for their children long before the direct involvement of the Hillsborough County School Board. One of its more historical schools was founded in the small village of Cork in the early 1870’s. There is an early reference to School #12 in the Cork area in Board minutes dated 8-3-1872.
Mrs. John Parketon of Clearwater shared her memories of Cork during these early years with D.B. McKay who wrote a series of articles for the Tampa Tribune on pioneer days. Mrs. Parketon referred to the Cork School as “Mrs. Brannen’s school and stated that, at one time classes were held in a fodder loft barn. By 1876, The Cork Academy opened its doors and many of the students transferred to the academy. The next year, the Cork Academy offered summer classes taught by an Englishman named Mr. Baker. Mrs. Parker recalled taking summer classes in geography, Florida history, and Bible history. These summer classes may have been the origin of the modified school schedule that became popular in the Strawberry Schools of East Hillsborough County.
The “Strawberry Schools” were an interesting part of the history of Hillsborough County Schools. From the earliest minutes from School Board meetings, there is evidence that consideration was being given to the needs of the rural agricultural communities in East Hillsborough County. As early as 1877, the Board was aware that many county schools set their terms at three or four months while schools in Tampa were open for five or six month Even when the Board attempted to equalize the length of school terms between the city and rural schools, rural schools suffered severe drops in attendance during the harvest months.
F.W. Merrin attempted to alert the public to the problem in his editorial in the July 17, 1891 South Florida Courier. Menin described the situation with the 75 schools that existed throughout the county at the time. He stated,
“ All are opened with full attendance by pupils in the district. Average daily attendance held up reasonably well for two months, after which attendance dropped so much that in many instances the schools closed before the end of the term.” (17)
Merrin wanted all of the schools to remain open, but in consideration for the taxpayers, recommended that they should be closed if good daily attendance could not be maintained even during the harvest months. (4)
There is no written record that the Board ever sanctioned the practice of schools in East Hillsborough County modifying their schedules to accommodate the needs of the residents. However, the practice existed for over 50 years. Schools in eastern Hillsborough County such as Cork , Bryan, Trapnell, Jackson, and Turkey Creek routinely modified their schedules so that students would be available during the harvest months of January through March. In many cases, students in these rural schools started school earlier so that their length of term was similar to the schools in Tampa. It is likely that the early Board members were sensitive to the needs of the farm families and unofficially allowed the modified schedule to continue.
The “strawberry schools” continued to operate between late March and December through the 1940s and into the l 950’s. As more of the public became aware of this practice, the Board received more and more criticism. In 1946, “Jock” Murray wrote an article for the Tampa Tribune entitled “Outdated Laws and Customs Hinder Hillsborough County Schools”. (34) He followed up six days later with an even more scathing attack entitled “Strawberry Schools: An Excuse for Child Labor.” (35) In the face of such attacks, the Board continued to try to remain sensitive to the needs of these residents. Many in the agricultural communities felt strongly that the modified schedule was critical to the life and economy of the area.
The criticism of the Board in regard to the “strawberry schools” continued and soon began to draw national attention. By the early l 950’s, several local reporters were admonishing the “Strawberry Schools” including D.B. McKay with his Tribune articles “Schools Need Overhauling from Top to Bottom Here” (36) and “Too Many Turkeys” (37). Finally, by the mid l950’s, the Board decided that it was necessary to take some action. On July 25, 1956, they scheduled a meeting at Turkey Creek High School to hear the protests of local residents over plans to end the modified strawberry schedule. Over 1,000 filled they auditorium that night and strongly voiced the necessity for continuing with the modified schedule. The next night, the School Board called a special meeting and officially ended the strawberry school schedule through the following resolution:
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Crockett Farnell, superintendent, stated that he believed that the action was the greatest step that the Board has ever taken toward improving the welfare of children in Hillsborough County. With that, the “Strawberry Schools” of East Hillsborough County became extinct.
