A training school, or county training school, was a type of segregated school for African American students found in the United States and Canada. In the Southern United States they were established to educate African Americans at elementary and secondary levels, especially as teachers; and in the Northern United States they existed as educational reformatory schools. A few training schools still exist, however they exist in a different context.
History
The training school movement began in 1911. The southern training schools were supported by northern philanthropists, roughly from 1910 to 1930. The Slater Fund supported many of the schools. Philanthropic organizations had their own criteria for funding support.
In the segregated Jim Crow South (roughly until the 1950s), schools for African Americans could not be high schools so they were called training schools and “emphasized vocational training and domestic science over academic subjects”. In the south they often served African American students from a large area and were often named county training schools. County training schools were established in Alabama starting in 1915. Training schools addressed the need for larger and better schools to supplement elementary education in small rural schools and helped meet the demand for teachers. They had an agricultural and industrial training ethos and required support and cooperation from local officials. Many schools were eventually renamed, and became high schools until desegregation when many were closed.
Training schools were also established in northern states and in Canada as educational reformatory schools.
List of U.S. training schools Listed by southern or northern status, by state, and in alphabetical order by name
Northern states Connecticut Mansfield Training School and Hospital in Mansfield, Connecticut Southbury Training School in Southbury, Connecticut and Roxbury, Connecticut
Iowa Girls State Training School in Toledo, Iowa
Ohio Hillcrest Training School in Cincinnati, Ohio; an extant reform school
Massachusetts Hampden County Training School in Agawam, Massachusetts; established in 1916, a reformatory school for boys Middlesex County Training School in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts; a reform school
Michigan Wayne County Training School in Wayne County, Michigan
New Jersey Vineland Training School in Vineland, New Jersey; first U.S. research facility devoted to studying mental deficiencies was established
North Dakota State Training School in North Dakota; a reform school
Southern states
Alabama Bibb County Training School in Centreville, Alabama Chilton County Training School in Clanton, Alabama Escambia County Training School in Atmore, Alabama Lowndes County Training School in Hayneville, Alabama Mobile County Training School in Mobile, Alabama
Arkansas Chicot County Training School in Dermott, Arkansas Dallas County Training School in Fordyce, Arkansas; built in 1934 with the Rosenwald Fund, the only high school serving African Americans in a four southern Arkansas counties until 1940 Fargo Training School in Fargo, Arkansas General Education Board Training School in Lafayette County, Arkansas Jefferson County Training School in Pine Bluff Lafayette County Training School in Stamps, Arkansas Little River County Training School in Ashdown, Arkansas
Florida Carver Training School in Martin County, Florida Dade County Training School in Dade County, Florida; from 1899–1937 Delray County Training School in Delray Beach, Florida Jackson County Training School in Jackson County, Florida Lake County Training School in Leesburg, Florida Madison County Training School in Madison, Florida Murray Training School in Martin County, Florida Stuart Training School in Stuart, Martin County, Florida
Georgia Carroll County Training School in Carrollton, Georgia Fayette County Training School in Fayetteville, Georgia
Louisiana DeSoto Parish Training School in Mansfield, Louisiana; succeeded by DeSoto High School East Carroll Parish Training School in Lake Providence, Louisiana Holy Ghost Training School in Opelousas, Louisiana; succeeded by Holy Ghost High School Iberia Parish Training School in New Iberia, Louisiana Lafayette Parish Training School in Lafayette, Louisiana Natchitoches Parish Training School in Natchitoches, Louisiana St. Landry Parish Training School in Opelousas, Louisiana Tangipegoa Parish Training School in Kentwood, Louisiana Tenses Parish Training School in St. Joseph, Louisiana Webster Training School in Minden, Louisiana; succeeded by Webster High School
Mississippi Amite County Training School in Gloster, Mississippi Attala County Training School in Kosciusko, Mississippi Claiborne County Training School Columbia Training School Harrison County Training School in Pass Christian, Mississippi Holmes County Training School in Durant, Mississippi Leake County Training School in Leake County, Mississippi Lee County Training School in Tupelo, Mississippi; which became Carver High School (Tupelo, Mississippi) Lincoln County Training School Madison County Training School Madison County Training School Monroe County Training School in Amory, Mississippi Neshoba County Training School Noxubee County Training School in Shuqualak, Mississippi Oktibbeha County Training School in Starkville, Mississippi Pearl River County Training School in Picayune, Mississippi Pike County Training School in Magnolia, Mississippi Smith County Training School Stone County Training School in Wiggins, Mississippi; the first secondary school for Black students in Stone County, Mississippi Union County Training School in New Albany Walthall County Training School in Lexie, Walthall County, Mississippi Wilkinson County Training School Winston County Training School in Louisville, Mississippi Yazoo County Training School in Yazoo City, Mississippi; which became Yazoo City Training School and later N. D. Taylor High School
North Carolina Anderson County Training School in North Carolina Berry O’Kelly Training School in Method, North Carolina Bladen County Training School in Elizabethtown, North Carolina Buncombe County Boys' Training School in Asheville, North Carolina Caswell County Training School in Yanceyville, North Carolina; from 1934–1969 Cleveland County Training School in Shelby, North Carolina; a Rosenwald School near Wise, North Carolina Franklin County Training School in Louisburg, North Carolina Harnett County Training School in Dunn, North Carolina Hyde County Training School in Sladesville, Hyde County, North Carolina Lee County Training School in Lee County, North Carolina Orange County Training School (OCTS) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; from 1916–1966 Stonewall Jackson Training School in unincorporated Cabarrus County, North Carolina Warren County Training School in Wise, Warren County, North Carolina; a Rosenwald School Wilmington Training School in Wilmington, North Carolina where Lewis Thomas Christmas served as principal
South Carolina Allendale Training School in Allendale, South Carolina serving Allendale County (NRHP listed)schpr.sc.gov/index.php/Detail/properties/74023 Clarendon County Training Schoolhttps://greenbookofsc.com/locations/manning-training-school/ Darlington County Training School in Hartsville, South Carolina that became H. H. Butler High Schoolhttps://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=38137 Laurens County Training Schoolhttps://greenbookofsc.com/locations/laurens-county-training-school/
Tennessee Bedford County Training School for Negroes in Shelbyville, Tennessee; also named John McAdams High School during its existence Chester County Training School in Henderson, Tennessee Fayette County Training School in Somerville Gibson County Training School in Milan, Tennessee; built in 1926 with financial support from the Rosenwald Fund Hardeman County Training School in Whiteville, Tennessee Haywood County Training School in Brownsville, Tennessee; which became George Washington Carver High School
Texas Sam Houston Industrial and Training School in rural Galilee, near Huntsville, Texas Texas State Training School for Girls in Cooke County, Texas
Virginia Albemarle Training School in Charlottesville, Virginia Augusta County Training School in Cedar Green, Virginia Buckingham Training School in Dillwyn, Virginia; a Rosenwald School Greensville County Training School in Emporia, Virginia Konnarock Training School in Konnarock, Virginia Nansemond County Training School in Suffolk, Virginia Princess Anne County Training School in Virginia Beach, Princess Anne County, Virginia
Canada New Brunswick Training School a former youth detention centre in Kingsclear, New Brunswick, Canada
See also History of African-American education, the history of early Black education in the United States General Education Board, a private organization to help support higher education and medical schools in the rural South Manual labor college (1825–1860), a type of school that supplemented academics with labor Normal school, an educational institution to train teachers Training school (United Kingdom) List of industrial schools List of institutions providing special education facilities Historically Black colleges and universities List of historically black colleges and universities Rosenwald Schools Jeanes Foundation List of former high schools in Louisiana
References