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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. In January 1917, a $1,500 debenture was issued to finance the purchase of a new school site and both build and furnish a new one-room schoolhouse. Built later that same year, a further $1,000 debenture was issued in January 1919 to finish construction. A $2,300 debenture was issued in September 1923 to fund a structural addition that measured 24 feet by 32 feet along with a full-sized basement; with construction completed late that year. This two-room facility was 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 Ross Lynn 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.
Period
Principal
1921
Anselina Stromquist
1921-1922
May Myers
1922-1925
Alma Erickson
1925-1926
Julia Louise Balwin
1926-1927
Ruth Soronow
1927-1947
?
1947-1951
Rose Williams
1951-1952
Mary Armande Williams
1952-1953
Cornelius B. Buhler
1953-1955
Edna May Lee
1955-1958
Katherine Jean Fulton Gray (1911-1977)
1958-1959
T. V. Fulton
1959-1961
Mrs. Rose Smook
1961-1964
Katherine Jean Fulton Gray (1911-1977)
1964-1965
Mrs. Rose Smook
1965-1966
G. J. Gamey
1966-1977
Marvin W. Hovorka
1977-1984
Terry Gotziaman
1984-1985
1985-1987
Ronald Buzahora
1987-1989
Larry Slashinsky
1989-1995
Chester Rouleau
1995-2007
Doris Hovorka
2007-2016
Danielle Charrette
2016-?
Jared Baines
Among the early teachers of Sprague School were records not available (Spring 1902 - Fall 1904), school did not operate (Spring-Fall 1905), Rufus Freeman Meadows (Spring 1906), Opal A. West (pt Fall 1906), Jessie W. Singleton (pt Fall 1906), school closed (Spring 1907), J. J. Burgess (Fall 1907 - Spring 1908), school closed (Fall 1908), Percy Simson (Spring 1909), Kenzie MacRae (Fall 1909), Blanche Charlotte Emes (Spring-Fall 1910), Florence E. MacIntyre (Spring 1911), Rosetta Neilly (Fall 1911), Isaac Hoppenstadt? (Spring 1912), school closed (Fall 1912), A. Birkett? [Birkelt?] (Spring-Fall 1913), Ethel Forrest (Spring 1914 - Spring 1915), Jean I. K. Yarrow (Fall 1915), Bertha D. Norris (Spring 1916), school closed (Fall 1916), Anna Sheldon (Spring 1917), Josephine E. A. Paterson [Patterson?] (August 1917 - March 1918), Mrs. M. G. Ostrom (March-June & September-December 1918), Beatrice V. Burrs (Spring-Fall 1919), A. D. Morgan (Spring 1920), and Lucy Evaline Mills (?-?).
Period
Teachers
1920-1921
Amy W. Shore (grades 1-2, January-February), Anselina Stromquist (grades 1-7, September-December; grades 3-7, January-June), Jennie Stromquist (grades 1-2, March-June)
1921-1922
Gwen Kirk (grades 1-3, November-June), May Myers (grades 3-8, October-December; grades 4-8, January-June), Anselina Stromquist (grades 3-8, August-October), Jennie Stromquist (grades 1-3, August-October)
1922-1923
Alma Erickson (grades 4-9), Emma M. Olson (grades 1-3, September-December; grades 1-3, January-June)
1923-1924
Alma Erickson (grades 5-9), Emma M. Olson (grades 1-4)
1924-1925
Alma Erickson (grades 5-10), Emma M. Olson (grades 1-4)
1925-1926
Julia Louise Balwin (grades 4-9, August-December; grades 4-10, January-June; spouse of Mr. A. E. Baldwin), Alice Marie Pieper (grades 1-3, November-June), Jennie Stromquist (grades 1-3, September-October)
1926-1927
Minnie McCrea (grades 1-3, Fall sububstitute), Alice Marie Pieper (grades 1-3), Ruth Soronow (grades 4-9)
1927-1928
?
1928-1929
?
1929-1930
?
1930-1931
?
1931-1932
?
1932-1933
?
1933-1934
?
1934-1935
?
1935-1936
?
1936-1937
?
1937-1938
?
1938-1939
?
1939-1940
?
1940-1941
?
1941-1942
?
1942-1943
?
1943-1944
?
1944-1945
?
1945-1946
?
1946-1947
?
1947-1948
?
1948-1949
?
1949-1950
Lola Bertha MacKay (grades 1-4, ?-June), Jennie Stodgell (grades 1-4, August-December & January-?), Mary Armande Williams (grades 9-12, August-December; grades 5-8, January-June), Rose Williams (grades 9-11, January-June), ? (grades 5-8, August-December)
1950-1951
Helen Theresa Blight (grades 1-4), Mary Armande Williams (grades 5-8), Rose Williams (grades 9-11)
1951-1952
Helen Theresa Blight (grades 1-4), Katherine Jean Fulton Gray (grades 5-8), Mary Armande Williams (grades 9-11)
1952-1953
Cornelius B. Buhler (grades 9-11), Tena Fleming (grades 1-4), Katherine Jean Fulton Gray (grades 5-8)
1953-1954
Marion Grace Blanchfield (grades 3-5), Tena Fleming (grades 1-2), Katherine Jean Fulton Gray (grades 6-8), Edna May Lee (grades 9-11)
1954-1955
Marion Grace Blanchfield (grades 4-6), Tena Fleming (grades 1-3, August-December & January-?), Ethel Margaret Fulton (grades 1-3, ?-June), Katherine Jean Fulton Gray (grades 7-9), Edna May Lee (grades 10-12)
1955-1956
Marion Grace Blanchfield (grades 4-6), Katherine Jean Fulton Gray (grades 10-11), Johanna Helena Holtmann (grades 7-9, August-December & January-?), Mary Myrowich (grades 1-3), Anne Gertrude Watt (grades 7-9, ?-June)
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 KuzinaSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.03673, W95.64169
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Ross Lynn Gray (1904-1964)
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.
Summative half-yearly returns for school districts (A 0051), Archives of Manitoba.
Corporate Security registered documents (ATG 0089), #38 School District of Sprague, GR12576, Archives of Manitoba.
Corporate Security registered documents (ATG 0089), #51 School District of Sprague, GR12576, Archives of Manitoba.
Corporate Security registered documents (ATG 0089), #50 School District of Sprague, GR12576, Archives of Manitoba.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
Orders-In-Council (EC 0003B), Order-in-Council #30634, GR1530, Archives of Manitoba.
We thank Doris Hovorka (Sprague and District Historical Museum), Rose Kuzina, and Courty Rozsa for providing information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 18 December 2025
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