Manor Rural High School is one of the many forgotten schools of Manor and Travis County. Only so much history about this rural school has been documented, collected, and archived. This news article will explain and explore the history behind Manor Rural High School.
Many remember that white wooden two-story building that stood at the top of the hill where Manor Excel High School now stands. There were metal stairs that extended from the second floor down to the ground on the north side of the building. There was a metal water trough which served as a drinking fountain, outside on back wall of the building. This white wooden two-story building was Manor Rural High School.
Manor Rural High School was located next to the former Manor High School (now Excel High School/Excel Academy) and the former Manor Elementary School (former Manor White School/Manor Public School) on Parsons Street. Manor Rural High School had two buildings. The building in the back served as Manor Elementary School (Manor White School). Manor Rural High School was also Manor White School.
Manor Rural High School educated white students and Hispanic students enrolled in high school grades 8 through 12. The school called Manor Rural High School was located inside of a two-story wooden building and a single story stucco building. Manor Rural High School had a gymnasium called Manor Rural High School Gymnasium where community meetings were held. Their gym was “state of the art” for a rural high school.
That white wooden two-story building that stood at the top of the hill once served as Manor Elementary School and Manor High School prior to 1906. This building would serve as Manor Elementary School from 1906 to 1940. This building would serve as both Manor Rural High School and as Manor Elementary School beginning in 1940.
Talk of building another rural high school was discussed in the Austin Weekly back in 1914. Miss Maud Douglas, County Superintendent, reported that talk of consolidating several districts and building a rural high school. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/357495603/)
[On her return yesterday from a visit to several of the schools in the Manor neighborhood, Miss Maud Douglas, County Superintendent, reported that talk of consolidating several districts and building a rural high school is going the rounds, and that the probabilities are certain a school will be established before long. At Kimbro the Superintendent saw for the first time the elegant new two room building that the district has built. It is a strictly up-to-date structure, well equipped and is lighted with gas.]
Manor Independent School District (Manor ISD) was in debt prior to the opening and construction of Manor Rural High School. Manor ISD needed to expand their tax base in order to eliminate their debt. So the former school districts of Sprinkle, Decker, Rose Hill, Cottonwood, Gregg, Bitting, and Kimbro were consolidated into Manor ISD to be grouped together to form the Manor Rural High School District. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/385813683/)
“Before the grouping took place, the old Manor District, had an outstanding indebtedness against the high school building the same these districts. The balloting will be over placing a general maintenance tax, roughly 85 to 90 cents, on all persons living in the enlarged districts.”
Manor Independent School District (Manor ISD) voted to establish a rural high school in their school called Manor Rural High School in 1943. Now Manor Rural High School would operate in a school district called The Manor Rural High School District No. 20. Manor Rural High School District was created in the year 1943 with the consolidation of common school districts such as Bitting, Cottonwood, Kimbro, Rose Hill, Gregg, Decker, Burditt, and Sprinkle. High school students from those common school districts attended either Manor Rural High School or Manor High School depending on availability and space. A trustee representing each of the seven communities has been serving on the district board of education by appointment. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386088347/)
“The following districts have been annexed to form the Manor rural high school district: Decker, Rose Hill. Manor, Bitting, Gregg, Schiller, and Cottonwood. Those serving on the school board will be Roy Weiss, president; Chester Neece. vice-president; Lee Kelton, secretary; C. O. Ceder, Gus Rogas, Lacy Kirckman and Walter Helgren.”
