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In 1834 the state legislature, passed legislation to start a general system of common schools. The first meeting ever held by the citizens of Bellefonte under this law, was held at the Court House on the third Friday of September. At this meeting John Rankin, Charles McBride, Dr. Constance Curtin, James Armor, Samuel Harris and Samuel Pettit were elected, school directors. At an organizational meeting on the 27th of the same month, John Rankin was elected president and Charles McBride, secretary.
In April 1835, a committee was appointed to secure school rooms and another committee determined there were 172 children of school age. "Cobb's series of school books" was approved for use and directors passed a 2 mill tax to start the public school program.
On Jan. 1, 1836, school opened. Mr. Hamilton, at a salary of $88.00 per month, was to teach all branches of education required and find his own school room. The other teachers were Geo. W. Wasson, 2nd school, $25.00 per month. Charles McBride, 3rd school, $20.00 per month and Mrs. Dunlop 4th school, $15.00 per month. Rooms were furnished for the last three teachers.
In 1841, the board of directors contracted with J. J. & G. Alexander to build a school house capable of accommodating four schools for $1,270.00. There were now 275 children of school age in the borough. The public schools of the borough were required to teach all branches of a liberal education and the school board insisted that at least once a day the scriptures must be read.
There seemed to be little trouble until 1846, when records indicate that there were some cases of insubordination in the High school, which resulted in the resignation of the principal. The school board minutes in 1856, indicate that five cases of insubordination occurred in the female branch of the High school, and as a punishment four of the girls were transferred to the male department of the school. (schools were separated according to sex)
In the fall of 1856, the High school was transferred to the lower room in the north wing of the Academy. By 1862, an agreement was entered into with the trustees of the Academy by which the High school and the a my were consolidated. From 1862 to 1868, the schools of the borough or most of them were located in Academy. In 1868, however, the board of trustees of the Academy gave notice to the board of directors that they desired possession of the Academy by September of the same year. This caused the school board to search for other quarters and led to the appointment of William McClellan, who was then president, and John Hoffer treasurer to a committee to purchase a lot so a new school building could be built. They purchased a lot Hon. H. N. McAllister and E. C. Humes for the sum of $5,000. The construction started immediately and the building was completed for the start of school in the fall of 1869 under the superintendency of professor (future Pennsylvania Governor) D. H. Hastings.
In 1871 a school for negro children was started at 216 E. High Street, offering equal but separate education opportunities. It was continued for a few years until the pupils were integrated into the public school system, making Bellefonte one of the first towns to take this forward step.
The schools continued under the direction of Prof. Hastings until the close of the school year in the spring of 1875 when he was succeeded by W. C. Heinle.
The schools soon became so crowded that it was necessary to obtain more room. In 1883, rooms were rented in what was then known as the "Humes block," and the High school was moved there from the stone building. The first class graduated from the Bellefonte High school in 1884. The graduates were Harry and William Keller, Morris Swartz and Harvey Wetzel.
In the summer of 1886, the school board purchased a lot, containing about two acres of ground, on east Bishop street and erected what was afterwards known as the "brick school building." This building was completed and schools first opened in it on the 19th day of September 1887. The High school was then taken from the rooms in the "Humes block" to the fine large room prepared for it in the new building.
From the opening of the school in 1887, the principal was only required to teach part of the time in order that he might be better able to exercise a closer and better supervision over all the schools. This proved to be a great help in the efficient organization of the schools.
In 1900 school directors announced they would build a new building on Allegheny Street, between Linn and Lamb, which would serve as the high school. By 1908 the school board again faced the problem of overcrowding in the main building, approved remodeling and rebuilding, a project that was started the following year. The new school on Allegheny Street was finished and dedicated in 1910.
Homemaking courses were offered for the first time at the high school in 1916.
The big armory building at the corner of Spring and Lamb streets, built for national guard units, was acquired by the Bellefonte school system in 1935 and converted it for use as an elementary building. The drill hall became a gymnasium and was used by high school teams for several years until a new high school was erected across the street.
Shortly before 9 a.m. on Feb. 13, 1939 a fire started near the furnace area of the Bellefonte High School on N. Allegheny Street and within three hours the big brownstone building was gutted. There were no injuries to students and there had been just enough time for most of the students' personal belongings to be saved. These, plus a few records from the main office and some of the school's trophies were all that was saved. Within minutes after the students evacuated, flames whipped through the dusty heating ducts, roared up the ventilator shafts and along the oily wooden floors and stairways and had the entire building in flames. Firemen from many companies outside Bellefonte joined in the effort.
One Bellefonte newsman, having coffee at the Diamond Restaurant, said he went directly to the scene and smoke was already pouring from the roof. The school board, Supt. Earl K. Stock and Principal O. F. Sollenberger were faced with the task of finding quarters for about 900 students, including 7th and 8th graders from the North ward who had classes in the building.
It soon became obvious that the Academy building offered the best solution, although facilities there were inadequate. The building had not been used for five years and time would be required to prepare it for occupancy. This work was rushed and arrangements were made at the same to utilize the basement of the Bishop Street elementary school which had been built 52 years before as the town's first high school building. The 7th and 8th graders were transferred to that building and within a few weeks, the Academy was re-opened. Because of the limited space, part-time and split schedules were set for students. Once the hectic scheduling and crowded conditions were adjusted to and semi-adequate supplies and textbooks had been obtained, school officials turned to the obvious task of replacing the high school. This was a slow project naturally, and it was three years before the new building was ready for use in October of 1942.
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