Mural at the Grade School
The Salisbury Public Schools was first housed in a school building which was built on land deeded to the city by Judge Lucius Salisbury. The first pictures of it were dated 1867 when the building was erected. This building burnt in 1879 and was replaced and was in use until 1902. Sanborn Maps from 1897 located the public school on the east lot of the present location on 6th street.
The third building to house public schools in Salisbury was dedicated in January 1903 and served as both a grade school and high school until 1912 when the Board of Education purchased the former Salisbury academy to be used as the high school at a cost of $15,000. The Salisbury Academy was located on the block that now encompasses the junior high and high school facilities.
In 1939, the grade school was once again replaced with the fourth building dedicated to public education. It cost the school district $50,000 and is the foundation of the current grade school facilities. A basement lies under ¾ of the original ground floor. Additions to the grade school were made in
In August of 1949 a proposal went before voters across the county to consolidate many of the smaller, country schools into 5 county districts – R-1 thru R-5. The ballot measure would combine Salisbury, Barnes, Prairie Hill, Washington, McDonald, Trent, Bentley, Shannondale, Heiman, Locke, Forest Green, Brown, Hurst, Butner, Brummall, Lee, Prairie Valley, Redd, and Coleman into the R-4 district.
The R-5 district would include Johnson No. 31, St. Mary’s, No. 2, Miller No. 3, Raub No 28 and Hays No. 4 along with Bynumville, Wilson, Cook and Brewer.
The R-4 district passed with dissent from nearly all districts but Salisbury but enough yes votes to create the Salisbury R-4 school district. The Prairie Hill school was maintained as a grade school facility until it closed in 1985.
It took 5 busses and a car to transport students to the schools in Salisbury. A fifth bus brought to the Lincoln school from Forest Green and Shannondale. Students from the Lee district formed a 50’s era carpool and were transported by car.
Various annexations have occurred over the years since the formation of the R-IV district. Kaseyville was included in the district around 1960. Bynumville, Roanoke and Yates were also incorporated which brought the district to its present form.
Salisbury R-IV desegregated in 1953. Prior to that time, a two-room school, the Lincoln School, provided an education for the black students from Salisbury. This school was located on Weber Avenue at the location that is now home to Peace Lutheran Church.
Several expansions have brought the elementary school to its present size. Since the core of the current building was constructed in 1939 several updates have been completed. In 1952 and 1963 an additional wing of classrooms, gym, kitchen and music room were built with updated HVAC and windows in 2019.
1988 Library and computer lab were added, along with four new classrooms for K-1. In 2012 The courtyard area of the elementary was updated using funds from a DonorsChoose grant. 4th grade students provided the planning and manual labor for this project. An MU Extension Grant will fund additional elementary gardening opportunities beginning the fall of 2022.
Several large facility updates have been completed over the years, providing much needed maintenance on the building structure, updating technology for both teachers and students and playground enhancements. The school district has utitilized grants, PTO and community support along with additional support from the Ingram Trust of over &650,000 in grants since 1977.
Maps from 1897 show a mineral well that was used as a public well on what looks to be on or near the Janet Jackson property. This was a public well for the town and notably for the school as well.
Elementary school Principal Robin Gebhardt and Stephany Clark came up with an idea for a selfie type mural for the grade school as talks about the canvas cruise started. Stephany already had paint donated from Steve and M’Liss Sanders and soon work began on the first mural. The Chamber of Commerce has taken hold of the idea of incorporating Salisbury IS into murals and promotional efforts for the town. We feel our school system is a shining example of this point of pride – Salisbury IS shining with student success, both at every level. From the youngest of the grade schoolers to the graduating young adults, Salisbury IS proud of our student, faculty, staff, school board and the facilities that make up the Salisbury R-IV School District.
Clue
Marriage is about in sickness and in health and to death do us part. The history from stop number 10 blends the death and the sickness with a few ghosts of centuries past (according to some of the current employees).