The story of Glover School in Bealsville is one of the more captivating in the county. The origin dates back to the post-Civil War years when “freed slaves” laid claim to undeveloped land southwest of Plant City. These pioneers had limited resources and practically no farming or construction equipment to homestead their land. Members of the community credit the Howell family, in particular Sara Howell, for helping the original settlers to survive and become established. The other ingredient of this remarkable story was the hard work and dedication of the first settlers of Bealsville. As was the case with many freed slaves at the time, the residents of Bealsville understood the importance of education for their children to have a better life. The earliest community building erected in the community was the Antioch Baptist Church in the late l860’s. Upon its completion, the families began sending their children to “school” at the church. A few years later in 1873, the residents completed a primitive log cabin similar to many of the other rural schools through the county. Mr. William Glover secured the services of M. Joe Mathis as the first teacher of “Glover School.” According to the historical video report, “Bealsville, Wings Of Deliverance”, the Hillsborough County School Board paid the salary of this teacher during the I870’s. In the early l900’s, the school would be known as Jamison School with Rayford Allen as its principal. Mr. Allen went on to become one of the first principals of Booker T. Washington School in Tampa.
Five decades passed and, as the community grew, the residents desired a new “modern” school with direct connections to the School Board. Led by the prominent residents Ben Glover (son of William Glover), Sam Horton (grandfather of the future school administrator and W.O. Beal, the community raised $1100 for the construction of a new school in 1931. The residents approached the School Board and the Board constructed a new wooden, three room school building in 1933 with the three gentlemen as trustees. Although Ben was the figure in the construction of the school, it was named in honor of his deceased father, William Glover.
The next year, Mrs. Ethel Glover, granddaughter of William Glover, came to the school as a teacher and remained at Glover School until it closed in 1980. Mrs. Carrie Johnston, secretary of Bealsville, Inc. recalled that Ethel Glover. “She was strict and she expected every child in her class to learn.” As with many rural schools, several grades were combined and the students progressed at their own pace. Throughout the history of Glover School, staff members were always very short of supplies. During Mrs. Glover’s first year, she worked with one book, an eraser, and a few pencils and pieces of paper. During these years, there stories of the principal going to Tampa by horse and wagon to secure supplies from the Board of Education.
Within 10 years, the School Board began consolidating some of its rural black schools. In 1945, students from Keysville, Hopewell, and Trapnell schools were bussed to Glover School. Due to the new students, additional classrooms were needed and the School Board erected a new concrete block building. Additional classrooms were again added in 1949 along with classes in Homemaking, Agriculture, and Industrial Arts. Throughout these years, Glover School continued to serve the 1 through 9 population and the high school students were transported to the Midway Academy in Plant City. As Bealsville grew and more students were bussed in from other communities, the staff eventually grew to about 14 teachers 1 with a principal. The school’s curriculum was community-based and strongly reflected the values of its residents. Graduates from Glover School talk not only about academic learning, but also of being taught “how to live life.” The academics apparently were taught success fully as many Glover graduates went on to pass entrance exams for college and licensing exams for a variety of professions.
The residents recall 1971 as being a “ heart-breaking” year in the history of the community. Due to desegregation, Glover School was converted to a 6th grade center and white students were bussed in from the surrounding rural areas of East Hillsborough County. The residents accepted white students being bussed in, but had great difficulty with their young children (grades K-5) being bussed out to attend “white schools” miles away from Bealsville. The same bussing plan was utilized in all African American schools in the district and Bealsville was no different. In 1980, the Board of Education decided to close the Glover School and move the children to more modern, consolidated schools. By this time, Plant City High School, fully integrated and was educating high school students from Bealsville. The once proud faculty of Glover School was dispersed among other county schools and several Glover teachers were demoted to teacher’s aides due to inadequate certification. Even “ master teacher” Ethel Glover was assigned to an exceptional student class.
The decision to close the school had to be difficult for the Board and the protest was very emotional. It is interesting that during the 1970’s, the district reported several school “proportions” that could have been viewed as violations of the desegregation Court Order. Neither the local residents nor the NAACP protested any of these situations. However, many Bealsville residents and some NAACP representatives showed up in the District Court in 1980 to protest the closing of Glover School. The School Board did not change its directive and Glover School remained closed. In 1981, the Board returned the buildings and land to the residents of Bealsville through its non-profit organization, Bealsville, Inc. Today, the 1933 and 1945 buildings still exist and have received National Historical Site status. The alumni and residents are working hard to fully restore the buildings and maintain the unique educational heritage of the community.
