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 March, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
- Bonaparte High School, Graduates, 1891-1955
- Buena Vista County, School History and Records
- Cantril, Cantril High School All School reunion, July 13 & 14, 1974, 1899 through 1959
- Carroll County, Rural School Records, 1873-1972
- Cass County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Cedar County, Center Township Scattergood Seminary School Records, 1890-1920
- Cedar County, Center Township School Records, 1867-1890
- Cedar County, School Records, 1837-1944
- Cedar Falls, Iowa State Teachers College, The Alumni Register
- Cedar Falls, Iowa State Teachers College, The Alumni Register, 1913
- Clayton County History of Clayton County Schools
- Clayton County, Monona Township School District School Register, 1850
- Clayton County, Volga City School District School Census, 1929-1934
- Clinton County, Lyons Alumni 1871-1930
- Clinton County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Davenport, St. Katherine's School Church and School Records, 1883-1956
- Decatur County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Delaware County, Colesburg School School Census, 1938
- Denmark Academy,Teachers and Graduates 1852-1874
- Des Moines County, Excelsior School District Teachers contracts, 1882-1900
- Eden Township, Benton County, Maple Grove School District School Records, 1876-1919
- Emmet County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Fayette County School Photos
- Fayette, Upper Iowa University List of students, 1857-1865
- Grundy County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Iowa Baptist Schools, A History
- Iowa City, University of Iowa, Catalogue of officers and Alumni, 1847 to 1877
- Iowa Wesleyan University, Historical sketch and Alumni Record
- Iowa, Poweshiek County Probate, School, and Court Records, 1850-1954
- Jackson Township, Wayne County, Harvard School School Records, 1901-1904, 1908-1918
- Jackson Township, Center School School Records, 1901-1911
- Jasper County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Johnson County Names of persons examined, 1858-1880
- Johnson County, School Records, 1880-1902
- Keokuk County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Lee County School Records
- Mills County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Monroe County, Schools
- Monroe County. Superintendent of Schools Records, 1878-1904
- Mount Pleasant, Iowa Wesleyan College Historical sketch and Alumni Record
- Mount Pleasant, Iowa Wesleyan College History and Alumni Record, 1842-1942
- Mount Vernon, Cornell College Alumni of Cornell College : a Register ... by state, cities
- Page County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Plymouth County, Miscellaneous Rural School Records and Photos
- Plymouth County, Miscellaneous Town School Records and Photos
- Poweshiek County, School Records, 1895-1941
- Ringgold County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Ringgold County, School Records, 1895-1960
- Rochester Township, School District no. 4, Teachers daily Register, 1863-1881
- Salem, Salem Seminary Annual catalog of officers and pupils, 1851
- Shelby County, School Records, 1859-1942
- South Fork Township, Wayne County, District no. 4, Teacher's Daily Register, 1903-1906, 1912-1914
- Springfield Township, School District no. 3, School Records, 1863-1902
- Tama County, School Records, 1898-1940
- Taylor County School Census Records, 1924-1936
- Taylor County School Census Records, 1950-1984
- University of Iowa, Alumni Register, 1847-1911
- Van Buren County School Records, 1858-1975
- Van Buren County, Kilbourne School District, Meeting minutes, 1869-1959
- Van Buren Township. School District, no. 6, Report of School meetings, 1845 and 1856
- Vernon, Vernon Independent School District, Register of parents and guardians; and a list of heads of families and children, 1867-1917
- Vinton, Tilford Collegiate Academy School Records, 1879-1914
- Wapello County, Brush Creek School School History, 1866-1966
- Wapello County, Nasby School School Records, 1869-1959
- Washington County Schools, Graduation exercises
- Washington County, Washington Academy Graduates 1875-1910
- Washington County, Wellman High School Graduates 1895-1979
- Washington, 100 years of public Schools, 1840-1940
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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