Thank you to Joan Gilmore, former superintendent’s secretary and author of “North Whidbey Pioneer Schools (1986),” and the Whidbey News Times for documenting this history.

A Timeline of Oak Harbor Schools

• The first school in Oak Harbor was built in 1886 and was called Brann’s Camp School – located in a logging camp on Green Road in the Silver Lake area. Most schooling was for younger children through 8^th grade since family farming was a priority.
• 17 small, unregulated schools dotted across North Whidbey before our current schools, mostly on donated land and built by community members.
• Most families didn’t have cars until 1914. Imagine what a walk to and from school might have been like for those students and teachers! During this time a cougar scare forced many families to bring their children to school by horse and buggy.
• The first high school was built out of local materials in 1911 on the SE corner of 700 Ave E and Midway Blvd. on 10 acres of land that were donated by William Izett. It was the first school to have indoor plumbing and house a hot lunch program. Now only the ground floor of the once three-story building stands.
• Smith Transfer, Oak Harbor Transfer and Fakkema Motors provided the first school bus in 1920 – a frieght truck with removable seats with a tarp for protection that doubled as cattle transport during the school day.
• In 1920 the first Associated Student Body was created.
• In 1921 the student newspaper the “Breeze” was founded.
• In 1934 the high school moved to the location that is now Oak Harbor Elementary School.
• In 1943 an elementary school was built next to the high school – today this location is still home to Oak Harbor Elementary School. This new elementary school site replaced all of the existing pioneer schools in the area.
• The first annual year book was created 1922.
• Memorial Stadium was built in 1944 next to where the current transportation office is. It was the first lighted baseball stadium in northwest Washington!
• In 1974 the high school moved to its current location.

Locations of North Whidbey’s Original Pioneer Schools

• Freund’s School, located near what is now downtown Oak Harbor, 1896-1902, followed by Central School, near current City Hall

• Swantown School, Crosby Road, 1900-1920s

• First Clover Valley School, CPO Club, late 1800s-1929

• Crescent Harbor, late 1800s-1924 or 1925

• First Cornet School, Northgate Terrace, 1904-1912. It was 16 by 24 feet and could hold 10 children. A larger Cornet School followed from 1912-1929

• First Sandy Flats School, near Torpedo Gate, 1915-1919

• Dugualla School, Dugualla Bay, 1916-1917

• Watson Corner School, Monroe Landing Road, 1916-1925

• Silver Lake Schools, same building used on Strawberry Point Road then moved one and one-half miles south, 1904-1925

• Oak Harbor High School, southeast corner of 700 Ave. E. and Midway Boulevard, 1911-1948

• Oak Harbor High School, now Oak Harbor Elementary School, 1934-present

Do you have more notable history of our schools to share? Email briefs@ohsd.net to submit your information!