October 29 2016

Frankville – A One Room Schoolhouse in Kitley

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Frankville School

We are not sure if the school S.S. 14 was the earliest school in the Frankville area. Frankville has a rather distinctive history as far as schools are concerned considering that it was the only centre in Kitley to have a grammar school which was the equivalent of a present day high school. When a Model School was set up in the Frankville village in 1845, a goodly sized Common School had been in operation for many years and was large enough to warrant the choice of Frankville as the centre important enough for a county Model School.

The following is from a January 5th, 1854, Brockville Recorder: “It Appears that the trustees of School Section No. 15 of Kitley, in 1852, were two Reformers to one Tory; and even the later gentleman professed himself friendly to the Reform Party. These Trustees conducted the school affairs of the section, to the satisfaction of the inhabitants of the section. The Reformers had no wish to carry politics into school matters, and were willing to allow a second Tory to be elected in 1853…On having secured a majority, the Kitley Tory peculiarity of exclusiveness at once evinced itself—matters must just be conducted as they ordered, if not at all.

Following are excerpts from “Kitley 1795-1975” written by Dr. Glenn Lockwood

“The School Act points out three ways of providing for the payment of the teacher, viz.: by rate, bill, subscription, or making the school free, and supporting it by the general tax.

“After the Tories got the majority, a school meeting was called for the purpose of determining how the school should be supported. One Tory Trustee moved that the school should be free. This was lost. The same gentleman then moved that a rate bill be established, when the Reform Trustee moved an amendment, that the school should be supported on the same plan as formerly, that is, by subscription. The amendment was declared carried by a large majority.”

In 1872, William Leverette was mentioned as school teacher in Frankville. In 1875, a new two room brick school was built by Mr. Robert Parker. It is interesting to note that few students went on to high school because of the transportation or family economics. Some local schools offered continuation courses for students unable to board in centres such as Brockville or Athens. Out of the 1881 school class, only three students were admitted to Farmersville (Athens) High School. These were Addie M. Bullis, Ledorna Eaton, and Maggie Prichard.

The Frankville Model School was in operation until 1850, when the government passed new legislation superseding the former act. Frankville not only had a public school complete with a Model School, during the 1840’s, but there was also a grammar school in the village during that period. A grammar school of the early 19^th Century was equal to a high school of this century. It was a school of higher grades. The one at Frankville was established in 1843 after the granting of 70 pounds to the Johnstown District Council. It cannot be ascertained as to just when the grammar school was closed. It was in operation for at least a decade. It is believed that the grammar school was within the actual confines of the village itself, while the public school was half a mile southwest of the village.

The old Frankville school was closed with the construction of the new Frankville area Public School in 1961.