Historic Sites of Manitoba: Sprague School No. 1167 / Ross L. Gray School (Sprague, RM of Piney)

Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

The Sprague School District was established in February 1902 and a school building was erected in Sprague, in what would later become the Rural Municipality of Piney. A new one-room schoolhouse was constructed in 1917 and an addition was made three years later. These two rooms were used until 1956 when the students of Hardy School No. 2179 were added, necessitating the use of the local Womens’ Institute Library as a classroom. A high school addition was made in 1960.

In July 1965, it became Sprague Consolidated School No. 2439, merging with the Middlebro School No. 2227 and Golden Branch School No. 1845, and the school was renamed Ross L. Gray School in commemoration of local school board official R. L. Gray. Three more school districts: Gobeil Special School, Whitemouth Lake School No. 1672, and South Junction School No. 1615, joined in 1967 and, finally, Vassar School No. 1329 and Burns School No. 2003 joined in 1968. Between 1966 and 1968, six new classrooms were constructed and, in 1970, a new gymnasium, three classrooms, and a staff room were added. Another addition was made in 1980, providing an industrial arts room, home economics room, business education room, and a classroom.

In 2002, Sprague Consolidated School No. 2439 was forced by the provincial government to join the Border Land School Division. A budgetary surplus accumulated by the local school board was used to build a stage on the gymasium.

Principals

Period	Principal
1947-1951	Rose Williams
1951-1952	Mary A. Williams
1952-1953	C. B. Buhler
1953-1955	Edna M. Lee
1955-1958	Katherine Gray
1958-1959	T. V. Fulton
1959-1961	Mrs. Rose Smook
1961-1964	Katherine Gray
1964-1965	Mrs. Rose Smook
1965-1966	G. J. Gamey
1966-1977	Marvin W. Hovorka
1977-1984	Terry Gotziaman
1984-1985	Ben Hanuschak
1985-1987	Ronald Buzahora
1987-1989	Larry Slashinsky
1989-1995	Chester Rouleau
1995-2007	Doris Hovorka
2007-?	Danielle Charrette

Teachers

Among the other teachers of Sprague School was Lucy Evaline Mills (?-?).

Photos & Coordinates

Sprague School (no date) by Clarence Moore Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 70. Painting of the Sprague School (no date) Source: Sprague and District Historical Museum Ross L. Gray School (August 2023) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.03673, W95.64169 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

One Hundred Years in the History of the Rural Schools of Manitoba: Their Formation, Reorganization and Dissolution (1871-1971) by Mary B. Perfect, MEd thesis, University of Manitoba, April 1978.

We thank Doris Hovorka (Sprague and District Historical Museum), Nathan Kramer, and Rose Kuzina for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 15 September 2023

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