History of the Brookfield R-III School District

1859

The City of Brookfield, Missouri was founded in 1859 just after the railroad system was completed between Hannibal and St. Joseph, Missouri.

1863

As families moved to Brookfield, it became necessary to establish schools.  The first school with 22 students was started in 1863.  This one-room school was located on Brooks Street over the store owned by James Tooey, one of the founding citizens of Brookfield.  Miss Lizzie Renick was the school’s teacher.  The next year an epidemic of small pox forced it to close.

1865

In 1865 a small one-room schoolhouse was built, and Mr. Banning was the first superintendent.  Twenty students were enrolled in this new building.

1867

In addition to the one-room schoolhouse built in 1865, Reverend J.P. Finley, a teacher and minister who had remarkable influence on the history of the City of Brookfield, organized another school in 1867.  He was the instructor of this school, which would become the nucleus of the Brookfield College on North Main Street in later years, and then eventually become Brookfield High School.

1870

By early 1870, it became apparent that a larger school was needed in Brookfield, and a new one was built for a cost of $18,000.  It was named the Hickman School in memory of a teacher, Mrs. Julia Hickman.  The school was located in the first ward of the town.

1880

By 1880 rapid growth required further expansion of school facilities, and the first Adams School was erected in the third ward of the town.

1881

In 1881 the Park School was built.

1888

Two more rooms were added to Adams School.

1895

In 1895 the Finley School, named after J.P. Finley, was built in the second ward of the town. The Finley School included a complete four-year high school.

1899

By 1899 the attendance at the Brookfield College had dwindled so much that it was forced to close.

1900

In 1900 the City approved a bond issue in order to buy the Brookfield College building for $13,000.  An additional school building was built in 1900, this time in the fourth ward of the town, and it was named the Parks School.  Brookfield now had schools in all four wards.  Also in 1900 the Garfield School was built in the west part of town for the education of African American students.

1901

In 1901 the building was thoroughly remodeled and became the Brookfield High School. The property consisted of an entire city block with a residence at the rear of the building for the superintendent. With this change all high school students in Brookfield began to attend school in one building.

1918

The Old Adams School burned in 1918 and the New Adams School was built during the same year at the cost of $100,000.

1920

Also during the 1920’s the second story of the Park School was removed, and the first floor was remodeled as a new school for the African-American students of Brookfield.  The old Garfield School was then demolished.  This renovated facility was used until 1948.

1928

In 1928 bonds were voted in the amount of $190,000 to erect a new high school building on North Main Street. It replaced the old Brookfield College building, which was destroyed by fire in 1928. 

Also in 1928 the Finley and Hickman Schools were demolished. The Hickman grounds became a ball park known as Hickman Field. In later years the property was transferred by the school to the city government and renamed Graff Field. The grounds are presently used for softball.  

In 1928 six rooms were added to the New Adams School.

1948

In 1948, Park School was constructed. Park School provided educational facilities for African American students in Brookfield until the schools were later integrated.

1954

Brookfield voters approved a $250,000 bond issue in 1954 to enlarge both the High School and New Adams School.  This successful bond issue provided for an extension to be added to the Brookfield High School.  This annex housed a cafeteria, band rehearsal room, chorus classroom, and a laboratory for the industrial arts department.

1957 - 1965

Between the years of 1957 and 1965 school district reorganization and consolidation was prevalent in the State of Missouri, with the Brookfield area being no exception.  For various and sundry reasons, the following school districts or a part thereof, requested to become a part of the Brookfield School District and were accepted as annexed on the following dates:

