The French School was built in the early 20th century for French settlers in the Klein area.[/caption]About 100 years ago, the children of Klein’s French and German settlers walked miles in Texas weather to a wooden one-room grade school. Dubbed the French School, it was located near the present-day intersection of Spring Stuebner and Rhodes roads.
Children today may arrive in the back seat of their parents SUVs or on air-conditioned school buses, but some Klein ISD students will attend the French School in the fall for the first time in nearly a century. French Elementary School—located at the intersection of West Rayford and Gosling roads—will open its doors in August.
Teaching French, German settlers
The original French School, which sat on the property of early Klein-area settler Earl Hildebrandt, was used from 1914-27 during the four months that students attended school, KISD District Historian Steve Baird said. Students helped their parents on the family property during the other eight months of the year.
“It’s important for students to know that this community was formed by hard work,” Baird said. “It helps students know what came before them. Those same families that settled the land in the 1830s are still here and part of the community.”
The school was built to serve the French-speaking families who lived within walking distance of the school, Baird said. However, French School eventually grew to accommodate German children as well in the 14 years it served Klein-area students.
One teacher was responsible for about 20-30 children between first through seventh grades, who were usually a part of three families, Baird said. Many families had between five and 15 children because of a high mortality rate at the time and the demand for workers to tend the crops.
Some of the tasks performed by the original French School’s students are similar to what students do today, Baird said. They had a spelling bee every week and studied arithmetic, reading and grammar.
However, Baird said students performed a number of chores many students today would find unusual. They were responsible for bringing wood to the classroom, sweeping the floor each day and fetching water from the closest well. Perhaps the biggest difference in the education system then, Baird said, was that most students did not attend school after seventh grade because they were needed to work on the farm full time.
French Elementary School will open this fall for the 2015–16 school year.[/caption]Bridging the gap
The new French Elementary School will be fitted with a plaque recognizing the 13 French families who have been confirmed among the early settlers of the area, Baird said. Some of the descendants of the early settlers will even attend the school’s dedication.
“First and foremost this is a way to honor the original settlers,” Baird said. “The French settlers that arrived here were very prominent. The district thought this was the right way to [honor] the original French settlers.”
KISD officials said they see the value in preserving the history of the community.
“Our mission statement indicates that Klein ISD will honor our past while embracing the future,” said Judy Rimato, associate superintendent for communications and planning. “Naming our schools after the early settlers of our area is one of the ways that we honor our past. We teach the students about the namesakes throughout the year.”
