A Brief History of Haileyville Public Schools

The first free school in Haileyville was established in 1904. By August, 1907 the Interior Department had approved the city’s request for a bond issue of $10,000 to construct a school building. The ninth grade was added to the school schedule by 1908 and by 1909, the school went up to the eleventh grade. Haileyville School was not accredited until 1917. Several Haileyville teachers lived in McAlester and rode the streetcar (Pittsburg County Railway) to Haileyville to teach. If you know where to look, you can still see the remnants of the old railway today.

In 1926, students in grades seven and up from the surrounding communities of Bache, Alderson, and Dow began attending Haileyville. The streetcar played a major role in transporting these students to school. It has been speculated that the streetcar may have stayed in business longer because of the company’s contract with the school.

Another school existed in Haileyville for a time. Haileyville was divided into a north side and south side by huge railroad yards that ran east and west where Highway 270 now runs through town. There were only a few places to safely cross the yards including a bridge (the Rock Island viaduct) crossing roughly in the vicinity of or just east of the current Haileyville 66 station. Some time around 1907, the Riley School was established for north side students through the sixth grade. It is unclear when the school ceased operating.

Haileyville, like much of Pittsburg County, was a town where many ethnic backgrounds came together to live and work. The coal mines and railroad were the main industries. English was a second language for many Haileyville students who spoke Italian, Russian, Polish, Spanish, or German at home. Haileyville Schools were responsible for the education of these multicultural students.

The old school building stood proudly for many years until 1971, when it was demolished. The building had additions including the gymnasium (1936) built on the east (back) side when necessary due to the school’s expansion. The gym burned in 1970 and a new gym was constructed in the shell of the old one. The current high school was built in 1969 and the current elementary building was constructed within two years after. The school campus expanded through the years from one half of a city block to currently encompass just over two blocks.