San Antonio High School in San Antonio.

In 1926, the new school building was painted white. Extra half windows were placed above the present window's on the south of each classroom in order to give sufficient light. (Ref: Sikeston Herald, Page 11, Thursday, May 18, 1939)

Oak Island School was consolidated into Somerset ISD in 1950. The community voted to consolidate their school with Somerset which resulted in the school being shut down immediately. Oak Island School sat vacant for many years with no purpose.

Overtime the school needed much repair work done. The church could not afford to keep the school building due to maintenance costs which led to the building being torn down. Oak Island School was demolished in 1970. No trace remains of the school today.

The teacherage was rented and leased for a while but the church could not afford to maintain it. So it was sold by the church to a private owner and moved onto a private residence. (Ref: http://oakislandchurch.org/history)


Oak Island School was located near Devilbliss Lane & Oak Island Drive, San Antonio, Texas, US 78624.