Communities Skyline Skyline School History

Skyline R-II School History

Originally there were 111 small one-room schools in Douglas County. When population decreased as people started larger farms, this was no longer profitable. The county's solution was to combine small schools to make a few larger ones. This is how Skyline R-II District was formed. The following schools voted to close to form Skyline R-II School District: Denlow, Stoney Point, Cold Springs, Brushy Knob, Vanzant, East Dogwood, Pine Park, Black Oak Flat, Champion and part of East Fairview. 

In 1955 the Skyline R-II building opened. It consisted of six small rooms, four of them with two classes per room, one office, one nurse's office, and two bathrooms. A gym with a wooden stage was added sometime in the 1970's. The wooden stage was later covered or replaced with tiles. In 1990 there were two classrooms added behind the gymnasium. These classes now house the 7th and 8th grades. 

In 1995 the biggest addition to the school was added. The addition contained 5 classrooms, a resource room, 2 small offices, and a nurse's office. Originally the cafeteria was next to the third grade classroom, until the addition, when the wall between them was removed, creating a larger cafeteria. Two of the first rooms in the original school have been made into one room, that now alternates between art and music classes. 

The first graduating class from the 1955-56 school year had 16 students. They were: Nola Fae Beaven, Zola Beaven, Carol Lee Rhodes, Lora Kay Hall, Audrey Williams, Robert Dean Brixey, Norma Fae Stephens, Naomi Stephens, Ivan Lee Peacock, Emmalyn S. Atchison, Joyce Conley, Pauline Gray, Warren Riley, Marie Ritter, Phyllis Jean Rhodes, and James Pennington. 

Thirty-three surveys were distributed to the faculty and staff asking if they previously attended Skyline as students. Nineteen surveys were returned. Results indicate three, or 15.8% of the current faculty and staff attended Skyline School as students. 

Written in the spring of 2000 by a group of Skyline students under the guidance of teacher Dina Shisler. The students researched the history of their school. They were: Amanda, Dillon, Jenifer, M.A.M, and Stephen, from grades 3, 5, 6 and 8.