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1859 |
In 1859, the
first school house was built in Magnolia. It was a two-story frame
building and was located on the lot where Central Elementary School
presently stands. The lumber was furnished by the Hicks and Heath
mill. Everything was hand planed and put together with square cut
nails. The school was painted white with green window blinds.
The lower floor was used as an auditorium and could also be used for two or
more classrooms. The building was used for almost forty years and
later replaced by the Southwestern Academy. Some of the early teachers
were R.T. Cole, Capt. Walker and Professor Wood. |
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The Female Academy was built in the center of the block
bounded by West Main, North Vine, West Union and North Clay streets.
It was a one-story building that served mostly as a private school.
The land where the school was located was later donated to the Cotton Belt Railroad |
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1879 |
Magnolia approved a five-mill school tax and a free
school district was incorporated on November 6th. The first directors elected were:
R.R. Sharman, A.J. Brewer, M.G. Kelso, J.M. Kelso, R.L. Emerson and W.B.
McNeill. All boarding students from other districts paid tuition. |
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1890 |
Southwestern Academy founded. In 1904, the Academy
building was estimated to be worth $15,000. It had a library with
five hundred books Eleven grades were taught in 1903, seven in the
common branches and four in the high school. Six grades were paid from
public funds and the others were supported by tuition. There were 310
to 365 in daily attendance, with a total enrollment of 410 to 435. The
total annual expenditure was $3,800. The Southwestern Academy building was used for the
Magnolia Grammar School until it was destroyed by fire in 1939. |
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1917 |
The Magnolia High School building is erected in 1917 at a
cost of $85,000. The building is a three-story building and contains
fifteen class rooms, a study hall, offices for the Superintendent and
principal and auditorium. By the mid-1930's, three more buildings were
added the high school campus. A shop for vocational agriculture,
gymnasium, and a home economics cottage were built as a WPA project. The high
school became a member of the North Central Association in 1924. The
board of directors at the time of construction included: W.H. Warnock,
president; J.O. Hutcheson, secretary; A.M. Crumpler, C.B. Lyle, Dr. P.M.
Smith and C.W. Martel. |
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1940 |
The Southwestern Academy building was used for the
Magnolia Grammar School until it was destroyed by fire in 1939. In 1940 it was
replaced by a modern one-story brick building. The school
contained thirteen classrooms, a lunch room and auditorium. The
building faced Academy Street. The labor
on the building was a project of the National Youth Administration. The
Board of Directors were: H.L. Joiner, President; M.D. Prator, Secretary; Ray
Kelley, W.C. Blewster, C.R. Hutcheson, Jr. Andrew L. Burns was the
superintendent. Architects were Hunter and Boyd. This school later
become known as Central Elementary School. |
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1941 |
Philadelphia School District
consolidates with Magnolia |
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1941 |
Corinth School District consolidates
with Rocky Mound schools |
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1942 |
Sanders School District consolidates
with Magnolia School District |
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1943 |
Rocky Mound School District consolidates
with Macedonia Schools |
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1943 |
Lone Beech School District consolidates
with Macedonia Schools |
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1946 |
Macedonia School District consolidates
with Magnolia School District |
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1946 |
Spottsville School District consolidates
with Village School District. |
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1947 |
Damascus School District consolidates
with Village School District |
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1947 |
Union Center School District
consolidates with Magnolia |
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1948 |
Calhoun and Mt. Vernon School Districts
consolidate with Magnolia |
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1949 |
Free Hope School District consolidates
with Magnolia School District |
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1949 |
Friendship School District consolidates
with Village School District |
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1950 |
Magnolia Junior High School building is
constructed. |
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1953 |
East Side Elementary School is
built. |
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1955 |
West Side Elementary School is built. |
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1955 |
Calhoun Heights Elementary School is built. |
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1960 |
Magnolia High School leaves its campus
on the corner of North Jackson and East North Streets and moves to its
present location, 1400 High School Drive. The school includes
classrooms, gym, theatre room, administration offices, art room, band hall,
cafeteria, and superintendent offices. |
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1962 |
Gym and north wing science classrooms
added to Jr. High campus. |
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1966 |
New football stadium with track is built
on High School campus. |
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1967 |
High School builds a new bus garage,
agriculture storage building and several classrooms on north end of campus. |
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1968-69 |
Magnolia School District had eight
schools serving students in grades 1-6. These buildings were West Side
Elementary, East Side Elementary, Central Elementary, Columbia Elementary
and Calhoun Heights Elementary. Magnolia Junior High, Columbia High
School and Magnolia High School served students in grades 7-12. |
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1970-71 |
Magnolia School District is successfully
integrated. The district has five school buildings: West Side School -
Preschool and Handicapped Program, East Side Elementary - Grades 1-4,
Central Elementary - Grades 5-6, Magnolia Junior High School - Grades
7-9 and Magnolia High School - Grades 10-12. |
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1974 |
East Side Elementary builds several
classroom additions. |
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1978 |
The old Central Elementary School building
is torn down and replaced by a new building that faces East North Street.
