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)
- Attica High School Alumni Society Alumni roster
- Bloom Township, Wood County Enumeration of School age youth, 1895-1917
- Champaign County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Chatfield Township Enumeration of School age youth for Sub-district no. 1-8, 1883, 1902-1908
- Clark County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Clermont County, School Records, 1886-1935
- Colerain Township, Hamilton County, School pupils home Record, 1919-1935
- Crawford County, School attendance Register,: district 8, sub-division 4 Whetstone township
- Darke County Minute of School district no. 7 and annual Enumerations Return, 1840-1856
- Eagle Township, Hancock County Class Register of School district no. 3, Fellers School, 1896-1903
- Franklin County, Miscellaneous School Records
- Hardin County, Boy's Industrial School Record, 1896-1908
- Hardin County, Enumerations of School age youth, 1877-1910
- Henry County, Napoleon Township, Enumeration of unmarried youth of Napoleon Union School District
- Kenyon College Addresses of alumni and matriculates 1907 & 1914, 1920, 1924
- Lake Township, Wood County Enumeration of School age youth, 1886-1902
- Latty, Paulding County, Latty High School Alumni
- Liberty Township, Licking County, Pleasantville School School Enumeration and School Registers, 1846-1922
- Licking County, School District no. 1 School Registers, 1901-1907
- Marion, Daily School Register, 1866-1886
- Miami County Enumeration of School age youth : 1851-1911
- Miami Township, Enumeration of white unmarried School age youth, 1831-1833
- Middleton Township Enumerations of School age youth, 1885
- Moorefield Township., Harrison County, Science Hill School, Students and teachers 1859-1864
- Muskingum County, Burnt Mill School district Records, 1811-1955
- Ohio State University Alumni Register, 1878-1909
- Ohio Wesleyan University Alumni Record, 1842-1880
- Paulding High School Students 1889 - 1919
- Perry Township, Wood County Enumeration of School age youth, 1893-1896, 1900-1919, 1881-1882, 1897, 1901-1902, 1912-1914
- Perrysburg Township, Wood County Enumeration of School age youth, 1884-1894
- Pleasant Township, Enumeration of School age youth, 1881-1912
- Portage Township, Wood County, Enumerations of School age youth, 1905-1910
- Put-in-Bay, School Enumerations, Put-in-Bay, 1912-1957
- Put-in-Bay, School Register of Village of Put-in-Bay, 1912-1923
- Sandusky County Enumeration of School age youth, 1844-1963
- Scioto Village State of girls industrial School inmate case Record, 1869-1911
- Seneca County, Reform School Records, 1885-1886
- Springfield Township School District No. 8 School district Records, 1843-1857
- Stark County, Lake Township, District No. 6 School Register 1902-1904
- Sylvania Township, Lucas County Enumeration of School age youth, sub-district no. 1-7, 1852-1888 ; lists of pupils who have completed elementary School, 1922
- Toledo, Enumerations of School age youth & infirmary youth, 1884-1949
- Toledo, Pupil enrollment Record, 1863-1877
- Union County, School Enumerations, 1834-1862
- Union County, School Examiner's Record, 1870-1935
- Union Township, School District no. 3 School Registers, 1886-1919
- Western Reserve College and Adelbert College, Catalogue of officers, graduates and students 1826-1916
- Williams County School Records, 1853-1935
- Williams County, Miscellaneous School Records and Photos
- Wood County Enumeration of School age youth, 1842-1949
- Woodville Township, Enumeration of School age youth, 1887-1890
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Ohio Links, click on the category of interest: