Clarkwood School is one of the many forgotten schools of Corpus Christi, Texas along with Nueces County. Not many people know of this school or its whereabouts. Clarkwood School operated from 1800 to 1988 in the town of Clarkwood, Texas which was later annexed by Corpus Christi, Texas.
According to zillow.com, Clarkwood School was built in the year of 1800. Clarkwood School was built at the location of 211 South Clarkwood Road, Corpus Christi, Texas, US 78406. Clarkwood School was built as a 1,070 square foot, 2 story building on a 0.95 (1 acre) lot. The 1,070 square foot building is located on a 41,382 square foot lot.
In 1800, Clarkwood School was established along with its own school district called Clarkwood Common School District (Clarkwood Common School District No. 20). The town of Clarkwood had its own school district called Clarkwood Common School District which would later become Clarkwood Independent School District (Clarkwood ISD). Clarkwood Common School District bordered the small settlement of Violet, Texas and their common school district.
From the beginning until its slow closing, Clarkwood School was a 1-8 school that educated grades 1 through 8 and never educated high school grades. Clarkwood Common School District had an arrangement with Robstown ISD for high school students to attend high school in Robstown, Texas. Clarkwood School was an elementary school that was also known as Clarkwood Elementary School.
However there was a high school used to educate secondary grade students living the Clarkwood Independent School District boundaries. This school was called Clarkwood High School.
The property of Clarkwood School was located on was home to all 3 levels of education being, elementary school, junior high school (middle school), and high school. The property housed Clarkwood Elementary School, Clarkwood Junior High School, and Clarkwood High School.
The building was remodeled from being a single story building and was converted into a two story building in 1940. That was the first remodel of the Clarkwood School building in the 1940s decade. Clarkwood School was built on top. Prior to 1940, Clarkwood School was a wooden building. The outside was painted red and the inside was painted brown. Asphalt tiles were donated from a local Baptist church and used to create flooring on the inside.
Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported that on November 30, 1954 that a new six-classroom building was completed for $70,000. The inside was paved with glazed brick asphalt tile. 4 out of the 6 classrooms were in use. Clarkwood Lions Club took over the old wooden school building on that date. The architect was Brock Anderson of Corpus Christi. (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, November 30, 1954)
From 1954 onto 1988 is when Clarkwood Lions Club would use the old Clarkwood School building on a lease agreement with Tuloso-Midway Independent School District and Nueces County Common School District. In between that time period is when Clarkwood Lions Club would use the old Clarkwood School building as a dance hall.
On Thursday, January 6, 1955, Clarkwood Lions Club moved its 87 foot long, 26 foot wide frame building onto the property according to Corpus Christi Caller-Times. (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, January 6, 1955)
On the date of April 3, 1955, residents living within boundaries of the Clarkwood Common School District voted to become an independent school district thus becoming Clarkwood Independent School District (Clarkwood ISD).
(Ref: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Page 1, April 3, 1955)
(Ref: Robstown Record, Page 8, April 3, 1952)
Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported that on April 23, 1956, Clarkwood School measured 6.5 inches (6½ inches) of rain by noon that very day. Reportedly the whole town of Clarkwood had several businesses that were flooded. (Ref: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, April 23, 1956)
According to a clipping from a short news article written in Corpus Christi Caller-Times from September 13, 1959, the old Clarkwood School building received a coat of red paint that turned it into a square dance barn that would eventually become a dance hall. (Ref: The Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Page 27, September 13, 1959)
By 1961, Clarkwood School was a yellow brick building located at the address of 211 S. Clarkwood Road in Corpus Christi. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/300338118/)
Last remodel for Clarkwood School was made in the year of 1965 as reported by zillow.com. Two single story buildings were already built in the back of the original 1800 school building by 1965.
In February 1969, Clarkwood Independent School District (Clarkwood ISD) was absorbed and consolidated into Tuloso-Midway Independent School District. The official vote for consolidation was 98-10. Clarkwood School was then operated by Tuloso-Midway Independent School District from 1969 to 1988.
From 1970 to 1988 is when Tuloso-Midway Independent School District would continue to operate Clarkwood School as Clarkwood Elementary School. Clarkwood School closed in 1988 due to lack of state funding and local funding.
In 1988, Clarkwood Lions Club sold the old Clarkwood School building and the Clarkwood Elementary School buildings along with the property to a man name Feliburto B Yzaguirre. By 1989, Feliburto B Yzaguirre and 6 of his family members occupied the buildings.
A man named Ted Isensee made Clarkwood School his home. Ted Isensee's ties to Clark-wood Elementary School span almost 50 years. When he was a child, Isensee attended classes in the yellow-brick building at 211 S. Clarkwood Road. The retired engineer lived in a pink house behind the school for more than three decades. Now, he lives in the school. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/589399613/)
[Ted Isensee's tics to Clarkwood Elementary School span almost 50 years. When he was a child, Isensee attended classes in the yellow-brick building at 211 S. Clarkwood Road. The retired engineer lived in a pink house behind the school for more than three decades. Now, he lives in the school. Isensee, 66, bought the property from the Tuloso-Midway Independent School District earlier this year and moved inside. "This is permanent," he said. "I'm going to live in this school from now on." Isensee's bedroom is the former school library, according to the sign still above the swinging metal door.
He cooks his meals in what used to be the school kitchen. When his two sons from his second marriage visit every other weekend, they each get a private room and have about 15 others to spare. Luke, 10, and Hugo, 15, also have a full-size basketball court inside their father's new home, complete with two new nets. "And they ride their skateboards in there, too," Isensee said, adding that he doesn't play basketball. It wasn't a coincidence that Isensee ended up owning the 6.5 acres on which the school was built in the early 1900s.
When he made his purchase, he said, he had a plan. Isensee's family came to Corpus Christi from Karnes County in 1912. They own most of the land surrounding the school. Buying the main building, two wings and garage that sit on that property was sort of like completing a family real estate puzzle, he said. "The family farm is like a rectangle. If you took it and cut a notch out in a comer, that's where the school would be," Isensee explained. "But now that I've bought the school, it completes the rectangle." Isensee also bought the school for sentimental reasons. "Back in the 1920s, my grandfather (T.H. Isensee) deeded land to the district for the school building," he said. "I thought it would be nice if I could get that land back." One reason Isensee moved into the 10,000-square-foot building was that he couldn't find anyone to lease it, he said. Behind that building, there also are two 5,000-square-foot wings that contain empty classrooms. Isensee rents the pink house he owns behind the school property, he said.
Despite the expansiveness of his new quarters, Isensee said, he hasn't noticed a difference in utility bills. "There's an air conditioner in every room, but of course I don't run them all," he said. "In fact, during the summer I just used a fan. And in the winter I would only heat the space I live in." Isensee recently asked the city if he could get the school property rezoncd and turn it into multifamily dwellings. That plan is still under discussion, he said. Isensee doesn't worry much about finding families who either live in Clarkwood already or wouldn't mind moving there. Clarkwood is a small subdivision where most people know each other, he said. The main attractions are the Snappy Foods convenience store, a trailer park, a Baptist church and the school. Marvin and Starlene Bachus, who live around the corner from Isensee, have lived in the subdivision since 1943.]
According to zillow.com, Clarkwood School is now a single family home that serves as an apartment complex with 6 to 11 units. So far the apartment complex is made up of 11 units. In these 11 units are 16 people. Today the property is owned by Feliburto B Yzaguirre.
The location for Clarkwood School was and is 211 South Clarkwood Road, Corpus Christi, Texas, US 78406.
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