(This page's most recent update is
June 2024)
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Do you research school records? I’m not talking about yearbooks. Those can be found on the Yearbooks Page. I’m talking about actual school records, such as enrollment, attendance, and grade reports for example. These are interesting source documents because they might record the student’s age, birth date and location, and possibly their parents’ names. All great ways to find this information if you haven’t found them in other documents about your target ancestor. Besides, finding out your grandmother’s grades would be interesting!
The record collection links, listed below, feature school records from the state, and list collections of records that are available for free online.
If you wish to get educated with some basic information regarding what is available and how to navigate your research for school records, you can read these summaries:
- 5 Quick Tips to Get the Most Out of Education Records
- Top 10 Strategies for Finding School Records for Genealogy
- Getting Started With School Records for Genealogy Research
So, what types of records related to schools are maintained and often available?
- School Census
- School Catalogs
- Teacher’s Registers
- Attendance Records
- Report Cards
- Class Logs
- Teacher Rosters
- School Board Meetings/Reports
- Academic Team and Class Photos
- Local Newspaper Articles:
- Graduation Lists
- School Activities
- School Sports
- Student Newspapers
- Alumni Directories and Publications
- Yearbooks
- Yearbook Indexes
And, what types of information can you derive from these school records?
- Name (often includes a middle name which is useful).
- Age
- Physical Characteristics – color/race, disability.
- Birth Date
- Current Residence Address
- Name of Father
- Name of Mother
- Occupations of parents
- Grades
- Classes Taken
- Activities (from Photos)
- Date left school (can help with family residence relocation)
Below is a list of links to free online school record collections for the state;
Note: Some of the links go to sites with not much information and some go to sites with an extensive set of records.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Arkansas School Records
- Arkansas Township Teacher’s Daily Register, 1881-1884
- Atlanta Methodist Episcopal Church, South Sunday School Record, 1884-1887, 1892-1895
- Boone County, Harrison High School Class Lists of 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1949
- Boone County, History of Shady Grove School
- Boone County, Bergman Consolidated School: 1940
- Boone County, History of Omaha High School
- Bradley County, Common School Record, Book 1, 1860-1871
- Calhoun County, Term Record, 1877-1882
- Clay Graded School, Students Who Married
- Clay High School, Roll of the Students 1907-1908, 1908-1909
- Cleburne County School Records, 1910-1935
- Cleveland County, Miscellaneous School Photos
- Desha County, Common School Record, 1866-1877
- Drew County School Attendance Records, 1899-1904 Approx.
- Eagle Heights School, Honor Awards, 1931
- Early White County Schools
- Fayetteville, University of Arkansas, List of Alumni
- Fort Smith, Class of 1935;30th Year Reunion Fort Smith High School (now Northside High)
- Grant County, School Registers, 1926-1963
- Greene County, Miscellaneous School Records
- Greene County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- History of the University of Arkansas
- Jackson County School Census Records 1916-1960
- Miller County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Montgomery County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Nevada County, Providence School Records, 1884-1885
- Ouachita County, Snow Hill School. District No. 41 Schools Records, 1903-1907
- Polk County, Schools in Polk, County
- Prairie County School Records 1853-1869
- Scott County School Census Records
- Searcy County Schools, History, and their Relation to the economic development of the County
- Searcy, White County, Our Graduates, Searcy Public High School. Class of 1906
- Sevier County School Records, 1918-1927
- Sevier County, Churches, Schools and Cemeteries
- St. Francis County School Census Records 1938-1978
- United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. Superintendent of Education for the State of Arkansas, Correspondence & School Reports, 1865-1871
- United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. Superintendent of Education for the State of Arkansas, Records of the Superintendent of Education for the State of Arkansas, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1871
- Washington County, History of Education in 1830-1950
- White County School Census Records 1940-1978
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!