VALDOSTA — Though schools have been in Lowndes County for hundreds of years, the first official record of public schools in the county was taken in December of 1826.

Through the years, the county and city has held various schools. From those held in homes and churches to the segregated schools that sometimes bore the same name, schools have played an integral role in the changing face of Lowndes County and Valdosta.

In November of 1864, it was reported to the state that Lowndes County had 15 county schools, 14 teachers and 450 white students.

The report also stated that 1,064 white school-age children lived in the county, but less than half actually attended.

Information concerning the history of the Lowndes County School System has been compiled by Ron Irwin, with the help of other community members into a book, “Our Noble Quest: Three Centuries of Educational Excellence.”

The operation of public schools under county boards of education was determined in 1868.

The first black school of record, the Freed Colored School, was opened on April 16, 1868, in the Dasher community, which was opened with the help of the Freedman’s Bureau and operated by Jacob D. Enos.

The name of the school was changed a year later to the West Chester School, with the enrollment of students reaching 111, but the school would close at the end of the 1869 term.

In 1872 the state of Georgia determined that county boards of education would organize separate schools for white and black children and provide teachers for instruction in basic reading, writing and arithmetic, and tax citizens to support the schools.

During this time Clyattville had five white and two black schools, Valdosta had four white and four black schools, Hahira had seven white and four black schools, Naylor had six white and two black schools and Ousley had two white and one black school.

In 1875 the school districts were abolished and the county was divided into two districts, with Valdosta being placed in the southern district.

The erection of modern school buildings began in the 1900s when the school board obtained title to all school property.

In 1918 the board recommended to the county commissioners that a local tax of three mills be levied on the county for school purposes.

During the Great Depression the school term of 1929-1930 was cut to three months.

Accreditation issues in the early 20th century resulted in some families sending high school-age children to Valdosta High School. A contract between Valdosta City schools and Lowndes County Schools in the 1950s stipulated conditions on which students could cross district lines to attend schools. By the late 60s, movement between the school systems would be prohibited by the state.