It would be unlikely that the Madison Consolidated School System would have
old school records. But I could be wrong. I would be surprised if many of the
country schools had any records.
Until the 1960s, the schools were unconsolidated. I believe most schools
outside of Madison were part of the county school system. I believe there was
a county superintendent who had an office in the courthouse. Canaan
students, for example, went to high school at Central High School until 1961,
if I worked it out right from the fact that the last central graduation
occurred when I was in the fifth grade. In 1962, they would have gone into
the Madison Consolidated System. About the same time, the western end of the
county was consolidated into the Southwestern system (taking in Hanover and
Saluda High Schools and later Deputy while Madison would take in Dupont High
about 1966.)
I believe hiring and paying teachers may have been a responsibility of
township officials in the 1800s and 1900s. I have seen Shelby Township
records that showed such and copied down a pay record pertaining to one of my
ancestors. I don't know how many of these would exist. But I suspect they
will be scattered among different areas.
I don't know what happened to any county school records after consolidation,
but I'm pretty sure they would not be at the courthouse. I would check with
Ron Grimes at the Jeffeson county Historial Society to see if any school
records are there. I believe some of the trustees records for Shelby
Township might have ended up at the Kremer Museum in Canaan.
Bob Scott