Harrisburg
Public Schools History
From three little log huts in Poinsett County in 1868 to
several buildings on two campuses the Harrisburg School
System has undergone many changes.
In 1875, there were five districts in the county with five
rude log schoolhouses. Schools were taught from one to three
months in the year. In 1883, there were 863 children of
school age and no school was taught for more than five months.
By 1895 the county had progressed to 32 nice school buildings
and 19 districts and school was being taught from six to
nine months per year.
By 1897, it became evident that Harrisburg needed a new
school building. A two story brick building was constructed
on Brooks Street. It was a grammar school including grades
one through nine. Board of Directors included M.D. Simmons,
G.T. Garvey, and L.D. Freeman. This building served school
children in Harrisburg until 1918 when a much larger two-story
brick building was constructed on South Street. The contract
for the building was let to J.E. Hollingsworth and Co. of
Memphis in June 1918. It was to have been completed by October
1918, but was delayed until March 1919.
From September 1918 until March 3, 1919, students attended
classes in churches until the new building was completed.
H.E. Brown was superintendent; board of directors J.G. Dobson,
A.B. Caplinger, Dr. R.E. Yarbrough, L.C. Griffin, A.S. Bradsher,
and H.H. Fraysser.
For more than 50 years this building served as a place
of education for students in the Harrisburg School District.
For 30 years it was the only building on campus.
Consolidation in the Harrisburg School District began in
1945 with Greenfield District followed by Bethel, Whitehall,
Wyley Crossing, Bolivar, Burrow, Pleasant View and Valley
View. Average daily attendance rose from 317 in 1943-44
to 937 in 1959-51. Whitaker and Weona School District were
the last to districts to completely shut down and join the
Harrisburg School System.
Today Harrisburg School District has 1080 students. The
district has added onmany building additions over the past
ten years and is recently completed building a new Fine
Arts Center.
Source: Poinsett County, Arkansas—Turner
Poinsett County Historical Society
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