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 students 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 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.
(Updated February, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
- Baldwin County, Belforest, Belforest School History 1896-1950
- Bibb County, School Census, Oath of Enumerator, 1912-1934
- Birmingham-Southern College, Alumni Register
- Blountsville, Pennington High School, Diamond Jubilee Year, 1895-1970
- Butler County, School Land and Student Lists, 1853
- Montgomery, Huntingdon College Alumnae of Alabama Conference Female College, 1856-1908
- Shelby County, School Census, 1904-1938
- Shelby County, School Census, District 01, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 02, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 03, 1912-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 04, 1918-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 05, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 06, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 07, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 08, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 09, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 10, 1918-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 11, 1916-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 12, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 13, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 14, 1918-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 15, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 16, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 17, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 18, 1916-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 19, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 20, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 21, 1912-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 22, 1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 23, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 24, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 25, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 26, 1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 27, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 28, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 29, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 30, 1912-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 31, 1918-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 32, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 33, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 34, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 35, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 36, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 37, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 38, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 39, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 40, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 41, 1912
- Shelby County, School Census, District 42, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 43, 1912-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 44, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 45, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 46, 1912-1916
- Shelby County, School Census, District 47, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 48, 1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 49, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 50, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 51, 1912-1916
- Shelby County, School Census, District 52, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 53, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 54, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 55, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 56, 1916-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 57, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 58, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 59, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 60, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 61, 1916-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 62, 1912-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 63, 1912-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 64, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 65, 1916-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 66, 1918-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 67, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 68, 1912-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 69, 1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 70, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 71, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 72, 1916-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 73, 1908-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 74, 1912-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 75, 1916-1920
- Shelby County, School Census, District 76, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 77, 1916-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 78, 1916-1918
- Shelby County, School Census, District 79, 1916-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 80, 1912-1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 81, 1924
- Shelby County, School Census, District 82, 1911-1916
- Tallapoosa County, First School, 1835-1929
- Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama Catalogue of the Officers and Students of the University of Alabama, 1837
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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