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The first school in Storm Lake was begun in the spring or summer of 1870 , in the residence of S. D. Eadie. Miss Alma Gates was the first teacher. The school district at that time included all of Hayes township; and Wm. Guilford was the president of the first board of directors. In the summer of 1871 a small frame building was erected diagonally across the street from the site of the present south side school building. This was built by private subscription and Miss Honeywell was the teacher in this school.
In July 1872 Storm Lake was organized into an Independent School District. The number of scholars had increased, so that the frame building was too small, and the hall above Smith Bros. store was rented for one year. George H. Eastman was at the head of the school as principal, the first male teacher in the Independent district; Miss Iris Kelso was his assistant. The Baptist church was next used for the school, being rented for one year.
In the summer of 1874 the construction of a brick building was begun on the present site, but before it was finished the north wall blew over and the contractor abandoned it. Another contractor took up the work in 1875 and finished the building. This forms the central part of the present building. The old frame building, which was the first school building in Storm Lake, was moved into the country, and now stands about three miles west of town, a short ways north of the main road leading to Alta.
The schools continued to increase rapidly. A small frame building had to be erected near the school as an overflow. In 1880 another lot was purchased adjoining the school land, and an addition of four rooms was built to the school building. Two rooms more and the high school up stairs were added in 1894, making the building as it now stands.
The North school was begun in 1889 when a brick building of four rooms was erected in the north part of town. The building consists now of six rooms, an addition of two rooms being made in 1894. The present superintendent of the schools is A. C. Fuller, Jr. The principal of the high school, Thos. Teakle; 9th grade, Mrs. Julia H. Braginton. Assistants in the high school: Miss Mabel L. Anderson, Miss Stella M. Russell, and Miss Grace E. Russell. Supervisor of music: Miss Frances M. Witter.
Grade teachers, (south school): Miss Alice W. Proctor, Mrs. Flora Fitch, Miss Nettie Aiken, Miss Edna E. Steffen, Miss Maude Lamb, Miss Ethel Mathews. North school: Miss Charlotte Diehl, Miss Ethel Carson, Miss Edith Mal- bone, Miss Leona M. Darr, Miss Edna R. Kington, Miss Bessie Cox.
The Storm Lake school district includes one rural school-the Lakeview school. Miss Ethel Smith is the teacher. The present enrollment of all schools numbers five hundred and sixty-five, of which two hundred and eighty-nine are boys and two hundred and seventy-six are girls.
In 1890 the high school was made a four year course, and has been fully accredited since that time. The school has a library containing about two thousand volumes, including supplementary reading.