During its years in operation, Glover School produced some of the most successful African American scholars and professionals in the history of Hillsborough County. Its alumni list is very impressive and far too long to include everyone in this brief history. Some of the more noted graduates of Glover School include:
- Sam Horton: prominent educator/administrator in Hillsborough County Schools
- Frank and Thomas Cunningham: attorneys in West Palm Beach
- John D. White: Agriculture Principal for Dade County
- Mary P. Curry Zinnerman: guidance counselor at Florida A&M University
- Edward Broadnax, member of the Board of Education, Washington D.C.
- Mrs. Carrie McDonald Johnston, nurse and Secretary of Bealsville, Inc.
Trapnell Elementary, south of Plant City, was one of the “strawberry schools” with a very interesting background. The following account was provided by Darrie Hatcher Walden, one of the more devoted teachers in the history of the school system. After teaching at Dover, Keysville, and Hopewell, Mrs. Walden spent 23 years of her teaching career at Trapnell. In the early 1930’s, about half of the population that lived in the area were Hungarian families who had moved from Louisiana to work in the berry fields. When Trapnell School opened in 1932, the Hungarian children and most of the other students worked on the farms during the berry harvest. Mrs. Walden reported that although their school year was shortened, community involvement was common.
“The community took great pride in their new three-room school that was furnished with new single-student desks. Because the new building was so much easier to keep clean, it was a particular joy to teachers who had to do their own janitorial work. At the end of the school term, students participated in a work period, which was indicative of both student responsibility and the pride in their school. Each scrubbed his or her desk and the wall near it. Afterward, the girls washed the windows and mopped the floor while the boys washed down the outside walls and the porch banisters. They left their school clean.”
Everyone contributed to the daily operation of the school. For example, Mrs. Walden a another teacher, signed a note for $75 to get pots and pans, a triple sink, ten dozen spoon forks, plates, and water glasses for the school’s lunchroom. A former student, a tinner by occupation, covered all of the lunchroom tables with aluminum sheeting. Throughout the season, farmers donated crates of peas, beans, and ripe tomatoes. 4-H clubs taught older students how to can vegetables and each year, as the term was ending, staff and students would can fresh vegetables from the area fields. The goal was to “fill the school’s pant, with cans of tomatoes, peas, beans and pickles to help out with the things Uncle Sam did furnish .”(42)
When a 200 seat auditorium was needed in the school, the community again “pitched in” and helped in its own way. The children gathered moss from trees and brought in bags to school until we had enough to upholster two chairs and a couch. The moss was green so the teachers boiled it in a drum cooker and hung it on a clothesline to dry. It was then used to stuff the homemade stage furniture. After a community dinner, “patrons an trustees” helped the staff saw lumber for benches in the new auditorium. The fresh wood was stained with a concoction of kerosene and tar.
Mrs. Walden also provided some details about the procedures of Trapnell School in the 1930’s in regard to materials and religious instruction,
“Most of the children had very little clothing. Books were in short supply and most teaching was from the chalkboard. The thirty students in seventh and eighth grade had only four sets of books, hers and three sets bought by the school trustees . This was before the day of free textbooks. It was the practice, before classes began, for teachers and students to assemble in one room for daily devotions. Children were taught that God was Creator and Father of all people. They were also taught good citizenship and practiced it.”
Apparently, the community was very involved with this school. It was common for the school to host chicken suppers and fish fries attracting large crowds from the surrounding area.
“To secure money to buy books to start a school library, students sold scrap iron they gathered after school. Parents helped with benefit chicken suppers and. fish fries.” (4)
Mrs. Walden concluded her reminiscence with:
“I dedicated my life in the early part of teaching to rural children. Salaries were small but it didn’t cost much to live. Salary was a motivation. It was love for children and underprivileged people.” (42)