Quirky and unique history of Volente School in Volente, Texas explained, explored, and examined again.

Volente School is one of the forgotten schools of Volente, Leander, and Travis County. Hardly any history regarding this school can be found offline or online. This news article will explain the history behind Volente School.

The origins of Volente School date back to circa 1867. Exactly when is unknown. Volente School most likely operated out of a one-room log cabin as most schools in the countryside of Travis County and America did during that time. This was not unusual either.

Volente School had its own school district which operated under the names of Volente School District, Volente Common School District, Volente CSD, and Volente School District No. 51. Schools in the Volente School District were Volente School, Sandy Creek School, Double Branch School, Long Hollow School, and Double Horn School. Sandy Creek School was a 1-8 school and Double Horn School was a 1-9 school while Volente School and Long Hollow School were 1-10 schools that were the first 2 schools to be built in the Volente School District. The Volente School District boundaries were 4-6 miles from Sandy Creek, to Lime Creek, all the way through Long Hollow and Jonestown.


However in 1907 during the 1907-1908 school year, Volente School faced the threat of closure. Undoubtedly Volente School closed in 1908 due to insufficient funds. Students were sent to Long Hollow School, Double Horn School, Cox Springs School, and Double Branch School. (Ref: Travis County Clerk Records: Record of School Districts Page 93)

A 1909 news paragraph from the Austin Weekly Statesman lists Volente School and Volente School District as being directly located somewhere up on Sandy Creek. Possible at the location of where 8714 Lime Creek Road is today. However the road Volente School was located on was not named. (Ref: Austin Weekly Statesman, Page 3, Wednesday, April 21, 1909)

“Two districts of Travis County, the Volente District up on Sandy Creek and the Colorado River and the Gerstmann District in the extreme southwest coiner of the county, had no school at all this year on account of insufficient funds.”

A news article from the Austin Weekly Statesman dating back to 1909 explained that the Volente School District was a financially struggling school district with insufficient funds to operate Volente School on a full school year schedule. Volente School had insufficient funds to operate a full school year. So Volente School District had to shut down Volente School for a full year. Volente School did not operate for that year. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/366297543/)

COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE CLOSING TERMS END IN SIXTEEN COUNTRY DISTRICTS

Funds Apportioned According to the Scholastic Population and Sparsely Settled Communities Fare Worse Than Others.

The school terms in the various school districts of the county are be ginning to close. Sixteen schools have closed thus far, and most of these are, short term schools out in the sparsely settled districts of the western part of the county unlike most of the states the schools of Texas do not all continue for the same length of term, the funds are apportioned to the individual school districts according to their scholastic population. Two districts of Travis County, the Volente District up on Sandy Creek and the Colorado River and the Gerstmann District in the extreme southwest coiner of the county, had no school at all this year on account of insufficient funds. In fact, there are four or five schools in Travis County that hold a session only every other year. It cannot be said, therefore, that all of the children of the state have the same educational advantages.


Students attended school at the Leander School in Leander, Long Hollow School, Sandy Creek School, and Cox Springs School in Lago Vista from 1909 to 1911 while board members figured out exactly how to handle the financial situation regarding Volente School.

Volente School would not open the doors for its students until 2 years later in 1911 very late during the closing term of the 1910-1911 school semester. By 1911 the Volente School District would financially stable and secure enough to operate Volente School again. Volente School District had to raise up taxes a certain percentage.

Long Hollow School and Long Hollow School District were consolidated with Volente School in 1938. Volente School District had already been operating Long Hollow School as that school was in their school district boundaries. Volente School had continued to operate throughout the 1930s.

The Austin American claimed Volente School District had no school tax in 1941. Yet Volente School had continued operating that year. “Property owners of the Volente school district No. 51 petitioned the court to call an election to vote a 50 cent school tax for sup port of the district. The district at present has no tax. The court appointed A. L. Baker as supervisor of the election.” (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/366663692/)


Now what is interesting about the Volente School is that the school building never was built or erected and students attended Leander School in Leander, Texas. The Austin American reported about this quirky and interesting information in 1943. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386131261/)

Volente Common School District (Volente CSD) had not maintained a school since 1908. This was because Volente School closed in 1908 due to insufficient funds. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1110921/m1/155/, Travis County Clerk Records: Record of School Districts Page: 93)

“Although Volente has been created as a district, the school building never has been erected and the children of that district have been attending the Leander school. Also attending the Leander school for the last few years have been the pupils of Round Mountain, Cypress, and Fairview.”

Apparently there had never been a school building erected for the Volente School despite there being a “Volente School” listen in both newspapers of the Austin Statesman, Austin American, and Austin American-Statesman multiple times. Apparently there had been a school building for Volente School in the past as stated in other news articles published and printed by those newspapers.

Volente School was consolidated into Leander ISD in 1944 along with Double Branch School. Its students were sent to the Leander School in Leander.

Volente School was located somewhere near or along 8714 Lime Creek Road, Volente, Texas, US 78641.