The new building includes ten classrooms each for fifth and sixth grade
students, administrative offices, library, and multi-purpose room. The
original cafeteria building remains intact and is used until November 2006. |
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1982 |
Metal weight room for athletics is built
under visitor bleachers at the High School. |
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1986 |
Annexation of Village School District to Magnolia School District |
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1986 |
Classroom additions to West Side School. |
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1987 |
East Side Elementary builds new Media
Center. |
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1988 |
Library and classroom additions to West
Side school. |
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1988 |
Eight new classrooms and a new entrance
are added to the front of the Jr. High School. |
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1988 |
New 4th Grade building is added to
Central Elementary School campus. This wing faced Academy Street. |
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1988 |
4th Grade moves from East Side to Central Elementary
School. East Side Elementary School now houses grades 1-3 and Central
Elementary School has grades 4-6. |
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1993 |
New science classrooms are added to high
school campus. |
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1994 |
Jr. High School builds new science wing. |
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1994 |
High School baseball field built on East
University Street. |
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1996 |
New cafeteria and band hall are added to
Jr. High campus. |
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1999 |
New High School Administration Offices and cafeteria are
built. |
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2001 |
Agriculture classroom building built on
High School campus. |
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2002 |
Refurbishing High School classrooms and
site preparation for new gymnasium and band hall. |
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2004 |
Panther Arena and Band Hall construction
is completed in October. Open House is held on November 21, 2004 and
the first basketball game is played against Haynesville, LA. on November 22,
2004. |
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2003 |
Construction of a new multipurpose gymnasium
between Magnolia Junior High School and Central Elementary School begins in
October 2003. |
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2004 |
Construction of the MJHS/Central
gymnasium is completed in September 2004. The multipurpose facility is
shared between the two campuses for physical education, athletic practices,
and other programs. |
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2004 |
Construction begins in June of a
new multipurpose facility at East Side Elementary School. The building
will be used for physical education and is also equipped with a stage at one
end for school plays and programs. |
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2004 |
Plans begin for a new six classroom wing at
the Magnolia Junior High School. The building will be located on the
northeast corner of the campus at Dudney and McNeil Streets.
Construction bids will go out in December 2004. |
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2004 |
During the April 19 meeting, the State
Board of Education approved the petition to annex the Walker School District
to the Magnolia School District. |
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2005 |
Construction of the East Side Elementary
School multipurpose facility in completed in May 2005. |
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2005 |
Construction of a new cafeteria on the
Central Elementary School campus began in October 2005. The cafeteria
is part of a master
project that includes building a new bus pick up drive along McNeil street
from Central to Magnolia Junior High School. The project incorporates
reworking and replacement of the HVAC system, remodeling bathrooms and
reworking the PIE pavilion at MJHS. The project will also construct pull in lanes and parking areas in front of Central
Elementary and MJHS on East North street. |
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2006 |
Magnolia Junior High School students
begin using a newly constructed six-classroom wing at the start
of the 2nd semester in January. The wing will house the seventh-grade
"Eagles" team. The new building is located on the
northeast corner of the campus at Dudney and East McNeil Streets. |
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2006 |
The Magnolia Board of Education approves
the basic concept drawing of a new district administration building during
the February 13 meeting. During the July 10, 2006 board meeting, the
school board approved a bid from Hargett Construction Company, Inc. in El
Dorado for the construction of the new administration building. The
bid was for $1,139,000 and construction begins in August 2006. |
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2006 |
The State Board of Education rules that
the Waldo School District should be consolidated with the Magnolia School
District during their April 10 meeting. The consolidation became
effective July 1, 2006. |
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2006 |
The new Central Elementary School cafeteria opens on
November 6, 2006. Approximately 600 students are fed on the first day. |
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2006 |
During the
November 6, 2006 Regular Board Meeting, the Magnolia School Board approved a
revised bid from Coker Building Company for a new Baseball Field House, as
presented by T.G. Connelly, architect, for the amount of $377,996.22. |
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2007 |
During a Special Board Meeting on April 30,
2007, the Magnolia School Board approved the purchase of the 28.53 acres of
Bradley property. The property is located on the north side of East
North Street at its intersection with Bradley Street. The property was
purchased for $445,000. |
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2007 |
New District Administration Building opens
June 20, 2007 at 1403 High School Drive. |
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2007 |
East Side Elementary School receives new HVAC
units to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade wings during the spring and summer of
2007. |
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2007 |
The Magnolia
Junior High School "Old North Wing" undergoes a complete renovation during
the spring and summer of 2007. Classes resume regular schedules on the
first day of school, August 20, 2007. |
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2007 |
The 3780 square
foot "Panther Den" baseball field house is completed August 27, 2007. |
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2007 |
Panther Stadium undergoes major
renovation changes during the spring
and summer of 2007. The district maintenance shop is moved from the
south end of the stadium to the Walker campus. Other changes include:
expansion of restrooms, air conditioning added to team rooms and press box,
visitor dressing room expanded, new lockers added for team rooms, old shop
changed into storage area, and additions to both ends of the press box for
filming. Ideal Construction Co. Inc. was awarded the renovation job
with a bid of $863,557. |
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2007 |
During the September 2007 Regular School
Board Meeting, the Magnolia School Board approves a resolution request to
add a softball complex to the 2007-2008 Five-Year Facilities Plan. The
Board approved the location of the softball complex to be east of Panther
Arena on Greene Street. Architect T.G. Connelly presents the first
tentative plans for the softball complex at the January 14, 2008 school
board meeting. |
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