History of Carlson High School in Manor, Texas forgotten. (Revisited)

Carlson High School is one of the many forgotten schools of Manor, Texas. Only so much history is known about this school. Here this news article will explain and explore the history behind Carlson High School.


Carlson High School was a high school that was built to serve the Manda Common School District in 1915. 1916 was the year Carlson High School opened. Grades 8 through 10 were educated at Carlson High School. School stopped after 10th grade. L. C. Nelson and K. H. Eklund were the school’s trustees. Mrs. Bert Nanguson served as the principal. Students who lived in Manor, Coupland, Lund, and Manda attended this school.

However Carlson High School was primarily geared to educate students in grades 9 and 10. Students enrolled in grades 8 through 10 attended Carlson High School despite this though. A majority of the students enrolled at Carlson High School were students in grades 9 and 10.

Carlson High School would often receive high acclaim and accolades during clean-up campaigns reported by the Austin American Statesman. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/384515802/)

Grades 8 and 9 were educated at Carlson High School during the 1930s. Students who wanted to complete their high school education past the 9th grade had to go into town in Manor, Texas. 10th grade was taught here for a short period during the mid 1930s again. However that didn’t last long due to shortages in funding. So that stopped.


Officials announced plans to shut down Carlson High School in 1940 during the 1940-1941 school year due to a lack of funding and school district consolidation with Willow Ranch School, Elm Grove School, and Willow Ranch School. Carlson High School was shut down in 1941 during the 1941-1942 school year due to a lack of funding. High school students attending Carlson High School were conveyed by bus to attend Manor High School and Manor Rural High School. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/358460372/)

Carlson High School was overseen by Manor ISD since the school was located in what was then a rural high school district called Manor Rural High School District. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386088347/)

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, Carlson, 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.”

Carlson High School was consolidated into Manor ISD in 1947. All students attending Carlson High School were transferred by bus to Manor Rural High School or Manor High School by bus or traveled by horse to attend school.


However Carlson High School was demolished in 1952. 2 private homes have since been built next to the former Carlson High School campus. By 1964, all that remained was the gravel from demolition. The original Carlson High School has been demolished and no longer intact. Remnants of this school are no longer in tact. An empty field of green grass took over where Carlson High School once was. Nothing remains of Carlson High School today.

Carlson High School was located at the intersection of Manda Carlson Road & Lund - Carlson Road, Manor, Texas, US 78653.