Lower Balcones School was a county school operated by Kendall County Common School District in Boerne, Texas from 1890 to the 1940s. Lower Balcones School was one of the many country schools built in the United States during the late end of the 19th century. Not much is known about the Lower Balcones School or its history. This news article will explain and examine the history behind Lower Balcones School.
Lower Balcones School was built as a one-room schoolhouse built as a wooden frame building in 1890 during the 1890-1891 school year for Kendall County Common School District. Lower Balcones School was located on the Boerne Stage Road serving as the main road from Boerne to San Antonio at the time. The school building for Lower Balcones School is located next to Balcones Creek which serves as the boundary line between Kendall County and Bexar County.
The school term started in October and ended in March. The last day was usually around Memorial Day. Its school bell did not start ringing until the day after Labor Day. (Ref: https://conradsstories.com/2011/09/09/lower-balcones-school)
Kendall County Common School District was responsible for funding the school through county finances as it was for all of its schools. Grades 1 through 8 were taught at the school the first 10 years starting in the 1890-1891 school year. Grades 9 and 10 were added in 1901.
40 students attended Lower Balcones School in 1890 during the 1890-1891 school year. This school used 20 double desks which seated 2 students. All of its 40 students were in elementary grades. 41 students in grades 1 through 8 attended Lower Balcones School in 1891.
Beginning in 1901 during the 1900-1901 school year is when grades 9 and 10 were included into the school. Grades 9 and 10 were in the same room.
In 1909, the school building burned down in a fire. The school building perished afterwards. Nothing could be salvaged. This would require Kendall County Common School District to allocate funding for a new school building to be constructed. Students attended school elsewhere where they could continue classes. The fire had occurred in 1909 during the 1909-1910 school year.
A new two-room school building was established in 1910. Classes were continued in 1910 during the 1910-1911 school year. Beginning in 1911, classes for grades 9 and 10 were held in a separate room away from students in grades 1 through 8. The average daily attendance for the 1930s decade was 36 students.
It was sometime during the 1940s when Lower Balcones School was consolidated into Boerne ISD. This was due to the availability of automobiles becoming more affordable and road improvement. The advent of transportation led students to attend school in town with no further need for country schools or county schools.
Today Lower Balcones School serves as a multi-use facility by serving as Unity Church of Boerne and as a meeting hall. The meeting hall is in the other room of the school building. Unity Church of Boerne now owns the school building of Lower Balcones School.
Address for Lower Balcones School is 121 Scenic Loop Road, Boerne, Texas, US 78006.
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