Little Schools in the Parkland

BUTZEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT No.3794

  1. Records show the determination and ingenuity of the parents of the
  2. Butzeville district, four miles east of Chauvin, to provide a school for
  3. their children. On April 4, 1919 the first meeting was held regarding a
  4. building in which the children would be schooled temporarily.
  5.  
  6. The next year a building was rented near the school site for nine dollars
  7. per month. Supplies were ordered before approval was given by the
  8. “Inspector.” $1300 was borrowed from the R.M. of Ribstone and the school,
  9. built on the NE ¼ 3-43-1 W4, was opened on April 6, 1920 with Mrs.
  10. Cora Goodale hired as a teacher for $85 per month.
  11.  
  12. Indications of a no-nonsense approach show that breeches of conduct, by
  13. student or parent, were hastily handled by the trustees. If a window was
  14. broken by a student, their parents would receive a letter stating that their
  15. child, the student, would not be allowed to attend school until the window
  16. was repaired. In the case of the parent, he was told if he continued to
  17. interfere in school affairs, there would be court action.
  18.  
  19. In November 1920, no teacher was available so the school was closed and
  20. arrangements were made to send the children to Airlie and Chauvin. A
  21. meeting was held with the Chauvin School Board and a proposition was
  22. made to send the children to town if Butzeville helped with occurring
  23. expenses. In consultation with the inspector, it was felt it was cheaper
  24. and better to operate their own school. Mrs. Goodall was again hired for
  25. $90 per month.
  26.  
  27. Money was scarce. The children took turns cleaning the school for two
  28. dollars a month. A load of wood cost two dollars. The total cost of
  29. supplies to operate was $300.
  30.  
  31. In 1922, a motion was made to build a barn which could serve as a school.
  32. To show how anxious the community was, minutes from a meeting in 1925
  33. show a donation towards a Barn Fund of one dollar and fifty cents made by
  34. the United Farmers’ Association (U.F.A.). Dances were also held to raise
  35. funds. This project did not materialize.
  36.  
  37. From 1924 to 1930, although the chairman changed, T. Mansell acted as
  38. secretary-treasurer and his beautiful script shows well-kept minutes. In
  39. 1934, the new school was built. Times were hard and the teacher’s salary
  40. was lowered with negotiations going on between the teacher and the
  41. trustees.
  42.  
  43. In 1934, a longed-for piano became a reality when the Butzeville Ladies
  44. Club donated one to the new school. In 1948, the school became part of
  45. the Wainwright School Division. Two years later, the children were
  46. bussed into Chauvin. The school was moved into Chauvin to be a
  47. teacherage which is still in use today in the 1990s.
  48.  
  49. The names of the people involved in these stories of this county school
  50. include J. M. Goodall, Mr. & Mrs. C. Sigurdson, Len Stone, Lew Fahner, Harry
  51. Bestard and many others.

Butzeville School District No. 3794
Submitted by Mildred Goede Reinhart

123-124