Excitement during the first days of school is a tradition in Mooresville. Involvement is another tradition and brings business leaders, civic groups and citizens into the classroom to support students and teachers. The story of school in Mooresville is a story of action, bringing all citizens into activities that strengthen the entire community.

Mooresville Mills executive Clayton Davidson, photo left, congratulates South School first grader Bobby Cagle with a booklet for his parents "Junior" and Jane Cagle entitled Preparing Your Child for School.

Early settlers arriving on the Great Wagon Road from the north joined those travelling from the east and south, often from Charleston, South Carolina. Among those farmers and merchants were the Moore, McNeely, Harris, Culp, Davidson, Templeton and Williams families. Presbyterians organized academies like Crowfield and Prospect mainly to train young men to attend Princeton and enter the ministry. Younger children were taught by private tutors in “home schools.”

In and around the large Moore farms, people joined together to establish churches and schools. In 1845 James W. Moore donated land for the North Bend School to a school committee, including John G. Templeton, Neil M. Brawley and James Deaton. Professional educators Augustus Leazer, Stephen Frontis, A.L. Starr and F.P. Rocket operated private schools supported by tuition, with some public education offered on a different schedule.

By 1873, Mooresville was incorporated and turned its attention to organizing a public school. With a gift of property by John F. Moore, they built the Mooresville Academy.

In 1905 the NC General Assembly established the Mooresville Graded School District. Lawyer Zebulon V. Turlington relates that the push for public schools in Mooresville grew out of a program backed by the Junior Order of American Mechanics and an active and vocal group of proponents led by Moses White, B. A. Troutman, J. P. Mills, T. B. Smith and W. C. Johnston. With the purchase of the Academy building and a bill in the N. C. Legislature, the Mooresville Graded School District was established.

It took two elections to pass a $20,000 bond issue to build a school on the site of the old Mooresville Academy. The cornerstone was laid on June 29, 1907. A. C. Kerley was superintendent and C. L. Carr was principal.

Dr. S.W. Stevenson, the man who laid out the streets of Mooresville, was a great supporter of public education. In 1907, he wrote “the most valuable asset of any community is its young blood, the children. May every citizen of Mooresville rise above prejudice, above avarice, above narrowness, above ignorance and lend a cheerful helping hand to develop and train our young blood.”

The second school in the district was North School, located on the corner of Oak Street and McNeely Avenue. The building was purchased in 1911 to be used by students in grades one through four. Designed as a residence, the building was used until 1925 when a new school building was erected across the street. Named Park View School for its proximity to Stewart Park, the building included 11 classrooms, offices and a basement.

At the same time a school for the African-American community was built near the junction on what would become School Street in the Cascade community. It served students until 1941.

South School was built in 1923 with 17 classrooms, an auditorium and cafeteria. Located on the corner of Church Street and East Center Avenue, it replaced the small, one-room school operated by Stephen Frontis and Augustus Leazer. South served students in the Seminole Hill, Mooresville Mill Village and Eastern Heights neighborhoods. Mary Greenlee was the long time principal at South.

With the construction of elementary schools for the district, the central school building was used for high school students. The building was adequate for classrooms, a library and laboratory as the number of students grew with the population of the town.

In 1932 flames starting in the attic over the third floor destroyed the interior of the high school building. The school board met and called in the services of the state school building inspector, who declared the interior of the building a total loss. The brick walls were able to be saved and used as the foundation of the new building. Work on the new building began almost immediately. High school students continued their classes at Park View, and elementary students attended South School on a staggered schedule. The new school was built with modern conveniences and up to date laboratory spaces and equipment. In addition a large auditorium was added to the building to be use for school as well as community functions and activities. The new Central High School of 1935 was a complete and modern facility, with gymnasium, auditorium, cafeteria and athletic field on the campus at the corner of West Moore Avenue and Academy Street.

Land was purchased in the Eastern Heights section in 1948 for a new high school. Construction was delayed due to a lack of funds, but the building was completed to house junior high students until 1958 when high school students moved into the building. The Mooresville High School Class of 1959 was the first to graduate from the new building. Junior high students relocated to the old Central High School building.

In 1941 Dunbar School was built on McLelland Avenue. The brick building replaced a two-story frame building located near the junction. The school was named for Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first African-American poet to gain national prominence. Dr. Naurice F. Woods served as principal for 35 years. In 1972 the school was named in Woods’ honor and served elementary students until the technology and arts program began to use the building.

The MGSD has grown significantly in population and school facilities, but all students and teachers participate in the excitement of the “first day.”