Supt. M. C. Rushing announced in the Austin American that Manor Rural High School would open on Monday, September 13, 1943. “Supt. M. C. Rushing announced Saturday that the Manor Rural High School would open Monday, Sept. 13. Students will register at the school house Sept. 9. There will be a faculty meeting Sept. 11 at 9:30 a. m.” (Ref: Austin American, Manor High School Sets Opening Date, Saturday, September 4, 1943)
Manor Rural High School organized its first class on the date of September 22, 1943. Austin American made the announcement in their newspaper. (Ref: Austin American, Manor High School Classes Organize, September 22, 1943)
[Manor Rural High School teachers and pupils have organized their activities for the year during the first week of the new school term, M. C. Rushing, superintendent, has announced. Faculty members, in addition to Supt. Rushing, for the year are: Mrs. L. W. Geppert, high school principal; Mrs. Julia Browning, elementary principal; Mrs. Wilma F. Perrine, Miss Edith Henderson, Mrs. Billie B. Davenport, Mrs. H. A. Butcher, Mrs. Loretta Van Sickle, Mrs. Irene McGill. Mrs. Margie Creel, Mrs. Edith Hewatt and Miss Ina May Rowe. The following classes have elected officers: Seniors: Louise Townsend, president; Gene Danz. vice president; Hildegarde Morell, secretary; Joanna Karling. treasurer; and Henry Bell Helgren, sergeant-at-arms. Juniors: Gwendolyn Lindgren, president; Mary Ann Anderson, vice president; Obert Sundheck. secretary-treasurer; T. J. Bryant, sergeant-at-arms. Sophomores: Wilburn Rust, president; LaVerne Vorwerk, vice president; Violet Johnson, secretary; Mildred Coe, treasurer; Virginia Talley, reporter; and Howard Rogas, sergeant-at-arms. Freshmen: Waldine Pfluger, president; Clarence Pfluger, vice president: Davey Nagle, secretary: Charles Lockwood, treasurer; and Ima Gene Howse. parliamentarian. Eighth grade: Dora Nell Mehner, president; Elvera Foster, vice president; Vera Menefee, secretary; and Dorothy Mae Willis, treasurer.]
Manor ISD elected trustees for the Manor Rural High School District again in 1944. Some of the same members of the school board from the previous year were kept. (Ref: Austin American Manor School District To Elect Trustees)
“The Manor Rural High School District, created last year with the consolidation of the Manor independent district with the Bitting, Cottonwood, Rose Hill, Gregg, Decker and Sprinkle, common school districts, will hold its first trustee election Saturday to elect seven members of the board of education for the consolidated district, Co. Supt. Irwin W. Popham announced Thursday. On the same day two members of the Travis County Board of Education are to be elected for a three-year term.”
“Since the consolidation of the six common districts with the Manor independent district last year, a trustee representing each of the seven communities has been serving on the district board of education by appointment. The present board members are the first named on the ballot under each original district. Candidates are: Original Manor, Leroy Weiss. J. W. Meier, original Bitting, Lacy Kirkman; original Cottonwood, Walter Helgren, Robert Gustafson; original Rose Hill, Chester Nolle, Elof Swanberg original Gregg, Gus Rogas, Louis Wusterhauren; original Decker C. O. Coder, the Rev. Joe Karling; and original Sprinkle, T. L. Helton, A S. Bergstrom.”
The Manor Rural High School District solicited bids in the newspaper for new indoor restrooms to be built inside of the high school building of Manor Rural High School. This is because Manor Rural High School had no indoor plumbing prior to 1947. Outhouses were still being used during that time period. The school suffered from a lack of modern amenities.
“NOTICE CONTRACTORS AND BUILDERS The Manor Rural High School District solicits bids for the construction of two indoor rest rooms in the high school building. Rooms are to be approximately 12 by 24 feet, built of brown tile, concrete floors, five water toilets in each, two lavatories in each, and two urinals in one. The project includes one septic tank for each rest room together with all Plumbing and drainage in connection therewith. The contractor is to furnish all fixtures. The school Board reserve the right to reject any and all bids. Further details of the plans can be obtained from the Superintendent's office.”
Manor Rural High School District began charging $55 dollars in tuition and $110 dollars for the term in 1948. Half to be paid on date of enrollment and half at mid-term. “Students living outside the Manor Rural High School District and whose names appear on the census roll of another school, may enroll but must pay $110 for the term; provided, however, if their parents own property within the district and are rendering same for taxation, they may enroll by paying $55 in tuition.”
A general maintenance tax was placed to cover the expenses of Manor Rural High School in 1949. The local school maintenance tax was raised from 75¢ to 95¢ cents per $100 of property evaluation throughout the Manor Rural High School District. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/385813683/)
This building was becoming antiquated by 1952. This building was to some extent unsafe because this building was a “fire trap” because the building had failed to meet requirements in lighting, heating and ventilation.
