RSD formed from surrounding districts

By KATE ZDROIK The Rosholt Record This is the third part of a series on the development of schools in the Rosholt area. As detailed in previous stories, prior to the formation of Rosholt School District #5, school districts were formed in the townships surrounding the current Village of Rosholt. Over the course of time, the schools inside Rosholt grew and, one by one, the one-room schools in the surrounding districts closed and students began attending the centralized district. The Rosholt School District now encompasses all of the Village of Rosholt and the Town of Alban; portions of the Town of Sharon and the Town of New Hope, all in Portage County; portions of the Town of Bevent and the Town of Franzen, both in Marathon County; and a portion of the Town of Harrison in Waupaca County. Due to a fire that destroyed the Rosholt High School in 1948, records from the earliest years of the school district have been lost. Therefore, there is some conflicting information about when the first school was built inside the Village of Rosholt. According to Malcolm Rosholt, a schoolhouse was first built inside the village by School District #3 (later known as #2) after the Simonis School burned down in 1893. Built on a one-acre piece of land purchased for $5 from J. G. Rosholt, it was located where the current tennis courts are now. It appears that this building burned down as well and another building was constructed in the same location. According to other information from Malcolms book Town 25 North, the first school built inside the village was constructed in 1904 on the piece of land mentioned above. This school was run by the Town of Alban board until the incorporation of the Village of Rosholt in 1907. Some village residents, including Rosholt, felt the new one-room school was overbuilt. However, just two years later, the school expanded with the addition of two rooms, including one on the second story. In July of 1915, construction began on a second school building. This brick two-story school had four classrooms and an office for the principal. It is uncertain when students began attending classes beyond eighth grade; however, there is record of a commencement ceremony for one eighth grader and three ninth graders in 1911. It is believed that these students were not the first to graduate. During a meeting held in the two-year high school (presumably, the brick two-story school building), the residents of Joint School District # 5, now known as the Rosholt School District, voted 76-25 to apply to the State Superintendent to establish a four-year high school. Before approving the formation of the high school, the superintendent requested that the district provide him with a variety of information, including: the assessed value of the school district, a list of 25 residents under 20 years of age qualified to do

A photo of the two Rosholt schools. The brick school was built in 1914 and burned down in 1948. The main portion of the wooden school was built in 1903 with an addition added in 1905. This building was unharmed in the fire that destroyed the brick high school. Photo from Malcolm Rosholts book A Photo Album of the Past. The book contains photos of many of the one-room schools that once dotted the landscape in the Rosholt area.

high school work, a geographical de scription of the district, a sketch of the buildings floor plans and the enrollment for the various classes. Approval for the Free High School was received on May 21, 1925 and in the following years the Rosholt School District began to grow. By the 1940s, the one-room schoolhouses in the

surrounding districts began to close one by one. High school classes were held in the brick two-story schoolhouse until lightning struck the building in 1948 causing a fire that completely destroyed the school. Amazingly, the wooden schoolhouse, which stood only a few feet away, was unfazed by the fire. According to local residents who attended high school in those days, classes and other school events were held in the Community Hall (4-H Building) at the Fair Park until the new high school was built in 1950. This building is still used as the high school and includes a gymnasium, main office and 11 classrooms. Due to the fire which destroyed the original high school in 1948, records were lost which may have provided more detail on the Rosholt schools prior to the construction of the currently used buildings. Many older graduates of the school system can remember using the Community Hall for sports and drama presentations. In the rooms off to the side of the stage in that building, there are names penciled on the walls documenting the participants in various performances over the years. In 1964, the old Rosholt schoolhouse could no longer handle the number of students and an elementary wing was added to the high school on Randolph Street. Floor plans of the current Rosholt School District buildings show the progression of the additions made to the district properties in the ensuing years. The woods and metals shop was built in 1967. The high school library was added in 1992. The two-story middle school wing was added in 1991, though only the top floor was completed for use at that time. The lower floor was finished after the 1997 referendum, which also authorized the addition of an auditorium, a new gymnasium with locker rooms, a commons, and band rooms. This last addition and completion of the middle school lower level was completed in 1999. Currently, all students enrolled in the Rosholt School District attend classes in one of these buildings. Grade levels have been shuffled around as enrollment required and space provided. One example of this shuffling is reflected in the middle school grades. Originally,

the north-south wing of the elementary school was occupied by the middle school. Over the years, the Rosholt School District has also developed areas for use by the sports teams and physical education classes. There is a track field just to the north of the school and it surrounds the Hanna football field. This area is used for track and field events as well as football games. Just south of the elementary school is a playground, softball diamond and tennis courts. And just a few years ago, practice fields were constructed on property to the west of the high school. The road that leads to the current school district is certainly rich in historic events and actions taken by our forefathers. Their actions have ensured that the children of the Rosholt area receive a quality education. *Editors note: We have received information from former students recalling their time spent at local one-room schools. At a future time, we will include these articles in the History section. Feel free to send us more information and/or stories about schools in the Rosholt area. You, the children and students who experienced these schools, are our best sources of information. You may be surprised to know how much your fellow graduates appreciate reading about shared memories. Please send information to: Rosholt Record, P.O. Box 332, Rosholt, WI 54473 or rosholtrecord@hotmail.com.