HIstory of the school
By 1905, the school was overflowing, and a smaller frame building had been built in the southeast corner of the school to house the primary children. So, this new school was built, that offered the most up-to-date facilities available at that time.
When the school districts consolidated in 1920, the Brock students continued attending Brock, but there was not room for the elementary students from the five rural schools that had come into the district, so they continued to attend in their own buildings. Plans were to build more space and also a gymnasium for athletic activities, basketball, etc.
Then, on November 2, 1925, the alarm was spread! The school was on fire. It was not possible to save the school, but some records were rescued. Within days, classes were being held all over the town and they hardly missed a hitch! The School board made plans for the new school, and the class of 1926 graduated from the new school.
In 1920, District C-14-Brock Consolidated School was organized, centering in Brock (Old Union) and included five rural districts from the surrounding area: Lafayette, Union, Pete White, Rosewood, Cottonwood, and Elm Grove Rural schools. Because the school building in Brock would not hold all the students, children continued to attend their Rural School from Primary through 8th grades, but then all students came to Brock for High School.
This Consolidated system is rather peculiar in contrast with other consolidated districts, in the grade pupils in the country are not brought to town but attend school in their country schools, the same as they always did, but they are now under the supervision of the superintendent of schools in Brock.
Since the school building in Brock is not large enough for all the pupils, they continued attending in their rural school until they reached High School age, when they then come to Brock. The country school student took the same courses that the students in Brock were taking. The Brock music teacher travels to the country schools and teaches music in each of those schools, also. The Superintendent (M. A Sams) also traveled to the country schools and administered them as necessary.
This system of Consolidation has worked out very satisfactorily, the only difficulty being bad roads for the music teacher and Superintendent to travel! The school became Brock Consolidated Schools - District C-14 and was one of the most efficient and highly rated schools for its size in the state of Nebraska until it closed in 2002.
Then, on November 2, 1925, tragedy stuck, and the brick schoolhouse burned, just as students were coming to school in the morning. Some of them helped to save some materials from the school. Many of them watched the building burn! Before the smoke had cleared, and long before the excitement died down, Superintendent M. A. Sams had classes set up in makeshift quarters all over town, and the school became known as the “Main Street Campus.”
High school met in the Methodist Church basement; chemistry class shared space with the coal supply in the fuel room. Other classes met in the other churches, meeting rooms, all over town. Plays and activities were held at Bennet’s Theater. Music and debate had their programs in the Methodist Sanctuary. With no gym, no lunchroom, no recreation area, free time was spent strolling up and down Main Street. Nebraska’s Governor, Adam McMullen came to Brock for the Graduation Exercises that year - May, 1926, that was held in the Methodist Church.
When the new schoolhouse was built and opened in 1927, the district bought school buses and students were bussed to school throughout the entire district (including the rural school) on five bus routes. The first buses were orange, had wooden sides with plank seats down each side. The students faced each other as they sat on the seats. The windows had iron bars the full length of the bus to keep the students safe. Those buses traveled many muddy miles during their early years of transporting students to and from Brock Consolidated Schools.
Kindergarten was added to the Brock Consolidated School in 1939-40, and hundreds of students attended and graduated from the school. During those years, students from Clifton, Charter Oak, Cherry Grove and Julian also came to Brock to school until 1968 when the school merged with Johnson and became Johnson-Brock Public Schools. For several years, the students attended class in both the Brock and Johnson buildings, but an addition built to the school in Johnson, and in November, 2002, the students all moved into the building in Johnson. The Brock building was sold at an auction in October 2003.
**This information was revised and translated from the book "Brock a Town with Many Names" by Margret Piper. Full credit is given to her.
When the school districts consolidated in 1920, the Brock students continued attending Brock, but there was not room for the elementary students from the five rural schools that had come into the district, so they continued to attend in their own buildings. Plans were to build more space and also a gymnasium for athletic activities, basketball, etc.
Then, on November 2, 1925, the alarm was spread! The school was on fire. It was not possible to save the school, but some records were rescued. Within days, classes were being held all over the town and they hardly missed a hitch! The School board made plans for the new school, and the class of 1926 graduated from the new school.
In 1920, District C-14-Brock Consolidated School was organized, centering in Brock (Old Union) and included five rural districts from the surrounding area: Lafayette, Union, Pete White, Rosewood, Cottonwood, and Elm Grove Rural schools. Because the school building in Brock would not hold all the students, children continued to attend their Rural School from Primary through 8th grades, but then all students came to Brock for High School.
This Consolidated system is rather peculiar in contrast with other consolidated districts, in the grade pupils in the country are not brought to town but attend school in their country schools, the same as they always did, but they are now under the supervision of the superintendent of schools in Brock.
Since the school building in Brock is not large enough for all the pupils, they continued attending in their rural school until they reached High School age, when they then come to Brock. The country school student took the same courses that the students in Brock were taking. The Brock music teacher travels to the country schools and teaches music in each of those schools, also. The Superintendent (M. A Sams) also traveled to the country schools and administered them as necessary.
This system of Consolidation has worked out very satisfactorily, the only difficulty being bad roads for the music teacher and Superintendent to travel! The school became Brock Consolidated Schools - District C-14 and was one of the most efficient and highly rated schools for its size in the state of Nebraska until it closed in 2002.
Then, on November 2, 1925, tragedy stuck, and the brick schoolhouse burned, just as students were coming to school in the morning. Some of them helped to save some materials from the school. Many of them watched the building burn! Before the smoke had cleared, and long before the excitement died down, Superintendent M. A. Sams had classes set up in makeshift quarters all over town, and the school became known as the “Main Street Campus.”
High school met in the Methodist Church basement; chemistry class shared space with the coal supply in the fuel room. Other classes met in the other churches, meeting rooms, all over town. Plays and activities were held at Bennet’s Theater. Music and debate had their programs in the Methodist Sanctuary. With no gym, no lunchroom, no recreation area, free time was spent strolling up and down Main Street. Nebraska’s Governor, Adam McMullen came to Brock for the Graduation Exercises that year - May, 1926, that was held in the Methodist Church.
When the new schoolhouse was built and opened in 1927, the district bought school buses and students were bussed to school throughout the entire district (including the rural school) on five bus routes. The first buses were orange, had wooden sides with plank seats down each side. The students faced each other as they sat on the seats. The windows had iron bars the full length of the bus to keep the students safe. Those buses traveled many muddy miles during their early years of transporting students to and from Brock Consolidated Schools.
Kindergarten was added to the Brock Consolidated School in 1939-40, and hundreds of students attended and graduated from the school. During those years, students from Clifton, Charter Oak, Cherry Grove and Julian also came to Brock to school until 1968 when the school merged with Johnson and became Johnson-Brock Public Schools. For several years, the students attended class in both the Brock and Johnson buildings, but an addition built to the school in Johnson, and in November, 2002, the students all moved into the building in Johnson. The Brock building was sold at an auction in October 2003.
**This information was revised and translated from the book "Brock a Town with Many Names" by Margret Piper. Full credit is given to her.