By 1952, Superintendent R. L. Simmons said that the present building had been constructed about 40 years previously, meaning that it no longer met the requirements for lighting, heating and ventilation for current school buildings. Further details were given in a letter that Simmons was sending to the citizens of Manor explaining the need for the bond election. (Ref: https://manorstories.blogspot.com/2018/06/school-days.html)
More than 100 children spent their days in the upper story of the building and that there were only two fire escapes that they could possibly use, one of those being on the outside of the building. Superintendent R. L. Simmons also said, "If fire were to break out in the lower hall or stairway, only one means of escape would be available for the 100 children upstairs; if fire were to break out in the upper hall or stairway, at least 50 children would have no means of escape at all other than to jump from a second story window." (Ref: Austin American, August 10, 1952)
News about the bond for a new school building made headlines in the Austin American on August 10, 1952 under “Manor School District Calls For Bond Election on Aug. 16”. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/385850996/)
[A school bond election for the Manor Independent School District has been called for Aug. 18, School Superintendent R. L. Simmons announced. The bond money $35,000 would be used to construct a new elementary school, a building which school officials point out is badly crowded and out of date. Simmons noted that the present building was constructed about 40 years ago, and that it now fails to meet requirements in lighting, heating and ventilation. In a letter he is distributing to Manor citizens, Simmons also says that "architects tell us that it is one of the most dangerous fire traps in Texas today for school children." Money spent in an attempt to modernize the present structure would be useless, for the architecture of the building is such that it cannot be modernized.
The superintendent added that more than 100 children spend their school days in the upper story of the building. There are only two fire escapes they could possibly use, he said, and one of those is on the outside. As for the outside one, Simmons said that it is "to some extent unsafe." "If fire were to break out in the lower hall or stairway," Simmons said, "only one means of escape would be available for the 100 children upstairs; if fire were to break out in the upper hall or stairway, at least 50 children would have no means of escape at all other than to jump from a second story window."]
The stated purpose of the bond election was to raise money to construct a new school replacing a building that was badly crowded and out of date. However the school would be continued to be used until 1954.
A fire leveled two wooden buildings which belonged to Manor Rural High School on a Tuesday morning in 1954. Both building were completely destroyed after the fire. The fire was too big for the Manor Fire Department to be contained. So Manor Fire Department had to call on Elgin Fire Department for help to extinguish the fire. The cause of this fire was ignited by a trash fire. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/359835061/)
“A fire leveled two wooden buildings of the Manor Public School system shortly before noon Tuesday, causing damage estimated at between $20,000 and $30,000. Superintendent of Schools R. E. Stafford, who made the estimate, said the fire caused a great loss, but he added that it would have been much greater except for the action of the Elgin Fire Department. Completely demolished were a two-story frame building housing a lunchroom and band hall and a one-story vocational agriculture workshop. Stafford said. Stafford said the lunchroom would not have been used this fall a new one having been constructed recently but he said stoves and refrigerators were still housed in the building and were completely destroyed. Also burned were band uniforms and some instruments. The blaze apparently starter from a trash fire, Stafford commented. R. E. Sundberg, a Manor merchant, said an exploding butane tank in one of the buildings added intense heat to the fire. He said the explosion sent flames spurting high into the air.”
Smoking debris was all that was left of those two school buildings following the Tuesday morning fire despite help and efforts from the Elgin Fire Department to bring the fire under control. News about the trash fire made headlines on the front page of the Austin American newspaper. (Ref: Austin American, School Ruin, Page 1, Wednesday, August 11, 1954)
“Fire which broke out shortly before noon Tuesday in a Manor public school did damage estimated between $20,000 and $30,000 despite the efforts of the Elgin Fire Department to bring it under control. Two buildings were destroyed. One was a two-story building housing a lunchroom and band hall. The other was a one-story vocational agriculture workshop. Superintendent of Schools R. E. Stafford made the damage estimate. A witness to the costly blaze, Manor merchant R. E. Sundberg, said an exploding butane tank in one of the buildings "added a terrific amount of heat to the fire" and handicapped the work of the firefighters. Although the lunchroom was not scheduled for use this fall a new lunchroom was built recently stoves and refrigerators were stored In the building, said Stafford. All of this equipment was a total loss. Stored band uniforms and some instruments also were ruined of destroyed by the flames. Stafford said the fire apparently started from a trash fire.”
A modern Manor High School (now Excel High School) was built and constructed on this site in 1956 and was used until 1967 when Manor High School (now Manor New Tech High School) was relocated to Highway 290 (US 290). Excel High School now operates on property of the former Manor Rural High School. 
Manor Rural High School was located at 600 East Parsons Street, Manor, Texas, US 78653.
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