Colorado White School No. 1 aka Colorado School is one of the many forgotten schools of Austin, Del Valle, and Travis County. This news article will explain the history of the infamous long forgotten Colorado School.
A short history of this school and Colorado School date back to the 1830s. Possibly around 1837. When the school first opened in 1837, it solely relied on county funding. The school was located in a log cabin near the Colorado River near a grove of trees and a cold spring. Colorado White School educated students in grades 1 through 8.
It was until the late 1850s when Colorado School would be operated by a school district. Colorado School would be operated by Colorado Common School District (now Del Valle ISD). Colorado Common School District wasn’t established until 1857. Most of the schools in the Colorado Common School District were established after the Civil War.
The school moved one-quarter mile after the re-alignment of the Austin-Bastrop Road (US 183) following after the Civil War and appears at the bend of the Bastrop Highway just south of the Colorado River. Although the Colorado School had an Austin address, it served students from the communities of Del Valle, Austin, Montopolis, Bergstrom Village, Glenbrook, and Colton.
(Ref: 1898-1902 Travis County Clerk Records: Road Book Precinct 4)
Average daily attendance was 26 to 30 students for Colorado White School No. 1. Some days 30 students attended school at best. Attendance was never very high due to the agricultural lifestyle. Students had to tend to family farms during harvesting season. Students had to pick cotton and work in the fields.
Students had to use outhouses located not too far away from the school as Colorado White School No. 2 did not receive indoor plumbing until near mid-20th century. 2 separate outhouses were located outside the school. The wait to use these facilities was long and time consuming. Some students and teachers simply used the forest that surrounded the area.
In 1921, a single story masonry brick building at a height of 12 feet was constructed in to replace the log cabin school to accommodate growth in enrollment as the log cabin school became overcrowded due to lack of space in classrooms. A sign with the words "Colorado School" had been placed on top of the school painted in a blackish brown color. Roof replacement was installed in the same year.
The Colorado Mexican School was constructed in 1934 and was precisely adjacent to Colorado White School No. 1. Colorado Mexican School educated students in grades 1 through 7. Colorado Negro School (Colorado Negro School No. 4) was established during the same year at the very same site.
An additional room was added to the Colorado White School No. 1 and Colorado Mexican School in 1935. A total of 7 students registered in seven grades were enrolled at Colorado Mexican School in 1936. (Ref: The Defender, 1936)
The 1936 Defender yearbook for Travis County Rural Schools describes the Colorado White School’s evolution through three separate buildings.
Average daily attendance was 26 to 30 students on daily basis during the 1930s. But the attendance rate still remained low as it historically was and has been. A number of additional rooms were later added to be expanded.
Prior to the opening of Colorado Mexican School, Hispanic students attended the Colorado White School before a separate school for Hispanics became available. Hispanic students were not required to attend school. Hispanic students had either attended the negro schools or white schools.
Of course racial segregation was implemented by law in Texas and southern United States, so schools were separated by race. Separate schools were built for white, black, and Hispanic students. Black students attended separate schools from white students. White students attended separate schools from black students. That is the reason why the "Colorado White School", "Colorado Mexican School", and "Colorado Negro School" existed.
By the 1940s, the Colorado White School No. 1 and Colorado Mexican School received indoor plumbing with 2 separate toilets inside the brick building. Water pipes were upgraded and fixed. Colorado White School and Colorado Mexican School experienced extreme overcrowding.
The Colorado Mexican School and Colorado White School eventually became combined into one school by 1942. Roof replacement was installed in the same year. The Colorado Mexican School had a daily attendance rate of 100 students in 1944. 100 students was the average on a daily basis. A huge increase from the 1930s attendance rate. The rate remained the same even in 1945.
By 1947, both schools were deemed inadequate by Travis County Schools Superintendent Irvin W. Popham. Both schools needed many maintenance repairs. Plumbing was deteriorating from years of neglect and upkeep. Their roofs needed replacing. (Ref: Austin American Statesman, Crowded Rural Schools Lack Pioneer Facilities, January 26, 1947)
By the late 1940s, Colorado White School and Colorado Mexican School experienced extreme overcrowding. Colorado Negro School faced the same issues as their white counterparts.
In 1948, Colorado White School No. 1 and the Colorado Common School District were defendants in the Delgado v. Bastrop ISD Federal court case against the State of Texas. The Colorado Common School District was 1 of 4 school districts listed as a defendant in the 1948 court case of Delgado v. Bastrop ISD. LULAC brought suit against the school districts for denying Mexican-American students the use of equal school facilities, services, and instruction.
Colorado School was listed as a prime example of racial segregation in the lawsuit against the state of Texas. LULAC brought suit against several school districts for denying Hispanic students the use of school facilities and educational services. The suit claimed Hispanic students were separated and segregated from white students even though under state law they were considered "White" or "Caucasian".
