The history of South Shore School

Ahead of South Shore’s 125th Anniversary, the Current is pleased to publish a special section on the community’s history.

District No. 38 was built in March 1884 and was originally located a half-mile east of the South Shore Township, on the north side of what would become Highway 20. It was moved into town 10 years later.

District No. 57 was organized in 1886, and the schoolhouse was built two years later. District No. 36 opened at approximately the same time. North of Round Lake, District No. 67 was built in 1890 and later moved to town to serve as a museum. The rural schoolhouses in Leola Township all closed by the 1950s, with students being bused to South Shore. In Germantown Township, District Nos. 65, 61, and “Mayflower” 31 all joined the South Shore School District by 1968.

The South Shore School prior to 1924.

In 1896, a two-room, two-story building was built to replace the former District 38 building. In December 1903, the school board voted to increase the school staff to three teachers, and the next year, four classrooms were built onto the building.

The first commencement exercises in South Shore were held in May 1904, with 12 graduates completing the eighth and ninth grade.

Beginning in 1920, a three-year high school program was implemented. Students would complete their senior year in Watertown.

In 1924, the still-standing brick structure was built, housing elementary through secondary grades. A full, four-year high school program was offered at this time. The first high school graduation in South Shore was held in May 1925, with Lillian Erickson, Esther Selchert, and Geraldine Zielsky as valedictorians.

The South Shore High School band in 1935.

In 1932, a high school band was formed by John Headley. It consisted of 25 members and gave its first concert in May 1933. The band won many superior rankings in state and regional contests. The 1956 band, under the direction of Tom Matthews, was known as “one of the finest in eastern South Dakota.”

Students from South Shore also did well in one-act plays and oral interp, also known as “declam.” Many advanced to state competitions over the years.

The South Shore School Memorial.

In the late 1930s, the school operated dormitories for rural students. The boys were housed at the Hans Johnson home, with the girls in the G. Andrisen home. This was discontinued at the start of the 1941-42 school year, when the school lunch program was started. Morning and evening meals were also offered for rural students.

A gymnasium/auditorium was added on the west side of the school in 1957 at a cost of $50,000. This was built largely through volunteer labor, with 219 people volunteering a total of 9,668 hours of labor. A “bond burning” ceremony for the financing of this project was held on January 5, 1976. In 1984, an addition was built for a band room, guidance offices, and additional classroom space, including special education.

Student enrollment exceeded 200 in the 1958-59 school year, but by the early 2000s, it was under 100. State law dictates that districts must maintain enrollment of over 100, so discussions on closure and consolidation began.

Katie Carlson addresses the last graduation held in South Shore in May 2008.

While mergers with other districts were considered, the most natural and obvious was consolidation with Waverly, as the two schools already shared a sports co-op. The two entered into a “dissolve and attach” agreement. South Shore High School closed in 2008, with its students attending the newly established Waverly/South Shore High School, located in Waverly.

The last graduation at South Shore was held on Sunday, May 18, 2008. Katie Carlson, Eric Blue, and Brady Schliesman received diplomas.

A preschool through fifth-grade elementary school remained in operation in South Shore for the next two years. Ownership of the school building was transferred to the Town of South Shore at the time of the elementary closure. The building is used as a community center, hosting a variety of events throughout the year. The gymnasium remains in use as a fitness center for the public.