Lifelong Learning: One-Room Rural Schoolhouses in Montana

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Authors

Bahou, Natalie

Date of Issue

2025-04-25

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Presentation

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en_US

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Abstract

This presentation will address the history of K-12 education in Montana, with particular emphasis on one-room rural schoolhouses in a historical and contemporary context. The Montana educational system has grown throughout the decades with the establishment of a comprehensive system of education, population booms and reductions in the 1900s, and school district consolidation. While rural education has been declining since the mid-twentieth century, it remains embedded in the Montana system of education. To this day, Montana remains one of the states with the highest amount of rural schools in the nation. Next, I will reflect on the stories of 5 still-standing rural one-room/one-teacher schools in the Helena area: Unionville, Helena, Marysville, Wolf Creek, and Canyon Creek. Some of these schools are still in operation; others are museums. Nevertheless, all of these buildings educated countless Montanans through the decades, whether it is through a traditional school setting, hosting community-building events (potlucks, 4-H meetings, polling, class reunions), or showcasing the community and its history as a museum. In short, this presentation will examine how rural schools have played, and continue to play, a beautiful role in fostering not just knowledge – but a sense of identity, community, and belonging to those they serve.

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