By the late end of 1948, Colorado White School No. 1 and Colorado Mexican School were closed due to overcrowding conditions. Travis County Schools Superintendent Irving W. Popham described conditions at Colorado Mexican School as “the worst Travis County has ever known.” Travis County Schools, Austin Independent School District (then Austin Public Schools which is now known as Austin ISD) and Colorado Common School District deemed the Colorado School unfit and inadequate for a learning environment due to overcrowding from a lack of space and growth in enrollment. Overcrowding was extreme. Travis County government officials determined the Colorado School deemed to be unfit and antiquated.
Although US Court found both the Colorado Mexican School and Colorado Common School District to be operating within the terms of the decree, overcrowding of the school witnessed would contradict the provision for “equal school instruction.”
After being found non-compliant with the ruling, Colorado White School No. 1 was closed in 1948. The Delgado v. Bastrop ISD Federal court ruling called for desegregation of school facilities. After the school closed, students were shipped to other schools as part the consolidation into Del Valle ISD on part of Texas Education Agency (TEA) and Colorado Common School District.
The Nuestra Senora La Luz Catholic Mission Church in Montopolis offered the use of its chapel for 53 first-grade students. The remaining 40 students stayed at the Colorado Mexican School until the school district finally closed down the school. Its students were shipped to other schools.
From 1948 to 1950, Colorado White School No. 1 was used as a community center and church. As part of the land agreement with Travis County and City of Austin, the school was to be zoned as a church and community if in the event the school were to close down due to overcrowding, structural error, or declining enrollment. Colorado School held religious services during operation as a church.
(Ref: Austin American Statesman, Latin-American school segregation outlawed, June 15, 1948)
(Ref: Handbook of Texas Online, V. Carl Allsup, "Delgado v. Bastrop Isd”)
In 1950, the old Colorado White School No. 1 was all but abandoned by the school district. Grass was kept untrimmed. Windows and window panels were boarded with thin plywood. Vegetation had sprawled all over.
The Colorado Common School District along with Travis County Schools & TEA was consolidating school districts & schools in Southeastern Travis County in the 1950s in an effort to collect more on property taxes, declining enrollment, and lack of funding. Schools and school districts that were consolidated into Colorado Common School District (Del Valle ISD) were Elroy, Creedmoor, Pilot Knob, Dry Creek, Hornsby-Dunlap, Maha, and Garfield.
1950 is also when the Del Valle schools became slowly integrated. Some schools were no longer separated by race or ethnicity. Integration was slow to come to liberal Austin and Del Valle, but it came easy as the racial integration process went smooth with no trouble.
The first 3 grades of the school were moved to another site on Vargas Road in 1954. (The site is where Allison Elementary School is located today.) This was because the school was located dangerously close to Bergstrom Air Force Base. (Ref: Bill Brammer, Austin American-Statesman, 1954)
As cited from an Austin American-Statesman news article written by Bill Brammer from 1954, the “first three grades of the school were moved to another site about two miles away on Vargas Road.”
In 1958, grass vegetation took over the driveways as Colorado Mexican School was totally abandoned. The buildings were still standing by then. 1958 is also the year when the Del Valle schools became integrated. Schools were no longer separated by race or ethnicity. Integration was slow to come to liberal Austin and Del Valle, but it came easy as the racial integration process went smooth with no trouble.
In 1958, Austin Public Schools (Austin Independent School District bka Austin ISD) sold the land to United States Government as the school was located dangerously close in a flight path being near Bergstrom Air Force Base. Davidson tract was located outside the former Bergstrom Air Force Base.
Colorado White School No. 1 and Colorado Mexican School was demolished in 1964 after being vacant for 15 years. All that remained was a pile of rubble and debris from demolition. All that remained in 1965 was a gravel pit located on site of the former schools.
Today no trace of Colorado White School No. 1 remain. No traces of the outhouses or cistern remain today. Its land plot has since been overgrown with vegetation such as grass. All outbuilding have been demolished.
Schools such as this one should be preserved as a museum, converted to a dance studio, bank, or revitalized into government offices. This can be listed as an example of priorities placed in the wrong place. Historic preservation should be a secondary priority for a school district.
Something needs to be done to commemorate the Colorado Mexican School as a part the 1948 Federal Court ruling on Delgado v. Bastrop ISD. People don't recognize how LULAC fought for equal school instruction, services, and facilities. Efforts of LULAC also need to be brought to attention.
Colorado White School No. 1 (Colorado School) was located at 1601 Old Del Valle Road, Austin, Texas, US 78742. Colorado White School No. 1 was near Austin Bergstrom International Airport near US 183 & Highway 71.
*Colorado Common School District was known to Travis County Schools officials and civilians as Colorado Common School District No. 36 or as School District No. 36.
*The Colorado School was simply just called "Colorado School" at one point in history.
* Colorado White School No. 1 was also known as Colorado White School.
*Colorado School had an Austin address despite being zoned to Del Valle ISD.
*Colorado School was adjacent to 2 other schools before the schools became molded into one school called "Colorado School" due mainly to racial integration following 1948. Thus Colorado Mexican School and Colorado Negro School were eventually combined into the Colorado White School.
*Old Del Valle Road was also known as Old Austin-Del Valle Road, Austin-Del Valle Road, and Del Valle Road.
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