Butzeville School District No. 3794
Records show the determination and ingenuity of the parents of the
Butzeville district, four miles east of Chauvin, to provide a school for
their children. On April 4, 1919 the first meeting was held regarding a
building in which the children would be schooled temporarily.
The next year a building was rented near the school site for nine dollars per month. Supplies were ordered before approval was given by the “Inspector.” $1300 was borrowed from the R.M. of Ribstone and the school, built on the NE ¼ 3-43-1 W4, was opened on April 6, 1920 with Mrs. Cora Goodale hired as a teacher for $85 per month.
Indications of a no-nonsense approach show that breeches of conduct, by student or parent, were hastily handled by the trustees. If a window was broken by a student, their parents would receive a letter stating that their child, the student, would not be allowed to attend school until the window was repaired. In the case of the parent, he was told if he continued to interfere in school affairs, there would be court action.
In November 1920, no teacher was available so the school was closed and arrangements were made to send the children to Airlie and Chauvin. A meeting was held with the Chauvin School Board and a proposition was made to send the children to town if Butzeville helped with occurring expenses. In consultation with the inspector, it was felt it was cheaper and better to operate their own school. Mrs. Goodall was again hired for $90 per month.
Money was scarce. The children took turns cleaning the school for two dollars a month. A load of wood cost two dollars. The total cost of supplies to operate was $300.
In 1922, a motion was made to build a barn which could serve as a school. To show how anxious the community was, minutes from a meeting in 1925 show a donation towards a Barn Fund of one dollar and fifty cents made by the United Farmers’ Association (U.F.A.). Dances were also held to raise funds. This project did not materialize.
From 1924 to 1930, although the chairman changed, T. Mansell acted as secretary-treasurer and his beautiful script shows well-kept minutes. In 1934, the new school was built. Times were hard and the teacher’s salary was lowered with negotiations going on between the teacher and the trustees.
In 1934, a longed-for piano became a reality when the Butzeville Ladies Club donated one to the new school. In 1948, the school became part of the Wainwright School Division. Two years later, the children were bussed into Chauvin. The school was moved into Chauvin to be a teacherage which is still in use today in the 1990s.
The names of the people involved in these stories of this county school include J. M. Goodall, Mr. & Mrs. C. Sigurdson, Len Stone, Lew Fahner, Harry Bestard and many others.
Butzeville School District No. 3794
Submitted by Mildred Goede Reinhart
123-124