It
is likely that the name, Monte Vista, was chosen because the Rocky
Mountains were visible from the site of the schoolhouse where the
younger children attended school starting in September of 1905.
This school district was among the few that had sufficient students
to have both an elementary/public school as well as a high school
in later years.
On 8 December 1903, Mrs. SIMON hosted a meeting of the newly appointed
school trustees where a decision was reached to erect a temporary
school on a 3 acre site located at the SE corner of the SE 1/4 15-43-2-W5.
The land was purchased for $5 per acre, the school built and completed
by 8 August 1904, but due to a lack of a qualified teacher and that
fact that no seating had arrived for the classroom, the school did
not officially hold classes until September 1905.
Given the large numbers of settlers who came to the district to
homestead, it became apparent quite early on that the small temporary
building would have to be replaced by a larger permanent structure.
Bids were solicited and 5 were received, with the winning bid of
$130 going to Mr. W.S. Mellis who set about building the new schoolhouse
which was completed on 22 August 1908. Later in 1914, a motion was
passed to build a barn, to which a coal shed was added on the east
end.
By 1933, there was sufficient interest and students that a decision
was reached to offer high school level classes. Roy JORDAN made
a room available to the school for $5 per month, and Beulah Irwin
was employed as the teacher at $500 per year. By 1936, a district
teacherage was built, and the older student classes moved there.
Funds were raised by charging non resident students a tuition fee
of 20 cents per day.
During the existence of this District's School Board, two persistent
issues arose on a regular basis. One was the hiring and retention
of qualified teachers, and the second was the collection of tuition
fees.
In 1942 the schools closed and the children were bussed to Rimbey
under the new County wide School Board system. |
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