African American Schools in Livingston County, KY
There were colored schools in Livingston County as early as 1879 when the county clerk collected 95 cents and the sheriff's office collect $135.95, both for the Colored School Fund. Funds were withdrawn for the Negro teachers total pay of $108.96 [source: Auditor's Report, School Fund - Colored, p. 135, p. 138, and p. 149 in the 1879/1881 Biennial Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts of Kentucky - online at Google Books].
In 1895 there were six colored schools in Livingston County [source: Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1895-1897, pp. 523-527]. In 1895-96 the average attendance was 125 students who were taught by seven teachers and 138 students in 1896-97 taught by six teachers. Male teachers' average monthly pay was $42.00 during 1895-96 and $26.78 during 1896-97. Female teachers' average monthly pay was $25.50 during 1895-96 and $20.34 during 1896-97.
By 1905, there were still six colored schools, one in each district [source: Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of Kentucky, 1905-1907, p. 343]. In 1910, the trustees of the Grand Rivers Colored Common School District C took its case against school superintendent Charles Ferguson to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. The trustees, who won the appeal, were fighting to share in the 1909 school tax Livingston County received from the Illinois Central Railroad Company [source: "Commonwealth, for use of Trustees of Grand Rivers Colored Common School District C, v. Ferguson et. al." in The Southwestern Reporter, vol. 128, June 8-July 6, 1910, pp. 95-96, online at Google Books].
At one point in time, there were as many as seven colored school districts, according to Livingston County, Kentucky, p. 114. The colored schools were listed as sub-district schools A, B, C, D, E, F, and Beach Hill. In 1925, there were five colored schools in the county with a total of 116 students [source: Kentucky Public School Directory, 1925-1926, p. 67], and two years later, there were four colored schools [source: Kentucky Public School Directory, 1927-1928, p. 81]. The Negro teacher in 1940 was Clara N. Moore [source: U.S. Federal Census]. The Livingston County schools started to integrate in 1961 with Livingston Center High School [source: Kentucky School Directory, 1961-62, p. 875].
- Colored Schools (7)
- Grand Rivers School (District C)
- Smithland School
- Beach Hill School
- Carrsville School (District B)
- Beech Grove School in Salem [source: Kentucky School Directory, 1961-62, p. 875]