*Oak Arbor School District – May 6, 1957

*Laclede School District – March 18, 1959

*Burch School District – May 4, 1959

*McClure School District – July 6, 1959

*Prairie Flower School District – June 12, 1961

*Carey School District – August 14, 1961

*Hess School District – August 30, 1961

*North Eagle School District – August 30, 1961

*Oak Dale School District – August 30, 1961

*Grove Hill School District – August 30, 1961

*Davis School District – August 30, 1961

*White School District – August 30, 1961

*St. Catherine School District – August 11, 1964

*Forker School District – February 12, 1965

*Moore School District – August 10, 1965

*Johnson School District – August 10, 1965

*Bruner School District – August 10, 1965

*Pershing School District – August 10, 1965

*Plum Grove School District – November 9, 1965

*Sunny Point School District – November 9, 1965

1964

Brookfield’s Vocational-Technical School was founded in 1964 when a building was purchased at 214-216 Linn Street.  This school was the first of its kind in north Missouri.  It was directed by C.P. Dodge.  For many years the superintendent’s office was located in the old post office building adjacent to the Vo-Tech School.  This building was acquired under a program for the distribution of surplus property administered by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

In the early 1960’s the Brookfield R-III School District purchased approximately 58.5 acres on the west end of Brookfield for the purpose of building an elementary school, and possibly building all of the district schools on this location in the years to come.

1966

In 1966 the present elementary school was the first building to be constructed and opened on the site at Pershing Road and Highway 36 West. This new building served students in grades 1st through 8th. The New Adams School was then closed and sold to Martin Hauser. The Park School was used for kindergarten classes for several years until the classes were moved to the west side of the elementary school. The Park School was then closed and later transferred to the City for recreational use.

1971

In 1971 the south Middle School was opened. This addition contains the basement, which is used for elementary P.E. classes, the wood shop, band room, home economics, and classrooms. These classrooms are used for grades 6th, 7th, and 8th, or the Brookfield Middle School.

1979

In 1979 Graff Field (formerly Hickman Field) was turned over to the City of Brookfield with a 99 year lease and Brookfield R-III retained the right to use the property for school purposes.

1985

In 1985 the north Middle School was set on fire just before school started. Classes were held in the hallways, basement, gym, and wherever else space could be found. When the damaged part of the Middle School was repaired, air conditioning was installed in this part of the school. Ceiling fans were installed in the elementary classrooms at this same time.

1989

Brookfield High School remained on North Main Street until 1989.  After earlier unsuccessful attempts to fund the building of a new high school and vocational-technical school, the present $3.9 million Brookfield High School and Vocational-Technical School was opened in the fall of 1989.  The new school was built at the west side location of the site at Pershing Road and Highway 36 West.  For the first time in 126 years the Brookfield School District had its entire school system in one location.  The Superintendent’s Office is located in the High School also.

1995

In 1995 six additional classrooms were added to the Area Career Center (formerly known as the Vocational-Technical School); an Early Childhood Center was built; and four classrooms and a spacious library were added to the elementary school facility.  The new library, which includes a computer lab, is shared by both the elementary and middle school students.

1998

In April of 1998 voters passed a bond issue in the amount of $2,080,000 for the purpose of building a new Area Career Center, constructing and equipping additional classrooms for the elementary school, and completing improvements to bring existing facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, and other remodeling and improvements to the existing facilities of the District. This project was officially completed by December of 1999 and students moved into the new classrooms in January of 2000. In addition to the $2,080,000 needed for these projects, an additional $585,000 was obtained from a vocational grant from the State Department to aid in the building of the new Area Career Center.

2004

In April 2004, the voters overwhelmingly passed a no levy increase $3,650,000 bond issue by 83.7% to: pay off existing lease purchases, remodel and repair district facilities including the Elementary breezeway and canopy, and construct, equip, and furnish a library and computer laboratory at the Elementary School.

2009

At the current time, July 2009, the district has replaced all the existing roofs and main drives to the campus, developed a replacement schedule for all the district HVAC units and a renovation schedule for all district facilities. Also, the district is currently in the process of redesigning the entire technology network. The new technology network will allow the district to receive and deliver video for instructional purposes and assist the district in making sure our students are exposed to the latest technologies.