Brown, O. Hill, J. K Jones, Henry Cronk, N. D. Livingston and others.
The Roland schools are the Norwegians' pride. They point to them above their business interests. They afford two teachers in winter besides the principal, but have no course of study. A few branches above the ordinary are taught, and effort is making at a grade. They were made independent in 1887, and the principals have been J. P. Thomas, L. A. Stulland and Miss Belle H. Garrett. A two-story frame house was finished in 1885 at a cost of $1,800, but in 1889 a one-story building was moved in from the country to meet the growing needs. They are both pleasantly located. The district and township have a public library, to which the pupils have access. Jonas Duea has been continuously president of the board. O. O. Hegland and John Evenson were among the first members of the board.
The Collins Township graded school is merely a country school of one room, with the upper room a township graded school. This is the only township in the county which has taken advantage of this law.
The Slater schools became an independent district in 1875, and for the first term had two teachers in 1889, when they built a neat two-story frame building valued at about $3,000. The school facilities were a great reason for the general exodus from Sheldahl to Slater. It is graded and has about 130 pupils. H. J. Garlock was its first principal.
The Iowa Center schools have suffered with the town as far as size is concerned. They employ two teachers.
The Zearing schools have a grade established, covering nine years. They have a two-story frame building completed in 1887, at a cost of $3,000, although begun in 1883. The grade was established by J. F. Reed, when two teachers were first had in 1887. J. C. Burkhart and J. M. Price, have been presidents of the board..
In conclusion it will be safe to say that Story County's schools have, if anything, more than kept pace with her material prosperity, and it is not too much to say that her prosperity has been made subservient to her love of education. The cause for this lies in the people first, and next to that the Agricultural College, and the schools of Nevada and Ames have no doubt been strong factors, together with excellent county superintendence.