Tingley Township was divided into nine school districts. In the northeast corner of the township was Ames School No. 1. Hackberry No. 2 was located two miles north of Tingley; Cozy Corner No. 3 was located north along Highway 169; Bridge Academy No. 4 was located two miles west of town along Highway 169. Tingley No. 5 was known as Center School before the town of Tingley was established, becoming Tingley Independent School in 1885. Willow Shade or Coffman No. 6 was located two miles east of town on the Tingley-Ellston road. Mariner or Price No. 7 was located two miles southeast of town; Tingley No. 8 was located two miles south of town; and, Eighme or England No. 9 was also located south along Highway 169.

The rural schools were governed by the township's school board with a director from each of the nine rural schools and one director at large.

During the early days of Tingley Township, classes were held under a system of fall, winter, and spring terms. A few of the teachers during the winter term of 1906 were paid a salary of $30 per month.

The fall term of 1907 in Tingley Township were Jennie CULP, Mable HENDERSON, Hattie WHISLER, Alice GILLIS, Nellie WHISLER, Anna KIBURZ, Louella HOUSE, and Dessie STRADLEY.

Teacher salaries had risen to $85 to $110 per month by the year of 1920. Tingley Township teachers for the year of 1920 were Nina LEE, Mildred WILSON, Mabel DAILEY, Marietta EIGHME, Mary CARTER, Pearl PRIEST, Eva ADAMS, and Alice HARDIN.

With the country held firmly in the grip of the Great Depression, teacher salaries were cut to $40 a month by the mid-1930's. Teachers in Tingley Township during this time were Leola RICHARDS, Velma WIMER, Elma OWENS, Opal HUBBARD, Lynna LINKEY, Ava SMITH, and Velma HEATON.

Each school had a director. During the 1942-43 school term, the directors were Wayne NEWBERRY, John ENGLAND, Lloyd McGRATH, Lloyd ENGLAND, Howard WOODS, Leonard O'NEAL, Ray GROUT, and George PUTNEY. The teachers were Georgia EIGHME, Vera MORGAN, Clara Mae (GILES) BIRD, Nadine WOOD, and Naomi WEEDA, with salaries at $70 per month. The Eighme, Willow Shade, and Cozy Corner Schools were closed at this time.

All of the rural schools, with the exception of Hackberry and Mariner Schools, were closed by 1949-1950. Clara Mae BIRD and Lois TRIGGS were the rural school teachers and were paid a salary of $175 per month. Hackberry and Mariner Schools were closed by the 1951-52 school year.

At one time, teacher Twilla HALL LININGER experienced a visit by a skunk. Twilla and the pupils spent quite a bit of time scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing the room and all of its contents to remove the odor.

Teacher Barbara HORNE experienced all of her pupils coming down with chicken pox during the spring of 1947. She came down with it herself and carried it home to her pre-school child.

Wayne OVERHOLTZER related a time when his rural school didn't have playground equipment. They held a box dinner to raise funds and took in over $30, which purchased a basketball and one hoop, a baseball and bat, and a pair of boxing gloves. The little rural school played Tingley's 7th and 8th grade team. Because there was only one basket at the rural school, one boy thought he could either one of the baskets at the Tingley game. Consequently, they were defeated.

Hazel NICHOLS JENKINS, the teacher at Bridge Academy, related an incident when Francis SMITH arrived at school early one day. Francis said he was at school early because he had gotten a ride. Hazel asked him if he had he had gotten a ride from Henrietta CARR. Francis replied, "I don't know what kind of car it was."

Opal BARNETT said that one of her pupils, Robert ANDERSON, was worried, believing he was going to die. Opal questioned h im about his worry. Robert said he was sure he was going to die because she was making him work too hard in the third grade.

Clara Mae (GILES) BIRD recalls sending students out to get a switch so she could punish them with a swat. Most of the time the switches they brought back weren't big enough. (How times have changed!)

SOURCE: Tingley Centennial book, p. 128.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker May of 2010