Kirbyville Early Schools Historical Marker Dedication was held on Saturday

Kirbyville Early Schools Historical Marker Dedication was held on Saturday, March 15 at the school grounds located at 201 W. Main Street.

Much of the following information was provided by the leaflet that was given out the day of the dedication.

Many hundreds of Kirbyville citizens attended the old school. From its meager beginning as a one-room school housing all students all the way until it's closing in 1967.

In the new town of Kirbyville in 1895, a 2.07 acre lot was set aside from the H&TC survey for a school. A 40-by-60 foot school opened in 1896. When it burned in 1904, a much larger two-story school was constructed. In 1917 the second structure was lost to fire. For the third building, the residents passed a $25,000 bond to build a brick school. Although the masonry read "Kirbyville High School" all grades were taught. The red brick structure boasted two floors and a basement. The grounds featured playgrounds and a baseball field at the northwest corner. Let by B. W. Martin, long-time superintendent, the school became a center of the community. As the district grew, the school continued to serve until closing in 1967.

The first school, 1896-1904, was a rough wood building which burned in 1904.

The second school, 1904-1917, burned April 1917. This school, administered by Jasper County School Board, as home of School District 14, housed all grades from 1-11. It enrolled as many as 250 students.

The Red Brick School, 1917-1967, was built by December, 1917. Superintendent B. W. Martin led the school for 29 years. From 1917-1937 the brick school held all grades until a wood frame school was built behind it. From 1937-1952 it held grades 1-8. From 1952-1967 it was Kirbyville Elementary School for grades 1-6. Enrollment increased from 258 in 1918 to 580 in 1937. It became the base for consolidating several area schools into KCISD in 1953.